Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013): A criminally underrated fantasy action adventure

Oh, man, do the critics hate this one. But you know something? Several gazillion of my best friends and I beg to differ. 

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a fantasy action adventure that killed at the box office in January 2013 and has been a healthy property for Paramount in the home-video and streaming markets.

It was the first English-language film for Norwegian writer-director Tommy Wirkola. He since has won over critics with a handful of successful genre films, including Santa Claus slasher Violent Night in 2022.

I don't really understand why critics didn't like Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. I discovered it on streaming a few years ago, and I watched it recently for at least the third time. Every time I see it, I have a blast with this movie. I think it's fantastic.

Wirkola's concept here is to establish what became of Hansel and Gretel. We get enough of the fairy tale in the first few minutes to establish the relevant backstory.

Several years after the two orphans baked the cannibalistic witch and escaped the gingerbread house, Hansel -- played by Jeremy Renner -- and his sister, Gretel -- played by Gemma Arterton -- show up in town as famous witch hunters. They are hired by the town's mayor to rescue several children kidnapped by a forest-dwelling coven.

Hansel and Gretel go off to find the kids, trailed by a host of friends and foes. And we get an exciting run of action sequences the rest of the way. The fight choreography is expertly done. The mostly practical special effects are awesome.

The set designs, the lighting, the costuming and the cinematography are breathtaking. This really is a great-looking movie.

Much of the criticism of this film has focused on its intense violence. But you know, witch-hunting can be a violent sport. I don't think anything here is excessive. It can get a bit gnarly at times, but for the most part, the violence is as much cartoonish as realistic. There's nothing here that isn't well-earned and doesn't belong.

Critics also complain about a weak plot, but I also object to that. We get enough plot to provide motivation and structure. This movie was designed as a wild ride, not as a storytelling device. Sit down with a big bowl of popcorn, give the brain a rest and let your nervous system have a bit of fun.

I really am confounded about its horrible Rotten Tomatoes score. The Letterboxd crowd rates it ridiculously low, too. I give it 3.5 stars. I have it as No. 5 on my Letterboxd list of 10 severely underrated movies.

My only real objection is that the makeup and prosthetics for Famke Jansen as the head witch is excessive and distracting. It's unnecessary. Famke all in black and just being Famke would have been intimidating enough.