Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
After getting a taste for blood as children, Hansel and Gretel have become the ultimate vigilantes, hell-bent on retribution. Now, unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, and must face an evil far greater than witches... their past.
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters takes a fun genre-mashup premise — fairy tale characters as steampunk-ish monster hunters — but fails to fully capitalize on it. The plot is thin and predictable, hitting familiar beats without much surprise. Acting is serviceable but unremarkable, with Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton delivering competent but uninspired performances. Cinematography is a relative bright spot, with some stylish action staging and decent practical effects work that give the film a slick if generic look. Novelty earns credit for the bold tonal choice of combining fairy tale, steampunk, and R-rated action schlock — it's a distinctive enough concept even if the execution is uneven. The ending wraps up too neatly and sets up a sequel that never came, leaving little impact.