Within a few days of the dual announcements of FAST 8 (F8? INFURI8?) and that FURIOUS 7 has earned a billion dollars at the box office in record time, and we have a teaser poster and trailer for the Vin Diesel flick coming to us in the interim between those two car-driven mega-blockbusters.
THE LAST WITCH HUNTER is Breck Eisner’s first film since 2010’s THE CRAZIES, and only his third since his debut feature THOUGHTCRIMES, and this looks darker and more confident than his last adventure flick, the underrated SAHARA. It also feels big, bigger than I expected. Guess it doesn’t pay to cheap out on the Vin Diesel actioners these days.
As for Vin, the closest he’s come so far to this kind of supernatural mumbo jumbo is the space-opera mysticism in CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. It’s a little striking at first to see him alongside winged demons and pentagrams, but he seems fairly comfortable otherwise, and the film seems to be taking a decidedly modern approach (cool ride, brah!). I do like the way he growls that last line; he has the voice and cynicism of a dude who’s been hunting down these pesky witches for centuries, and has lost all ability/desire for pleasantries.
I’m stoked that Rose Leslie is his sidekick. Her Ygritte was one of the more intriguing side characters on GAME OF THRONES, and it was (SPOILER ALERT!!) a bummer to see her go before she truly got a chance to make a bigger impression (END SPOILER), so it’ll be cool to see her kicking ass alongside another fur-clad warrior, even if it isn’t Jon Snow. Maybe she won’t even have to be his love interest!
Plus you got Michael Caine onboard to deliver gravitas-laden exposition while sitting down, which still hasn’t gotten old. And don’t miss Elijah Wood’s quick, collared appearance! Hopefully we’ll get more time with the former Hobbit/GOOD SON in the finished film!
What’s the word, folks? Is Diesel still a draw without his “family”?
THE LAST WITCH HUNTER asks “who the fuck is John Constantine?” on October 23rd.
