The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D | Movie review
10 February 2013
Jennifer Atkinson
Avatar
Jennifer Atkinson
10 February 2013

Children’s fairy tales always make for a good film narrative, especially when they are adapted with a new and darker twist, which is what we get with the latest film by writer/director Tommy Wirkola. Starring Jeremy Renner (The Bourne Legacy, The Avengers) and English rose Gemma Arterton (Quantum of Solace, Clash of the Titans) as siblings, Hansel and Gretel, this film is sure to alter the current perception of a much cherished childhood tale.

The story begins as always with a young brother and sister being abandoned in the woods by their father, at their mothers command. After spending the night alone, cold and scared, the children happen upon the candy-covered house of a witch… however, the original fairytale acts as exposition for the film. The film continues after the demise of said “candy witch”, with Hansel and Gretel grown up and earning their living as leather-clad, witch-killing bounty hunters. Quite a juxtaposition with the innocent original!

Hired by Mayor Engleman (Rainer Bock) (perhaps a nod to the German composer Engelburt Humperdinck, famous for his opera, Hänsel und Gretel), the two kick-ass vigilantes arrive at a village on the edge of a wood to help solve the mystery of the missing local children, which of course has something to do with witches.

Although with the help of CGI this film is more grim than Grimm, the added gore and ghastly, cheesy humour brings a serious element of fun. There is definitely something darkly comic about a hero taking an insulin injection for his diabetes contracted from having been force fed candy as a child by a witch. There are also very subtle references to other fairy tales within the film and tongue-in-cheek elements, which lighten some of the more emotional moments.

Overall this film does entertain, but the castings of Arterton and Renner is questionable. Perhaps more suitable to play the roles of these gun-toting, punch-throwing, head-butting heroes would be the fight-first-questions-later Jason Statham and Milla Jovovich. The delicate Arterton is just not quite convincing enough, and teamed with Renner there is a serious lack of authentic chemistry between the brother and sister – it all looks too staged.

As entertaining, escapist cinema this film rates highly and mature themes run throughout ensuring it is no ordinary kids’ fairy tale. Detailed dissection of the film would be its downfall because there is nothing particularly original on offer, but on the whole it goes down well.

★★★★★

Jennifer Atkinson

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is released nationwide on 27th February 2013.

Watch the trailer for Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters here:

Related Itemsreview

More in Movie reviews

Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

Minions: The Rise of Gru

★★★★★
Sarah Bradbury
Read More

Nitram

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

The Princess

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

We (Nous)

★★★★★
Jake Cudsi
Read More

Tigers

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

Theo and the Metamorphosis

★★★★★
Oliver Johnston
Read More

The Big Hit

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Moon, 66 Questions

★★★★★
Joseph Owen
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • The Rollings Stones give Glasto a run for its money at BST Festival in Hyde Park
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • “He used to spit at the audience, roll on the ground, he did, in fact, hump that plastic dog – he was the original punk rocker”: Baz Luhrman, Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge and Alton Mason on Elvis
    Cinema & Tv
  • The Princess
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Terminal List
    ★★★★★
    amazon
  • Baymax!
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • Africa Fashion at the V&A
    ★★★★★
    Art
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Romeo + Juliet at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate | Theatre review
Devendra Banhart and Swans at Music Hall of Williamsburg | Live review