Short Review of Season of the Witch (2011)

Nicholas Cage is an enigma wrapped in a mystery with a blanket of inconsistency.  He's capable of delivering a searing performance such as his extraordinary turn in the rebooted Bad Lieutenant.  But then he is equally likely to appear in drivel like The Knowing or Bangkok Dangerous mumbling and bumbling like a first year drama student. 

Season of the Witch falls squarely into the latter category.  It tells the tale of two Crusaders who on having a conveniently sudden attack of morals; desert and attempt to return home.  On their way back they are waylaid and coerced into escorting a witch to a group of specialist monks who will be able to stop the plague she has released on the country.  While having reasonably high production standards, the visuals and setting are reminiscent of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (you fully expect to hear Eric Idle shouting "Bring out your dead!").  The casting of Nicholas Cage and Ron Perlman as defiantly American Crusaders would be perfectly acceptable but for the woefully scripted banter and hapless attempts at showing the camaraderie between them. Ron Perlman can do this type of thing in his sleep and still be watchable, but Cage is especially dreadful.

However, despite it's many flaws, as the film progresses it becomes more and more entertaining until it reaches a fabulously ridiculous finale. Suffice to say, it involves a race against time, cod-Latin incantations and possessed zombie ninja monks.

Rating:  **