Tuesday, May 03, 2016

Tuesday's Overlooked Movies: The Last Witch Hunter

I’ve mentioned before that I don’t really believe in the concept of guilty pleasures. I like what I like. And I like Vin Diesel movies. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that I didn’t find at least entertaining, and that’s the case with THE LAST WITCH HUNTER.

Diesel plays a medieval Viking who kills a witch queen and is cursed with immortal life for doing so. Fast forward to the present time and he’s still running around the world fighting supernatural evil, aided by an old priest played by Michael Caine, the latest in a long line of such priests who are part of a secret society founded to aid Diesel in his quest to battle evil.

Naturally, things go south. Seems there’s a plot afoot to resurrect the witch queen Diesel killed 800 years earlier. He finds himself fighting a dangerous conspiracy with only a new, young priest and a beautiful witch as allies. Lots of killing and special effects ensue. I sat there and had a fine time watching.

Two things about this movie struck me. It really plays like the pilot for a cable TV series. And when it was over, Livia and I both said, “Was The Rock out of town when this movie was made?” Diesel’s part really seems like one that Dwayne Johnson would have played. On the other hand, it’s a Universal Truth that any movie series can be improved by the addition of The Rock, so if they make THE LAST WITCH HUNTER 2, maybe he can show up then. On yet other hand, this one came and went so fast, I think there’s a good chance there won’t be a sequel. But you never know in the movie business.

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