- Directed by Breck Eisner
- October 13, 2015 (NYC) / October 23, 2015 (US)
- Based on Melkor the Witch-Hunter by Vin Diesel
An immortal witch hunter must stop a plague caused by an ancient witch from ravaging the entire world.
A Vin Diesel fantasy film based on his DND inspired by his D&D character Melkor the Witch-Hunter sounds like something closer to Babylon A.D. in quality than this. What I found after watching The Last Witch Hunter was a world that comes off a surprisingly thought through and not created as needed for the plot or the scene. From the magic to the social functioning of the mystical the rules of the world we see felt complex.
I appreciate that those behind this movie took things seriously. I think it extended beyond the star. There are different types of magic and spells and rules govern each. One type of magic is even said to be neither good nor evil at its base. A nuanced distinction often left out of American originating fantasy.
While the characters are not two dimensional with interchangeable lines, they are also not the deepest of creations. I would liken them more to work buddies that you know just from work and have no knowledge of their lives outside of the four walls where you all are a wage slave. You know just enough about them to get you through the day and deal with them but if you were asked any real personal questions you might have to struggle.
Vin Diesel plays an 800-year-old man named Kaulder who has been cursed with eternal life by the Witch Queen (Julie Engelbrecht). Imagine going on a quest for vengeance coupled with a death wish and never being allowed to die. Fast forward to the present where Kaulder now works for a group (whom he is one of maybe two members) called the Axe and the Cross that keeps an uneasy truce between magic users and humans.
Vin Diesel with at least more hair than his eyebrows is certainly an interesting sight. In what amounts to a prologue as well as a series of flashbacks/dream sequences we get to see Mr. Diesel with a ZZ Top-style beard and some long hair that makes him look like a Viking warrior or just a medieval bad ass.
He is oddly charming in the role of Kaulder. Diesel has an easy smile and comes off as a bit of a smooth talker. It is a skill and depth he has not portrayed since Pitch Black or even the first FF film. You get little feel for his life beyond this movie other than the implication he fills his free time with nameless women. That rapscallion!
Our hero is joined on his quest by Chloe (Rose Leslie)-a witch with the forbidden power of dream walking. Not like she decided to have that ability. It seems to be something she had no choice in. Kinda like outlawing green eyes. You have no choice. Since she is the prettiest thing not trying to kill him so they fall in love.
If she exists for any other reason, it is to force our character to confront what he’s been doing. Not because enforcing the tentative truce is bad, but because, well, I’m not sure why. Maybe they were trying to draw some kind of parallel to police profiling. The witches just feel as if he’s unnecessarily brutal because most them would like to go back to the old ways which weren’t necessarily good for people.
To add a little razmataz they cast Elijah Wood and Michael Caine as Dolan 37th and Dolan 36th respectively. A ‘dolan’ is the title given to Kaulder’s handlers over the centuries. What it is beyond being a glorified Guy Friday and an occasional confidant is never mentioned. These two were not just there to give a sheen of quality but added something to the story. Though when it came to Elijah Wood the added twist seemed like plot convenience than natural outgrowth.
This is more of a dark fantasy than a fun fantasy adventure. The Last Witch Hunter goes as creepy as it possibly can without necessarily going headfirst into horror. There’s a weird monster and one guy gets absorbed by a tree. And that’s among other things like the one scene with the implication of the supernatural pedo luring the young kid with candy.
The story itself keeps moving. There’s not a lot of extra fluff or moments for people to spout lines to show off. While never moving at a run, it is a steady pace and an appropriate level of chaos and even the potential for failure in the climax.
This may not have been a runaway hit at the box office, but The Last Witch Hunter is a good movie. There’s enough story and just overall entertainment value that it’s worth a look. I recommend this one.
Warren Watched A Movie 