“By iron and fire!” —Kaulder
Today’s quick review: The Last Witch Hunter. Eight centuries after he defeated the Witch Queen (Julie Engelbrecht) and was cursed with immortality, Kaulder (Vin Diesel) has become a legendary witch hunter. When a witch murders Father Dolan (Michael Caine), his biographer and friend, Kaulder must work with Dolan’s successor (Elijah Wood) and a young witch (Rose Leslie) to locate the killer before he can unleash an ancient evil on the world.
The Last Witch Hunter is an urban fantasy action adventure movie set in a world where witches continue to operate in secret, allowed to practice magic so long as they don’t harm humans. Kaulder, armed with lifetimes of experience, keeps the peace by hunting down those witches who use their power for evil. The Last Witch Hunter is a typical action fantasy movie with a few nice touches and a few shortcomings that keep it from doing more.
The Last Witch Hunter’s main draws are its lead, its world, and its action. Vin Diesel makes for an odd fit for the role of Kaulder, but he somehow works out. Kaulder shares his tough attitude and fearsome reputation with Diesel’s other characters, but Diesel has a harder time with the brainy, world-weary side of the character. In spite of this slight mismatch, Kaulder is a classic action protagonist and a worthy cornerstone for the movie.
The story takes place in a world that’s littered with strong ideas. The underground lives of the witches, the way magic works, and Kaulder’s own character are all fleshed out in a consistent way that hints at a large, rich universe. However, The Last Witch Hunter has trouble locking down its best ideas with the distinctive names and visuals needed to make them memorable, leaving it with a well-built world that comes across as generic.
The film’s action follows a similar pattern: workmanlike, plentiful, and often clever, but lacking the iconic moments needed to make it great. The Last Witch Hunter does a good job of finding ways to threaten Kaulder in spite of his immortality, using traps, drugs, and magic to keep his physical power from being overwhelming. But these indirect fights and a shortage of monsters mean that the film can’t truly take advantage of Kaulder’s talents.
The Last Witch Hunter is worth checking out if you’re a fan of the action fantasy genre. The movie comes up short in enough ways that most viewers would be better off with one of the more successful entries into the genre. But its misses are near misses, and The Last Witch Hunter offers enough in the way of world-building and action to be a fun popcorn watch for fans of Vin Diesel or the fantasy genre as a whole.
For witch- and monster-hunting action with more comedy and a heavier focus on action, check out Van Helsing, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, or Hellboy and its sequel. For a moodier urban fantasy film with horror elements, check out Constantine. For stylish vampire action in a modern setting, check out the Underworld series or the Blade trilogy. For Vin Diesel sci-fi action with an even tougher main character, check out the Riddick movies.
6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a fun premise and decent execution, but without the vision or polish to stand out in a crowded genre.