The Last Witch Hunter

I didn't expect much from this movie. In fact, the only reason why I went to watch it was because of Vin Diesel.

It's another one of those Hollywood cliché filled movies. Don't expect much of a storyline other than bad things happened to my family, I became a witch hunter, defied death and killed witches. It's just filled with moments you know exactly how they're going to turn out if you've seen any other movie from Hollywood.

The visual effects were good enough. And the actors played their role. The plot has so much potential. Something like knights of the round table dedicated to incarcerating witches for using black magic. It's a nice idea but poorly executed since the idea is crushed half way into the movie.

Go see it if you like 21st century shotgun + sword action and Vin Diesel. Otherwise stay way from it.

Say what you will about Vin Diesel, the guy has performed a variety of roles. From the famous furious action series, sci-fi, family comedy and even the lesser known crime drama, he's a legitimate blockbuster draw. However, in his recent fantasy escapade, he's bogged down by the same flaws from Constantine and even Van Helsing; far too much stylish fireworks and lacking any real focus on narrative.

The Last Witch Hunter tells the story of Kaulder, an immortal who hunts witches for centuries. Straight from the first act, the movie tries to jam as many expositions as possible while panning through myriad of hidden exotic locations practically every five minutes. It feels like a rushed tour of New York and none of CGI view made lasting impression.

This is a missed opportunity since the occult version of modern city is teeming with potential. Other movies, even comic books and video games have used this premise to captivate audience effectively. The screenplay could've showcased the mythology with calm pace and imaginative scenery, yet the movie abruptly shifts between uninspiring random clubs, which makes the entire environment seems generic.

It doesn't have to be Hellboy 2 level of sophistication, but the lore available feels terribly underutilized. Visual is mostly crafted with CG, and the action is mediocre with crude choreography. Underneath the cosmetic spells, the production value feels simply average, far too similar to Constantine from last decade.

This rushed pace is also translated to the characters, which appear like random strangers meshed together and suddenly given strange development. This is not on Vin Diesel alone, the movie has good acting prowess with Elijah Wood and Michael Caine, among others, however the characters are nothing more than stereotypical eccentric magicians or familiar villain. At some points it even looks like some cop procedural series with awkward buddy gimmick.

Lastly, Vin Diesel himself isn't that convincing even though he's groomed for superhero epic. In fact, he fared much better as Riddick, at least he had an identity as the stealthy assassin. While as Kaulder he's just another grunting protagonist despite the presentable physique or the grand attire.

The Last Witch Hunter is a fantasy foray filled with shallow parlor tricks and incompatible hero in Vin Diesel. It had potential to be spectacular, but the shoddy presentation only offers pedestrian exhibition.

In the Middle Ages, the witch hunter Kaulder (Vin Diesel) hunts down the Witch Queen (Julie Engelbrecht) with the inhabitants of towns devastated by the black plague that she had spread.. The Witch Queen curses Kaulder with eternal life to make him suffer the loss of his wife and daughter for the eternity.

Eight hundred years later, there is a balance in the world and the witches live peacefully among humans. The witch hunter Kauder and The Axe and Cross that judges and imprisons witches in the darkness are the responsible for keeping the world in peace. The priest Dolan 36th (Michael Caine) is the liaison between The Axe and Cross and Kauder, giving support and keeping the record of his life. On the same day of his retirement, Dolan 36th dies alone in his apartment. Kauder goes to his apartment with Dolan 37th (Elijah Wood) to investigate his death and finds black magic in the spot. Further, he finds that Dolan 36th is still alive under a powerful spell. Now Kauder visits the witch Chloe (Rose Leslie), who owns a witch bar, to seek her help to recall his own death following clues left by Dolan 36th. However the bar is attacked and destroyed by the witch Beliel (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) and Kauder leaves Chloe under his protection. When she uses her abilities to help Kauder, he learns a dreadful secret about his immortality.

"The Last Witch Hunter" is an entertaining fantasy with lots of action and special effects. The excellent cast with Michael Caine, Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie and Elijah Wood give pedigree to the adventure. The conclusion is prepared for a sequel with Kauder's discovery. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Último Caçador de Bruxas" ("The Last Witch Hunter")

Besides short segments taking place in the Middle Ages and another on a plane, this supernatural flick takes place in modern New York. We have Vin Diesel's character, Kaulder, a man who lost his family due to witches, still alive after 800 years and still hunting them. One would think that Kaulder would be a stereotypical stoic, somber, asocial killing machine, but such is not quite the case. I was pleasantly surprised to find Vin Diesel more smiling and "human" than usual. In fact, on more than one occasion, his hero actually showed restraint and compassion, which was quite refreshing. After that Middle-Ages intro, I thought all the witches would be evil, despicable, one-dimensional creatures (which would have been boring) but then again, I was fooled as we actually delved more into the modern witch community.

As far as story goes, despite the seemingly cliché setup, I'd say it was stronger than usual for that kind of supernatural-action film with a few good twists I didn't see coming. The special effects were rather good and I especially liked how the magic was so nature-oriented (as it should be for witches). One of the neatest places was that bar with the subtle light magic. I also liked the design of the old witches and that bone sentinel. There was visual stuff there I hadn't actually seen before or at least a dozen times over. Unfortunately, I found the action scenes somewhat weak in general. I know that close-in fighting is supposed to be messy and chaotic but the cuts here were sometimes so poorly done I had trouble knowing what was happening. Thankfully, it's never as bad as in that first fight in the past, and it does get better as the film goes on. So don't go in expecting to be thrilled too much by the quality of the action.

Surrounding the more-emotional-than-usual Diesel, there's actually a pretty decent cast including Michael Caine (always classy), Elijah Wood (amusing and solid) and Rose Leslie, that redhead wild woman from Game of Thrones. For me, she was the highlight acting-wise and elevated everything up a dramatic notch. As for the directing, besides the poor action and annoying flares, it was competent but not particularly memorable. The "dream" visions were nice, but then they usually are. I saw this at a preview screening and there wasn't much crowd reaction, however it should be noted that the film kept my (very) jaded interest throughout. I didn't have trouble with the pacing or story confusion as other reviewers did. I actually found the world of the Last Witch Hunter somewhat intriguing and enjoyable.

Rating: 7 out of 10 (good)

The stoyline was predictable, but still enjoyable. I found the film really dark in some places, that it almost teetered towards a horror film. The only reason this movie is worth watching is because of the cast. Vin diesel was excellent as always. Rose leslie did a great job with her part! Having Elijah Wood and Michael Caine on the cast made it even better.