Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Now Playing: Hansel & Gretel, Witch Hunters

A wee bit of a break from the Oscars saw us taking in Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters this past Saturday.  I wasn't expecting too much and Jadek reminded of the disappointments that were The Brothers Grimm and Van Helsing so I was primed for meh.  Perhaps this was a good thing, because, I gotta say, I was entertained. 

I loved the brother/sister dynamic – a rarity; well-executed, scarcer still.  And while Jeremy Renner is usually pretty amazing, he was phoning it in compared to Gemma Arterton (could she be a Wonder Woman candidate? possible, possible.)  The baddie is very ably played by Famke Janssen - very ably, indeed.  In fact, I quite enjoyed her acid tongue that almost literally dripped sarcasm and condescension. 

The plot is what you would expect from a fairy tale / action flick (no way to make a cute bifucate with that ... faiction? ...no.) and the script is a nice balance of eye-rolling corn and witty one-liners.  Also, well set-up for a franchise (I do hope we see that serpent witch, she sounds neat). 

Finally - it was in 3D.  Usually, the 3D is silly and misused.  I must say, they did it really well.  It wasn't over-the-top; in fact, it wasn't until I semi-ducked an arrow that I realised just how immersive it was.

With all the competition in the theatres at the moment, you'd be hard-pressed to make time for H&G; if you have it though, it's fun.  a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars on the blockbuster scale.

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