Hardly innovative, but effective and handsomely produced, Hansel & Gretel puts the "grim" in Grimm while placing South Korean director Yim Phil-sung on the shortlist of Pan's Labyrinth emulators to trust.
The notion of the wickedness of those we should be able to trust is never far from the surface, leaving a "lived happily ever after" finish for another, kinder day.
Making up for a selection of recent Asian Horror disappointments, this lush, surreal and brilliantly dark fairy tale is an entertaining and deliciously unsettling experience.
The production design is terrific - the colour palette is as lurid as a plate of cupcakes. But the film loses its tension in a baggy final act that overexplains the secret of the house.
Revenge by abandoned children on the treachery of grown-ups ought to be unsetting at the very least, if not spine-tingingly terrifying. But it's done so clumsily that nothing remotely spooky emerges.
The director may unwisely opt for a lachrymose denouement that ruffles the carefully sustained mood, but this delightfully grim horror is worth seeking out - just follow the breadcrumb trail of positive reviews.
Yim Pil-Sung's disturbingly kitsch adult fairy tale is an intriguing genre-bender and you'll definitely succumb toits enchantingly sinister art direction.
If you think for a second, Hansel & Gretel the Original"fairy" tale is not really friendly tale. It is creepy.A creepy version of Hansel & Gretel I thought there cannt be creepier than the tale itself. Just like I thought. Pretty well made
December 12, 2009
Wahida K
Super Reviewer
A creative piece and a sisister tale, that seems all the more creepy because of it?s fairy tale connection. Having said that it?s not scary or particularly graphic in terms of gore, but the childrens performances manage to pull off an intriguing story and one that?s worth seeing.
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