You cling to your pathetic life, those closest to you betray you and those you claim to protect don't even know your name.

Hmm, okies. It feels like the studio execs sat around the big table and thought here's Vin Diesel lets build a boisterous popcorn franchise setting piece around him.

Plot has Diesel as the title character who here in the modern world is all that stands between humanity and the combined forces of the deadliest witches in history. Cue lots of crash bang and wallop, digital blitzkrieg and Vin with a glint in his eye in spite of not having the emotional paths required for the role. In support are Elijah Wood, Michael Caine and Rose Leslie, all of whom arguably come under the miscast banner.

There's some smart ideas at the film's core, the nightmares and dreamscapes narrative smarts particularly hint at what might have been a potent asset to the pic. There's some nifty set-pieces on show as well, which just about stops this from being a boring picture - but it comes mightily close, and in HD form it looks and sounds terrific. Yet it's never a fully realised whole for dramatic impact, with the casting decisions only compounding this feeling.

In nutshell terms The Last Witch Hunter is a passable time waster that entertains if one is in an undemanding mood. 5/10