Director : Breck Elisner
Cast : Vin Diesel, Rosie Leslie, Elijah Wood and Michael Caine
As the title suggests, The Last Witch Hunter is all about witches and curses and how they function in today’s world. “The plague will be avenged,” says one witch “I curse you with life,” says another.
“Magic must not be used against humans,” says the third but the accent is on Kaulder (Vin Diesel) and how he goes about of eliminating the skeletal Witch Queen (Israel Baldarnus).
Director Breck Elisner relies much on his FX team to create the razzle-dazzlery ambience, flares and witches underground and the big bad apple of New York overland. But that’s about it. What passes for the narrative fails to hold the viewer for even one-fourth of the film’s duration.
There are a number of cameos like Father Dolan (Michael Caine) and the 37th Dolan (Elijah Wood) both priests and cute Chloe (Rosie Leslie), a half-witch who bonds with Kaulder and is the saving grace of the movie.
Vin Diesel is not known for his emoting powers and his previous efforts in Fast & Furious are ample evidence of the stoic way he goes about his task. The mumbo-jumbo that goes for the screenplay wouldn’t move even the soft-hearted.
So, all that the viewer is left with is to plod on drearily in the vain hope that the curtain will eventually fall. Meanwhile it is boredom with a capital B. Why such efforts are ever undertaken is hard to comprehend.
But for those who get excited about FX and action for action’s sake this could do. If there’s any semblance of acting it must have fallen to the floor of the editing room.
For the discerning viewer The Last Witch Hunter is as bare as Mother Hubbard’s cupboard.
“ Ervell E. Menezes
