THE LAST WITCH HUNTER Trailer
Witches have a bad reputation for no good reason. The “Wicked” Witch of the West just wanted to reclaim some shoes from her sister’s killer. That “gingerbread house” witch just wanted to feed some malnourished kids. Then they slander her memory with stories of cannibalism after they kill her. Think about it, we never heard her side of the story. Now that tradition continues as Hollywood produces another movie about people who kill witches in inhumane and violent ways. Welcome to the trailer for The Last Witch Hunter. Yeah, “Last”.
This action-fantasy adventure is directed by Breck Eisner. Famous fantasy favorites Vin Diesel and Elijah Wood star in the film. As the story goes, a particular witch hunter slays the (insert generic villain name here) Queen Witch and is subsequently cursed with immortality. After a few centuries, Kaulder, that particular witch hunter, becomes the Last Witch Hunter. He hunts rogue witches while yearning to meet his dead family again. An opportunity comes when he finds that the Queen Witch has resurrected and is rightfully angry at him. As Lionsgate writes it, this causes “an epic battle that will determine the survival of the human race”.
Alright, so let’s be as blunt as possible in what this trailer is showing you. Nothing. This is a teaser. There is no real action to speak of, except near misses with a sword or scenes taking place in fire. It’s relying on either the star power of Diesel or the fact that his character is murdering magically imbued women. It’s kind of odd, though. In a film that should be more female-centric, the female cast is relegated to secondary roles. In 2015, they’re still essentially set-dressing. Rose Leslie, his sidekick as far as I can tell, has no speaking role in the trailer. Even more odd is that the narrative is a story of vengeance against a Queen Witch. Where is she? I’m not talking about any CGI representation, I’m talking about the actual actress. You know the only threat I see? That big dude with the beard blowing fire menacingly.
Vin Diesel is not a bad actor. The Iron Giant and the Riddick films attest to that but Hollywood likes his tough guy archetype. Forgive me, I forgot to mention Groot. Anyway, for any film he plays, Diesel is basically that guy with muscles. Have you noticed that he always has a shaved head in anything you physically see him in? It’s great that you can recognize him so easily but the make-up department must be so bored. Actors should strive to be total chameleons and not be pigeonholed into particular roles. If you haven’t figured out my point yet, enjoy Dominic Toretto playing with a flaming sword.
The Last Witch Hunter comes out October 23rd 2015 in the U.S.A. and November 6th 2015 in the United Kingdom. For all other release dates, click here.
In the trailer there, his eyes look so defeated. Tell us your thoughts on Vin Diesel‘s career.
(top image source: Lionsgate Entertainment)
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.
