Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Directed by Tommy Wirkola, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters follows Jeremy Renner’s Hansel and Gemma Arterton’s Gretel as they agree to help a small village recover their missing children from a coven of vicious witches. Filmmaker Wirkola, armed with his own screenplay, delivers an exceedingly (and often excessively) slick endeavor that is, for the most part, more entertaining than one might’ve anticipated, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the movie kicks off with a blisteringly-paced opening stretch that effectively (and instantly) lures the viewer into the proceedings – with the promising atmosphere heightened by Renner and Arterton’s solid work as the grizzled title figures. And although Wirkola’s pervasively irreverent approach keeps things relatively interesting throughout, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters‘ overall impact is stymied by a hit-and-miss midsection that is, to an increasingly distressing extent, more miss than hit – which does ensure, ultimately, that the picture often feels substantially longer than its 88 minutes. The action-packed third act does ensure that the film concludes on a positive, engaging note, at least, which does, in the end, cement Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters‘ place as a decent-enough piece of work that puts an admittedly compelling spin on a familiar fairy tale.

**1/2 out of ****