Young Hansel and Gretel become separated from their father and discover a gingerbread house in the woods. After being fattened up for the feast, they manage to kill and burn the offending witch. Years later, this experience has led to them becoming witch hunters.
This tongue in cheek, comic book horror stars Gemma Arterton as the grown up Gretel and Jeremy Renner as her brother Hansel. Hired by a local town mayor (Rainer Bock) to look into the disappearance of children in the area, they find themselves battling both Peter Stormare's menacing sheriff and Famke Janssen's particularly vicious grand witch.
Muriel (Janssen) and her coven are preparing for the coming, Blood Moon, where they plan to sacrifice twelve children to gain immunity to fire, their greatest weakness. CGI blood and gore flies towards the screen as humans and witches are dispatched with ghoulish glee. Character development is extremely limited but strictly speaking, unnecessary here.
The witches make-up is fantastic.
Hansel and Gretel is good, campy fun, it doesn't outstay its welcome at only 87 minutes.
There is a harder extended cut with additional gore, profanity and sexual content. Regular version reviewed.
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OTHER CAST: Pihla Viitala. DIRECTED BY: Tommy Wirkola. SCREENPLAY BY: Tommy Wirkola. RUNNING TIME: 87 minutes. CERTIFICATE: 15 / R. USA.
