Loneliness becomes a recurring theme throughout the film, as the motives of many characters can be attributed to avoiding this unavoidable feature of life. Rose Leslie plays Chloe, a lonesome bartender that befriends Kaulder under chaotic circumstances. Dolan is the name given to all of the priests who have been assigned to the immortal witch hunter through the years, of whom Caine happens to be the 36th.Īfter suspicious circumstances, Elijah Wood becomes Kaulder’s new handler-the 37th Dolan-as the new team attempts to carry on the task of ensuring human safety in a world of magic, lies, and betrayal. Enter Father Dolan, played by Michael Caine, Kaulder’s handler and only friend. Scarred by the loss of his wife and daughter to the plague, Kaulder is forced to traverse the world century after century as the witch hunter without having anyone he truly trusts.
The Last Witch Hunter adds another chapter to the anthology of roles where Vin Diesel essentially plays himself: the lonesome tough guy without fear who secretly yearns for friendship. This sets up the main storyline of the film, as for centuries he becomes the enforcer of the witch law: that magic cannot be used upon humans. After a drawn out struggle, Kaulder manages to defeat the Queen, but she manages to inflict a curse on him: he can never die. She had unleashed the plague into the world and as such, humans were dropping dead like, ironically, flies. Kaulder (Vin Diesel), while sporting a beard worthy of the Wildlings beyond the wall, does not come across as a believable leader, and yet, on these men follow him into the sanctum of the Witch Queen (Julie Engelbrecht) to depose her. Right off the bat it opens with a confusing sequence where a posse of barbarian-looking warriors begin walking toward a gigantic tree surrounded by a cloud of what looks like insects. For a work whose main feature is the existence of wizards and witches, it distinctly lacks cinematic magic.
The only refreshing aspect of the movie is the casting of both Rose Leslie, known for her role as Jon Snow’s love interest in Game Of Thrones, and Michael Caine, but even these two could only work within the bounds they were afforded. It is a film that does not get much right: one-liners are ill-timed, costumes are unimpressive, and the Witch Queen’s design feels as an odd hybrid alien-meets-human-meets-bug. It feels convoluted, overcharged, and does not feature the elements associated with a believable story, but more on that later. Directed by Breck Eisner and starring Vin Diesel, it comes across as a film that purposely insists upon itself, developing progressively more elaborate sets that produce the opposite of its intended profundity. It’s that time of the year when October becomes synonymous with a movie docket largely composed of films featuring some kind of supernatural entity, and The Last Witch Hunter is no different.
0 kommentar(er)
