Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters

When I first saw the trailer for Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, my curiosity was piqued, and I just knew I had to see this film. Needless to say, I enjoyed it very much, and liked the new interpretation on this well-known fairy tale. It might not be Oscar-worthy... far from it, but if you are in the mood for just some good mindless entertainment and fun, this may be right up your alley. The story is somewhat good, straightforward, and has a good brisk pace. However, I will say this movie is pretty dark and intense, and even classify it as being the grown-up version of Hansel and Gretel. I will kindly advise that this isn't for young children. Lots of cursing and violence in this picture which is a good reason not to bring them. Acting did have its high and low points, a few comedic one-liners throughout the dialogue, script writing was okay, but the CGI effects were astounding. I liked the casting choice for Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, and I believed they were Hansel and Gretel. They did great in their roles. Good close-knit brother/sister relationship between them, and I liked how they had each others backs. Also, Famke Janssen was incredible in her portrayal as Muriel, the evil leader. She made one very scary, menacing witch. As for her other witch followers, they were reasonably good in their roles, and were creepy and vicious too. Fantastic job on the make-up, costumes looked Gothic and authentic. Thought Edward, the witch-serving troll was an interesting, likable character as well. Pihla Viitala's performance as the white witch was very good and played in a devout way. All the other supporting cast members didn't do half bad of a job either. Though the main highlight of this film is of course the decently choreographed action scenes. They are fun, thrilling, and fast-paced, but the gore factor is quite high, lots of destruction too. It was amusing to see both Renner and Arterton kick so much butt with the witches... insanely good fighting from both parties. Also, the setting for this flick is cool, and accurate. It really has that middle ages look and feel to it. As far as my 3D experience went, it was great, but I think I would've enjoyed the 2D version just as much, saving on a few bucks. Overall, this movie sure was one witchy, wild ride... nice to see if you just want to veg... get a thrill or two... a good laugh and see something that doesn't make you think too hard.