When Paramount moved their big-budget genre actioner Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters from March 2012 to January 11, 2013 — ostensibly to wait it out while star Jeremy Renner became a huge box office draw — many were appropriately skeptical. Now that the first trailer has arrived, see for yourself how director Tommy Wirkola ( Dead Snow ) updates the folktale with Renner and Gemma Arterton as the now-grown siblings/witch bounty hunters. Was the release date shuffle a case of brilliant thinking or a classic dumping ground offload? Watch it on YouTube . Gotta be real here: I love me some Renner. And Arterton holds her own as a quippy, capable lady hunter herself (well, except for the getting kidnapped and punched by evil witches part). But does it seem a little too Van Helsing ? Have audiences forgotten The Brothers Grimm ? Is it just me, or would you rather see Renner and Arterton as love interests than siblings? Also, they speak with American accents but she pronounces it “Hahhn-sel.” Sigh. Verdict: Looks too generic to get excited about, but the power of Renner compels me. Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
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WATCH: Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton In The Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters Trailer
