As he kills the Witch Queen, however, she curses him with immortality. Most of what happens inside is a blur but one knight - the aforementioned Kaulder - makes it out alive. The movie starts out with a visually arresting but largely incoherent sequence in which a bunch of men looking like Lord of the Rings refugees enter the lair of the Witch Queen (Julie Engelbrecht) with the goal of putting an end to her reign and the pestilence associated with it. There are hints that at some point during its genesis, The Last Witch Hunter involved a more ambitious story than the one assembled in this 106-minute feature but if a better version existed, it didn’t make it to theaters. Elements of the narrative are beyond confusing and director Breck Eisner’s spastic “style” of staging action scenes forces the viewer to wait until the fight is over to figure out who won. Unfortunately, a film needs more than Diesel’s Stallone-ish appeal to succeed and that’s where The Last Witch Hunter is found lacking. He’s Dom Torreto without the car, Riddick without the stare.
His character, Kaulder, an 800+ year old warrior for the forces of good, doesn’t require Diesel to step out of his comfort zone. If Vin Diesel is looking for a third franchise to add to his resume, The Last Witch Hunter might be considered a “safe” option.
