Janet W., Here…
Yeah, bring me some more Riddick…oh wait, this isn’t…
Don’t be fooled folks. It may look like a duck, swim like a duck, and quack like a duck, but this is not Daffy. I saw the poster as well and this is nothing like the popular cult film, Pitch Black or Chronicles of Riddick. Clearly the studio is trying to cash in its popularity.
The Last Witch Hunter says it all, for I hope this is the last (of this story at least). It was a good idea, just poorly executed. The villain, Witch Queen, was a joke perhaps too much lighting. The makeup was lacking. Flashbacks can be helpful to the audience in understanding characters or situational backgrounds. However, overuse, as they have here, loses the focus and engagement of the audience. Too many flashbacks/visions interrupt the story. It’s almost like
Vin Diesel can be a decent action star (Pitch Black, Chronicles of Riddick, and The Fast and Furious series), but he doesn’t have the depth needed to carry a feature film. What happened to man that made Multi-facial? Even the small bit he portrayed in Saving Private Ryan showed promise. Even the normally hilarious Michael Caine (Dolan 36) could not pump some life into this flick. I did enjoy seeing Rose Leslie (Chloe), arguably the best acting performance of the whole film.
Leslie was great in Game of Thrones as Ygritte. She brought a little something extra to her role in The Last Witch Hunter. I want to see Leslie do more work. Frodo? Yes, that’s right Elijah Wood rounds out this assemble. Unfortunately, you almost forget he is even in the movie. Again, what happened to that cute little boy that flew in Forever Young. In The Lord of the Rings, Wood, showed great depth of emotion and a boyish charm that pulled you in. I still have hope for Wood though.
The premise (though not followed through well) and some of the special effects were interesting. The villain is weak and the hero is, too. An experienced witch hunter would know how to guard against witchcraft. Didn’t these writers watch Constantine, even Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (which was better than this and that is not praising either one). Overall, I cannot recommend this film, very few good laughs or suspenseful moments.
1.5 out of 5 Stars
Janet L. White