Cinefantastique Spotlight Podcast: <em>Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters</em>

It's a childhood classic, seen in a whole new light. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are the titular brother and sister team in. All-in-all, a fun idea, but unfortunately, execution does not rise up to what's on the page.
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This film image released by Paramount Pictures shows Gemma Arterton as Gretel, left, and Jeremy Renner as Hansel in a scene from "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, David Appleby)
This film image released by Paramount Pictures shows Gemma Arterton as Gretel, left, and Jeremy Renner as Hansel in a scene from "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, David Appleby)

2013-01-27-Hansel_and_Gretel_84211357854544hg05563rv2_410.jpgIt's a childhood classic, seen in a whole new light. For clarification's sake, CFL bulbs are whole new lights, too, but you don't see anyone buying tickets to watch them. Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are the titular brother and sister team in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, all growed up and battling Famke Janssen as a super-witch with a plan to alter the balance of power between automatic crossbow-wielding siblings and the practitioners of dark magic. All-in-all, a fun idea, but unfortunately, in the hands of director Tommy Wirkola, execution does not rise up to what's on the page. Cinefantastique Online's Steve Biodrowski, Lawrence French, and I take a look at this latest attempt to revise and update classic literature, and discuss what went wrong. Also: What's coming to theaters next week.

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