HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS could have been more.  The trailers show the good parts and it still leaves you under whelmed.  The movie ends up being a bland disappointment with not enough character development and an underwritten script.  The dark witches just have their faces turn evil and decayed while shooting energy and flying on brooms while waiting to do a blood sacrifice under the blood moon which will make them invincible to fire.

 

HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS follows the adventures of Hansel and Gretel who have been together hunting witches since their encounter with a witch in the gingerbread house out in the woods.  They come to the town of Augsburg to find children who have been kidnapped by witches.  They find something bigger is brewing as they face off against Muriel (Famke Janssen) and other witches.  Hansel and Gretel rescue Mina, a good witch, from being burned by the town sheriff (it isn't too big a surprise when it is revealed she is a light witch). 

 

HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS is a generic horror action clunker.  The action scenes are the scenes that work the best while the rest of the movie just stumbles along on a poor script that miserably tries to be a smart and campy adventure.  Jeremy Renner can't seem to catch a break as a action star where other overshadow him or the material isn't up to snuff.   His best action turns are in THE BOURNE LEGACY and the last MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film while Hawkeye is way underdeveloped in THE AVENGERS.  His best turn as an actor remains to be HURT LOCKER.  Famke Janssen enjoys playing Muriel the dark witch despite how underwritten the character is along with the other characters.  The 3D was unneeded as all it amounts to is blood and body parts flying at the screen.   If you want to see HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS, wait for rental on DVD or Blu-ray.   You have better movies to spend cash on if you are going to the theaters to catch a flick.

 

The Unrated Cut adds ten minutes of additional action, weapons, and witches along with more swearing.  It doesn’t improve the film in any way.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

REINVENTING HANSEL & GRETEL- a featurette on the origins, casting, and making of the film

THE WITCHING HOURS- a look at the design of all the witches seen in the movie

MEET EDWARD THE TROLL- a behind-the-scenes look at Edward the troll and the guy who wears the troll suit

 

Not included on the disc are any of the film’s theatrical trailers or TV spots.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  I’m not as disappointed with HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS on a second viewing, but the unrated cut still shows this as a mediocre film fit just for one rental with Famke Janssen being the real stand out as evil witch Muriel.  The featurettes give a brief and good look at the film while I wish they included the theatrical trailers.  The Blu-ray disc is included as part of a Blu-ray/ DVD combo pack with a another version also including a Blu-ray 3D disc.

 

this movie review is (c)1-27-2013 and the blu-ray review is (c)6-12-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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