'Hansel & Gretel' is half-baked

Rating: 5/10 (2 August 2013)

With its sprinkle of Burton and dash of Raimi, 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters' could've been dumb fun, only it isn't. That's because the whole film feels like a rough draft. A first rehearsal. The cast are all game, and there are some clever ideas and good decisions—the best being its use of practical F/X. But its all under-thought. Its primary assets are its brevity and the lovely ladies of its cast, but that does not a good film make... unless we're talking about "Adult" cinema.
With just a bit more effort, 'Hansel & Gretel' might've been a modern day 'Army of Darkness'. Instead, it's nothing more than a second rate 'Van Helsing', and that's second rate indeed.