Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Director: Tommy Wirkola Tommy Wirkola

Overview

Fifteen years after a horrific experience in a deceptively inviting ginger bread house, an orphan Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become famous for ridding the countryside of witches. Despite their stellar success record, the brother and sister face a unique challenge when an extremely powerful witch is identified as the culprit stealing children from a local village with the intent to sacrifice them in an ancient magical ceremony to be held on the night of the Blood Moon. As Hansel and Gretel race against the clock, making several unlikely allies on the way (among them a troll and a witch hunter fanboy), they unexpectedly come across a link to their own pasts and the secret their parents took with them when they disappeared. The film was directed by Tommy Wirkola. Actresses Famke Janssen and Pihla Vitala co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/24/2017
UPC:	0032429257123
Original Release:	2013
Rating:	R
Source:	Paramount
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:27:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Gemma Arterton	Gretel
Jeremy Renner	Hansel
Famke Janssen	Muriel
Peter Stormare	Berringer
Joanna Kulig	Red Haired Witch
Robin Atkin Downes	Edward,Voices
Derek Mears	Edward
Thomas Mann	Actor,Teenage Boy
Pihla Viitala	Actor
Ingrid Bolso Berdal	Horned Witch
Zoë Bell	la grande sorcière
Rainer Bock	le maire Engleman
Bjørn Sundquist	Jackson
Thomas Scharff	Father
Cedric Eich	Young Hansel
Alea Sophia Boudodimos	Young Gretel
Matthias Ziesing	Deputy
Sebastian Hülk	Deputy
Vegar Hoel	Gamekeeper
Jeppe Beck Laursen	Tracker William
Christian Rubeck	Tracker Jonathan
Stig Frode Henriksen	Mute Tracker
Lucy Ella von Scheele	Mary Behlmer
Isaiah Michalski	Little Boy
Paul-Adrien Ferré	Villager
Stephanie Corneliussen	Desert Witch
Atli Örvasson	Composer
Atli Örvarsson	Composer

Technical Credits

Tommy Wirkola

D.W. Harper

Tommy Wirkola	Director,Screenwriter
Adam McKay	Producer
Will Ferrell	Producer
Kevin J. Messick	Producer
Beau Flynn	Producer
Chris Henchy	Executive Producer,Producer
Denis L. Stewart	Executive Producer,Producer
Tripp Vinson	Executive Producer,Producer
David Leitch	Second Unit Director,Stunts
Mike Elizalde	Makeup Special Effects
Christoph Fisser	Producer
Henning Molfenter	Producer
Robyn Wholey	Producer
Charlie Woebcken	Producer
Christopher Assells	Sound Effects
Karen Baker Landers	Sound Effects
Wade Barnett	Sound Effects
D.W. Harper	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The title Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters sounds a lot like another tale about heroes who help keep the supernatural at bay: the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While in no way a copycat of that show, director Tommy Wirkola may have taken a few hints from Buffy creator Joss Whedon. Like Buffy, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters has an in-your-face ridiculous title, a steady flow of dryly delivered one-liners, and heroes with the fighting skills of a ninja. Films that leave no doubt that the people behind them are in on the joke are always a gamble: The joke has to be funny, after all, and a silly story is not necessarily good one. For the most part, Wirkola succeeds on both fronts. The universe in which the story takes place is one where common fairy-tale conventions intermingle with a steampunk aesthetic, creating an atmosphere that remains visually arresting throughout the entire film. The concept of an adult Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) making a living as professional witch hunters makes more sense when put in context; after all, what fairy-tale heroes with tragic pasts don't eventually wind up fighting for the cause themselves? Renner seems the most committed to his role, easily switching back and forth between a loyal brother, a skilled fighter, and an awkward man who doesn't have the hang of talking to women. Actress Pihla Viitala is equally sure of herself as a beautiful, quietly funny woman who falls for Hansel after he rescues her from an angry mob. The rest of the cast are decidedly more tentative, and that's where the film sags beneath the weight of its production values and pervasive self-awareness. Arterton often seems more of a damsel in distress than she does a toughened heroine, and Famke Janssen's portrayal of the evil witch Muriel is simply not scary. This movie probably isn't going to win anybody any awards. Still, it seems a logical conclusion that most people willing to part with their hard-earned cash would be expecting something great from a film called Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. However, should they be hoping for a cheesy, funny fantasy where there is no doubt that the good guys will prevail, this picture does not disappoint.