Review: Season of the Witch

Nicolas Cage continues a string of performances in genre films including Kick-Ass, The Sorceror's Apprentice and Drive Angry with Season of the Witch, which opened on Friday. Along with Cage are Ron Perlman and a strong cast of supporting characters including Stephen Graham (Snatch, Doghouse), Ulrich Thomsen (The World is Not Enough), Claire Foy ... and  a fantastic cameo by Christopher Lee. Not unlike Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, this is a swashbuckling Middle Ages action adventure that discards any pretense of historical accuracy. Also like the Kevin Costner romp, this left me walking out of the theater with a smile on my face.

I've never been a Nicolas Cage fan, but I'm starting to warm to him with roles like these, and of course everybody loves Ron Perlman. Together, they make a crack buddy fighting team as they kill and plunder through the various Crusades, until Cage realizes they're not really doing God's work, just killing innocent people. So, they set off to find their own way and return home to find the land decimated by plague and the people in terror.

Tasked with returning the witch responsible for it all to the one place her powers can be expunged by reading from a holy book, they reluctantly set out on the dangerous journey. As they travel, the witch begins to find ways to kill their companions one-by-one. The explosive climax when they reach their monastery destination is worth the price of admission. With shades of Sam Raimi and a hint of Solomon Kane, Season of the Witch features a combination of makeup and practical effects with digital candy that fed my hungry eyes.

Yes, the dialogue was completely modern, and the actors were all using American accents (even the British ones). This is NOT a serious film. But, it IS an entertaining, exciting popcorn feature that would play well at Halloween or as a summer release. Not sure why they held onto it until now (IMDb lists it as a 2010 title), but I think it will do well. I'm very surprised Season of the Witch wasn't subjected to the 3D conversion that is so popular lately, but I am appreciative that it wasn't. No chance this will be an Oscar contender, but it was so much fun I will definitely add it to my video library.