THE LAST WITCH HUNTER

US, 2015, 106 minutes, Colour.
Vin Diesel, Michael Caine, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood, Olafur Darri Olafsson, Rena Owen, Judy Engelbrecht, Isaach de Bankole.
Directed by Breck Eisner.

For any audience who has always wanted to see Michael Caine on screen as a priest, at last an opportunity. After more than 50 years in films, he is still a significant screen presence.

Not that every Michael Caine fan would necessarily want to see the The Last Witch Hunter. It is one of those action adventures, a blend of the historical and the contemporary, overtones of witchcraft and the demonic, scenes back in the Middle Ages where the wicked Queen Witch is unleashing the black plague over Europe, eerie battles in dark and caves, then to contemporary New York City (where, according to American films, so many apocalyptic crises have to take place).

As one can tell by the title of the film, it is one of those stories with a graphic novel imagination. And this is a special project for Vin Diesel who is one of the producers as well as the star – a bit more humane and sometimes smiling than his Fast and Furious outings… But, he is the action hero, the witch hunter, whose destiny is to save the world.

The Medieval scenes definitely have an atmosphere, though an unrecognisable Diesel (hair and beard) has a robustly difficult time confronting and destroying one of those special effect hags with a threatening and sinister voice.

To continue with the atmosphere, there is a transition to Abu Dhabi airlines (strong product placement) and a young which on board the plane causing an enormous storm which alarms the passengers – but the hunter, Kalder, takes the witch to task, calms the storm and makes a date with the flight attendant. And this brings him to New York City in the present, when he continues his witch hunting, cursed by the Queen with immortality and his having to adapt for over 800 years to each generation. (He is particularly up-to-date on IT, taunting Michael Caine’s priest about having an IPad - with Caine later squashing a sinister beetle with his book and remarking that you couldn’t do this with an iPad!).

The reason that Michael Caine appears is that he is the 36th in a line of priests who belong to the organisation, The Axe and the Cross, protectors of the witch hunter. He is about to retire and, of all people, Elijah Wood, is to be his successor, a very earnest young priest, diligent about his mission and trying to learn.

The other principal character is a witch, Chloe, who runs a bar with New York witches as her clientele. Kalder helps her and she then supports him in his quest for the disciples of the Queen and, eventually, the Queen herself whose heart has been preserved by her disciples and in their plan for her comeback for the 21st century world.

One doesn’t have to be a genius to work out what happens, especially the final confrontation – though there is a twist with one of the characters that might have been anticipated.

The Last Which Hunter doesn’t pretend to be anything else than it is, a comic-book action show – and that is what it achieves.

1. Action show? Witches and the demonic? Witch Hunters?

2. The Medieval sequences, dark, caves? The contemporary look, New York City, the streets, buildings, churches, libraries and studies, underground? Interiors and exteriors? The musical score?

3. The title, Vin Diesel and his style, more smiling than usual, yet serious, the action hero?

4. The situation, the power of the witch, the disciples, spreading the plague in the Middle Ages? The effect on the populace? The hunter and his going to the cave, his troops, their being decimated? The fight with the Queen? Taking her heart? Her curse, making him immortal, the loss of his wife and child?

5. New York City, Kalder, his being immortal, his role, personality, adapting to changes over the centuries – even to Information Technology (and Michael Caine’s joke about the IPad and its crash and the Beatles)? His mission over the centuries? The confrontation with rogue witches? The attacks being visualised?

6. In the plane, the storm, confronting the young witch, unleashing powers, the fear for the passengers, calming the storm? The date with the flight attendant? His New York apartment?

7. The Axe and the Cross, the organisation, the hierarchy? The role of the Dolan, Michael Caine as the 36th:, his appearance as a Catholic priest, his explaining the situation, preparing for his successor? His point of view, relationship with Kalder? His being killed? Finding his body, his still being alive, the time for his revival? His coming back to life, the discussions with Kalder, his observations about Kalder and his mission?

8. Dolan 37, Elijah Wood and the contrast with Michael Caine? His earnestness, the seminary, his sense of vocation, the death and the pursuit of the murderer? His age, role, memories of his parents and their deaths, helping, consulting the books, going into the caverns? The end, with Chloe, the confrontation, his betrayal? His approach to the Queen, his wanting magic powers, her destroying him?

9. The killer, in the streets, Kalder finding him, going to the Council, their judgement, their severity, and issues of justice? The Axe and the Cross? The council later being destroyed by the witch Queen and her disciples?

10. The killer, the pursuit, Belial and his presence, large, stalking, the confrontations?

11. Going to the club, Chloe and her management, the customers, Kalder and his reaction, her powers, clearing the bar?

12. Chloe, as a witch, her home, the clashes with Kalder, his saving her, helping her? Her support?

13. The new situation, the Queen’s heart present in New York City, the plan, the disciples?

14. The climax, the caves, the arrival of the Queen, arising, the heart? The fights, deaths, Chloe and her trance, action in her mind, the Dolan meant to help
her, his betrayal? The survival?

15. Kalder, the confrontation with the Queen, the viciousness, her words, death?

16. Kalder, his choosing mortality, Chloe, meeting again with Dolan 36? Mission accomplished?