Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
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Grown-up siblings from a famous fairy tale team up to hunt witches for hire in a world of steampunk weaponry and magic.
The story
As children, Hansel and Gretel were abandoned in a forest where they encountered a cannibalistic witch in a gingerbread house; they survived by outsmarting and incinerating her. Years later, the siblings have become famed witch hunters, slaying many witches without succumbing to their curses, though Hansel suffers from a magic-induced form of diabetes. They arrive in the town of Augsburg to rescue missing children presumed abducted by witches. While navigating the forest with a local tracker, they discover that the witches are preparing for a coming Blood Moon, planning to sacrifice twelve children to gain immunity to fire, their greatest weakness.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After surviving a cannibalistic witch as children, Hansel and Gretel become professional witch hunters. They are hired by Mayor Engleman in Augsburg to find missing children. They discover the witches plan to sacrifice twelve children during a Blood Moon to gain immunity to fire. During the hunt, the grand witch Muriel attacks, abducting the twelfth child and killing a tracker. Hansel is lost in the forest, where he is healed by Mina, a white witch. Gretel is attacked by Sheriff Berringer's posse but saved by Edward, a troll. The siblings discover their childhood home is a witch's lair and learn the truth: their mother was the white witch Adrianna, who was burned by a mob to protect her children. Muriel reveals she needs a white witch's heart for her fire-protective potion and intended to use Gretel's. Mina heals Hansel and blesses his weapons. Hansel, Mina, and a local boy named Ben disrupt the witches' Sabbath. Mina kills many witches with a Gatling gun while Hansel frees the children. After a final confrontation at the original gingerbread house, Hansel shoots Muriel and the siblings decapitate her with a shovel. They burn her body and continue their hunt with Ben and Edward.
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 88
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tommy Wirkola
- Writers
- Tommy Wirkola · writer; Dante Harper · rewrite
- Cast and characters
- Jeremy Renner · Hansel; Gemma Arterton · Gretel; Famke Janssen · Muriel; Peter Stormare · null; Robin Atkin Downes · Edward (voice); Derek Mears · Edward; Pihla Viitala · null; Bjørn Sundquist · null
- Genres
- dark fantasy; action
- Themes
- Sibling bond; Good vs. Evil; Survival
- Tone and mood
- Dark; Violent; Campy; Action-centered
- Premise and plot tags
- Fairy Tale Reboot; Witch Hunting; Action-Comedy; Fantasy
- Source material / true-story basis
- The fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel"
- Franchise connections
- Hansel and Gretel
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics for its weak script and gratuitous violence, but it was a box-office success and has been labeled as a cult film by some fans.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 17% · review count: 144; Metacritic · score: 23 · scale: 100 · review count: 25
- Awards and nominations
- Favorite Horror Film · People's Choice Awards · 2014 · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was delayed to allow additional time to shoot a post-credits scene with Jeremy Renner.; The film was the first big studio production of Norwegian writer and director Tommy Wirkola.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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