Witchy Women

Rating: 5/10 (8 June 2013)

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a movie I would normally hate. Or pick apart. Or dread seeingÂ…if I was paid to review films.
But, oddly, I had a tad bit fun here. And there's more than a few reasons:
1. Gemma Arterton owned her Gretel role. She was fun, a little more deep than appears on the surface and commanded the screen.
2. Likewise, Famke Janssen was also pretty good. While I've always liked her anyways, she was delicious in her bad girl role.
3. The movie never takes itself too seriously. It never tries to climb above silly, period piece action.
4. While it falls apart in the (anti)climax, it has enough strong and fun scenes to carry it there.
5. Mercifully, it's Rated R. This is NOT a kid's movie and they didn't need to make it both lowbrow and for the Twilight crowd. This could've easily fallen in a trap of PG-13 crap.
6. Jeremy Renner takes his shirt off. Done.
As mentioned, this movie is, in fact, silly. It's NOT to be taken a bit seriously. Its plot and plot holes weren't exactly easy to ignore, but again, let the two female leads carry you through â€“ along with a few good explosions and fun, and you'll have a good time.
I grew up on the fairly basic story of Hansel & Gretel when I was a kid and loved it. And maybe this is why it was Rated RÂ…only adults my age or around my age or greater would've heard of this fairy tale. How could the young, I-Whatever Gen even hear of either Hansel or Gretel?
Anyhoo, after being left alone in the woods as kids by their parents and changing the original story, Team H&G fight off their first witch and never look back. Enter present day, sorta, and a new threat of kidnapping witches brings the duo to save the day.
There will actually be just a few unexpected surprises, though mostly predictable and a lot of CGI blood leading to the finale we all know is coming. One with a suspension of disbelief so great that believing in witchcraft is incredibly minor.
Recommended, but know what you're getting yourself into.