Solid entertainment

Rating: Null/10 (19 August 2013)

Perhaps the most disappointing movie of last year was Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, a totally inept action period piece that had all the potential in the world to be an exciting B-movie style extravaganza. Instead, the film was undone by its complete inability to have an ounce of humor or fun to the proceedings. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, which looked quite similar in style to 'Vampire Hunter', plays out exactly the way that movie should have: a fun, absurd, bloody, and comical adventure that never takes itself too seriously and knows exactly the type of movie it is at all times. Director Tommy Wirkola gives Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters a very specific tone from the first scene, enabling audiences to know exactly the type of film to expect. This important tonal distinction is one that is refreshing in an era full of studio tent-poles filled with tonal inconsistencies that often come across as desperate attempts to hit every potential demographic at the same time. Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters makes no attempt to hide what is: an R-rated horror/action pic aimed at people who don't mind if things are goofy or a little dumb. It has decidedly low aspirations, but it achieves what it sets out to do: entertain for 80 minutes with plenty of fights, mayhem, and humorous nods to the original Hansel & Gretel story.The teaming of Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as Hansel & Gretel is the reason that everything works as well as it does. Despite the notable age difference between the two, there is great chemistry between them that elevates the material even when the characters aren't quite as developed as they could have been. Both Renner and Arterton deliver one-liners like pros, taking dialogue that could have been absolutely eye-rollingly bad and making them greatly amusing. It also helps that both are believable as action heroes and luckily the action sequences are devoid of the shaky cam work that is the norm for studio pictures these days. If there's a downside to the action scenes, it's that so much of the movie takes place during the nighttime that occasionally it can be hard to see in key parts, especially the finale which seems rushed. The very last scene leaves the door wide open for a sequel, which has the potential to be even crazier and more out there than this one. Even if it doesn't lead to a franchise Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is an entertaining and original stand-alone flick that is one of the better times I've had at the movies in 2013. 8/10