Le dernier chasseur de sorcières

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.

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)

If only for the sake of Rose Leslie, the beautiful and versatile Scottish actress from Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. Leslie brings real acting chops to whatever she does, including this entertaining if not brilliant witch flick. Honestly, I watched it because of the cast, headed by Vin Diesel, who was surprisingly sympathetic, and Elijah Wood (Frodo Forever!). Michael Caine also plays a small but key role and adds just enough tongue-in-cheek gravitas to elevate the movie. The story isn't new or brilliant, but it is fun as far as supernatural good versus evil goes. I gave it a 7, one click above its average, to acknowledge the work of the cast, which proves that good actors can make even middling material into something better than it would be without them.

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.

Pretty good movie for what it's worth. Nice visual effects, good story, decent acting, good direction. Yes, it's not The Godfather or a fantasy marvel like game of thrones, but it's a good move, and in a time where new IP's are so rare and frequently bad, it's really wrong to have so many bad critics.

7.5.