The Last Witch Hunter - L'ultimo cacciatore di streghe

This modern revisit of the witch-legend is not actually a bad movie. I mean it won't be the "film of the year" but, if you are looking for some nice special effects and a little bit of action, this film will help you pass a nice evening!

I found it enjoyable and not too long, and moreover, Vin Diesel is good for this part. He always give his best in this kind of "badass" character (Riddick, Fast and Furious).

If I had to point out something not good about this movie I would say that is too stereotyped, especially in the end, but, in the end, I think it's worth spending 10$ to see it!

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)

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.

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.