Mindless fun done the right way

Rating: 8/10 (20 April 2020)

I'll be honest, I didn't have high expectations of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, because it looked like a ridiculous concept used as an excuse for another over-the-top action film. It absolutely was everything I expected, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. This movie is fully embracing the silliness of its concept, and doing it in all the right ways. Logic is out the window as the film seems to take place in olden times, but the heroes have an arsenal of modern weapons, a full concept of diabetes and insulin, plus they use some modern slang and profanity. They do nothing to hide this anachronistic feel either, and have so much fun blowing away witches with everything from a shotgun to a modern Gatling-style gun while dropping several F-bombs. The film also fully embraces the existence of witches with dangerous powers, and uses that to make them a formidable threat to our heroes who could seem indestructible. Every aspect of this film is crazy, and I could totally see if someone thought it was dumb, but I loved how writer/director Tommy Wirkola understands where to draw the line between camp and crap. This is the kind of movie that I can justify telling people to "turn off your brain and enjoy it."
There is a solid plot at the heart of Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, that has personal elements for our heroes, which increases the stakes. Most of the plot points are predictable, but this isn't the kind of movie with a complex story that is supposed to puzzle or surprise the viewer. I particularly liked how they handled the reveals of Hansel & Gretel's history, because it was not dragged out too long since we knew what was coming. I think the only story point that was dragged out too much was the way they explored whether all witches were evil. The cast of witches, led by Famke Janssen are delightfully evil in all the stereotypical ways, and the makeup effects on them were perfectly repulsive. Jeremy Renner is basically playing Hansel as another version of Hawkeye, and I didn't mind, because that fits the tone of this film perfectly. I love what Gemma Arterton brings as Gretel, because she is tough and dangerous. I will say, I wish she had spent less time being a damsel in distress and had kicked more butt, particularly in the finale. Otherwise, despite some minor complaints, I found Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters to be a total blast. This is the kind of movie I will watch when I feel like a crazy action spectacle that doesn't require much brainpower to enjoy.