Review: ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ is not high art, but it does provide the fun and action you’d expect

Posted on October 30, 2015

By MARK VIOLA

If I have a guilty pleasure genre of movies, it’s the supernatural hunter genre, which I’m pretty sure I just made up. There are plenty to choose from, including the “Blade” trilogy, the “Underworld” quartet, the “Hellboy” movies, “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” and the Russian films “Nightwatch” and “Daywatch.”

I wouldn’t call any of these movies high art, but then, none of them are trying to be either. What they are striving to do is create an enjoyable 90 to 120 minutes, and for me, all of the above films did just that.

The latest movie in my newly minted genre is “The Last Witch Hunter,” starring Vin Diesel (“Furious 7”) and directed by Breck Esiner (“Sahara”). Although the story isn’t the greatest, especially as we get into the final act, the film does a good job of introducing us to the immortal Kaulder (Diesel) and his world, which is just like ours, only with witches living among the humans. If you’re a fan of these kinds of movies, you should know what to expect and despite its flaws, this one delivers just that.

“The Last Witch Hunter” has a solid hero, good visuals and world-building, and a story just strong enough to bring it all home.

The movie is rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.

(This is a shortened version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

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