Movie Review - Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)

Starring Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Famke Jannsen, Peter Stormare, and Thomas Mann

Directed by Tommy Wirkola

In a movie like Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, you have to give in to the complete absurdity and ridiculousness of it all or else you're never going to be able to enjoy it.  Unfortunately, after a pre-opening credits segment in which the traditional Hansel & Gretel fairy tale is depicted and a young Gretel throws a horrid-looking witch into a burning fire followed by uttering the line "Is that hot enough for you, bitch?", I was nearly ready to check out.  While director-screenwriter Tommy Wirkola manages to craft something infinitely better than the similarly themed Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, that's not exactly a ringing endorsement and despite trying to scream "fun" all the time, Hansel & Gretel doesn't have enough substance for its unique spin on the traditional fairy tale story.

Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are the title brother/sister pair and both are actually quite good playing their characters as if they were seemingly self-aware of the corniness, cheesiness, and insanity that goes on around them as Hansel and Gretel attempt to save a European village from the evil witch Muriel (Famke Jannsen) who is snatching up children in order to complete some massive supernatural spell that will give her incredible control.  Unfortunately, there are a few additional subplots thrown in the mix that bog things down, taking focus away from the main crux of the flick.

Honestly, there's part of me that wants to hate Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters because I'm well aware that it's utterly ridiculous.  However, it was enjoyable enough that it's worth your time should it ever start to stream on Netflix.

The RyMickey Rating:  C