Henjel gwa Geuretel

The world of film is currently saturated with Horror films similar to Saw and Hostel. In fact, to the average cinema goer, films such as Saw probably define the Horror genre. However, it is currently Asia that is producing the most original, surprising Horror films that last much longer in the memory than anything produced and distributed in the States.

It is therefore no surprise that Hansel and Gretel continues the tradition of outstanding Asian Horror film with its aim to entertain the audience with a good story as well as shocks.

There have been many similarities with this film to some of Guillermo Del Toro's work such as Pan's Labyrinth or The Orphanage. Initially, these comparisons seem to be wide of the mark, but as the last third of the film unravels, the similarities become clearer. In fact, it is in this final third that the film is at its strongest as things start to come together and the final twists are revealed.

All of the actors are brilliant, particularly the three youngsters at the heart of the story. They are very convincing in their roles and add some emotional weight to the film.

Overall, I would highly recommend this film to anyone that wants to see an original story that is full of imagination. A credit to the genre.

A disappointingly mundane dark fairytale that takes the original storyline and transforms it into a modern-day offering about child abuse, the nuclear family, dependence and obsession. In truth, HANSEL & GRETEL bears little resemblance to the story we know of old, acknowledging it stylistically rather than via the narrative.

The film is billed as a horror movie but in truth it isn't. There are very few moments of violence or tension and these are glossed over rather quickly. Instead, the film prefers to depict 'happy family' scenes and hint at darkness behind the light, rather than focusing on anything specific. Yes, there are a series of supernatural events within the movie that could also help define it as fantasy, but again these are dealt with in hurried glimpses rather than focused upon.

Sadly, what we're left with is a series of repetitive events that go on and on for far too long. From the outset, it's apparent that Eun-Soo can't leave the idyllic woodland location he's trapped in, and yet a good half of the running time is about his endless attempts to escape. Then there are intriguing sub-plots that are never fully developed, such as the one featuring a would-be serial killer. The film ends up relying on huge chunks of exposition plonked in towards the end in an effort to explain things, and undigested back story never makes for a dramatically satisfying movie.

Indeed, you can't fault the calibre of acting on offer – especially from those great child actors – or indeed the technical perfection behind the scenes. But HANSEL & GRETEL's story feels bloated and unfocused, and needed the hand of seasoned professional to turn it into something better than it is.

My title doesn't quite trip off the tongue, but one thing about fairy tales is that they can be set and adapted to anywhere in the world, the characters being wholly universal.

Premiered on Film 4 tonight, as part of a 'Fright-Fest' double bill, this eerie movie starts out like all Hollywood 'horror' flicks - you know, dark slippery road at night, middle of an impenetrable forest, driver uses his mobile - almost enough to put folk like me off, but maybe clever as it entices the new cinema-going market as they feel smugly content with what they're watching - until:

Yes - a fairytale house in a clearing, with cute kids and cuter parents and lovely toys and dreamy food...again, drawing us in but generating a sense of unrest and unease, as we know this is labelled as a 'horror' movie and ultimately, things have to get sinister and bad at some point. These they indeed do, but it takes time, maybe too long but, for once, there's a real story that's far more than some lazy adaptation. I'm not really au fait with the original Grimm story, but this extends and takes it to another dimension, without the sense of feeling that it's gone too far. It is ultimately the story that generates the most chills - how often can you say that, these days?

The art direction is the trump card here, along with the acting of the three main children. The associated cinematography and music assist greatly, bringing it all up to a standard that's amongst the best from modern Korea. There is quite a lot of violence, but only where the story requires it and some shocks to keep the blood pumping. It probably won't provide enough instantly gratifying gore and gruesome details for Friday night party types to Twitter about but for those wanting a more meaty fare, this has a lot going on.

The original Hansel and Gretel story is a pretty dark fairy tale. This is basically a darker version with a similar concept but mainly different story overall. It's a dark horror movie with vivid and bright colors. The plot is about some guy who gets into a car accident and finds a young mysterious girl when he wakes up, she soon takes him to her family home. Which is a very fairy tale like home, even the inside of the home as well with bunch of sweets. Soon things start to get really creepy, especially the 3 children, one of them being especially annoying. The characters in this is pretty awkward at times, but it doesn't take away from the movie, but adds more mystery around it. The film is pretty cliché at first and predictable, but as the film goes on and on, it gets pretty good and entertaining to some degree. And at least the mystery of what is going on kept me interested, since I wanted to find out what is exactly going on. So the script is passable and is pretty decent, but could have been stronger especially in the beginning where it started to become a bit dull and dragged out a bit as well. Despite some flaws, there are still some good aspect in this movie as well. The set up is done pretty well and the cinematography is beautiful to look at, at times.

7/10

Maybe I've been ignoring Korean films for too long because I've seen some good things coming from those regions lately. From the first time I laid eyes on the promotional artwork this films sparked some interest, but I never bothered to pursue that interest. Luckily I finally did get around to seeing the film as this is right up my alley.

Hansel and Gretel is many things and is being marketed as many more. Sadly some people try to tag this film to the Asian horror wave, yet the film is pretty different in tone and execution. Some similar elements to Korean(/Asian) horror films are definitely present but in the end the film presents itself more like a darker fantasy.

Comparing this film to others is not an easy thing. It reminded me of quite a few other films but never as a whole. The setup is somewhat similar to Calvaire, the styling of the film has more than a little of Survive Style 5+ and the atmosphere could've been borrowed from a Korean Burton. But none of those references seem sufficient to describe Hansel and Gretel. In the end it draws its unique flavor from mixing all these influences and making them its own.

The film starts off like many Western films do. A guy in a car in a forest on a mountain road. Car crash anyone? But when Eun-Soo wakes up he sees a girl dressed up like Little Red Ridinghood. When he reaches her house he is confronted by a family of fairytale people, but looking and acting a little off. From those first scenes there's already a pretty weird atmosphere present.

The styling of the house and its inhabitants its absolutely lush, with plenty of attention to detail. Colors are flying off the screen and even though the frame is filled with toys and other colorful objects, the house is meticulously clean. It's these kind of things that help to establish the uneasy atmosphere from the start of the film.

As the story progresses the tone becomes gradually darker, as does the styling. The candy-colors never really fade but are often overshadowed by darker tones. It takes a while to get a good grip on the story as more and more elements are introduced to the film and certainly not all of them fit well together from the start, but about halfway through you should have a good idea of what the hell is going on.

Visually this is a very consistent film, with pretty awesome camera work and a great sense of color. Not unusual for Korean films but surprisingly the editing is not so intervening as to kill the atmosphere. There is plenty of time to admire all the visual sweetness, which has been known to be otherwise in Korean cinema.

The soundtrack too is effective and to the point. No high drama bombast to kill the atmosphere but good film music that aids the feel of the film. It's good to see that for a change the atmosphere of the film is kept consistent and is given room to develop itself. Something the film gratefully makes use of to crawl under your skin.

While the revealing of the mystery is nothing too special and the film knows its share of typical Korean taboo-breaking weirdness, it's that very mysterious, dark and fantasy-like atmosphere that gives the film enough momentum to easily swing past these little imperfections. In the end, Hansel and Gretel is a rather special experience that leaves a solid mark in the world of film.

Rather than call it a horror film, it's a dark fantasy mixed with drama and a touch of horror elements. The film is well acted, looks extremely lush and flies by in no time. And while many parts seem influenced by other films, the mix is completely unique and fresh. A very nice film and interesting take on fairy tale antics. 4.0*/5.0*