The Hunters

5.4/10 · 5,006 ratings20131h 25mWeirdness 7/10Bingo card

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The premise

A family of archeologists hunt down artifacts from fairy tales that have been hidden around the globe.

How unusual is it?

More than most. Magic and mistaken identity push it well past the usual Hallmark template — the strangest 12% of everything we've logged.

A rare specific

Tap to find the other Hallmark movies that share it.

Who’s in it

Behind the camera

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Wait, what?

The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.

  • The parents are 'warrior scientists' who hunt fairy tale objects
  • A magic mirror that caused the Dark Ages
  • A billionaire villain who turns into a stone statue because he is a descendant of Medusa
  • The 'Hub' is a high-tech secret base hidden in a standard suburban home
  • A shard of a magic mirror is hidden inside Cinderella's actual glass slipper in a museum

Every trope, all in one place

Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 20 to find more movies that do the same thing.

Why we’d put this one on

This is Hallmark trying its hand at a globe-trotting fantasy adventure, and the swing alone earns its weirdness of 7. Victor Garber and Michelle Forbes play parents who turn out to be warrior-scientists in a secret society that hunts down dangerous fairy-tale artifacts, and when they vanish, their sons team up with Alexa PenaVega to chase the shards of a magic mirror that supposedly caused the Dark Ages. A villain who is a descendant of Medusa is somewhere in the mix. The rating is a soft 4.9, so set expectations accordingly, but as a curio it is a wild change of pace and a fun bad-movie-night pick.

How it all plays out

Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.

Full story (spoilers)
The film begins with Carter and Jordyn Flynn on a dangerous mission in Thailand to recover an ancient vase, only to be betrayed by their contact, Mai, and captured by the Krugen. Back at home, their sons Paxton and Tripp—who believe their parents are boring researchers—are visited by fake Interpol agents looking for 'shards' of a mythical mirror. They are rescued by Dylan, a young Hunter who reveals their family's true legacy: they are part of a secret organization that finds and protects legendary items like Aladdin's lamp and the Golden Fleece. The boys are taken to 'The Hub,' a high-tech secret laboratory hidden within their home, where they learn their parents are missing in action. Guided by the eccentric Dr. Kramer, the trio embarks on a global scavenger hunt to find the four shards of the Mirror of Snow White before the Krugen can assemble it. The mirror is said to grant the viewer's deepest desire but previously caused the Dark Ages. Their journey leads them to a booby-trapped cave in the Rocky Mountains and eventually to a museum in Boston, where a shard is hidden inside a glass slipper. Along the way, they seek help from Mason Fuller, a billionaire and old family friend. However, Mason reveals himself as the leader of the Krugen, having captured Jordyn and intending to use the mirror to reclaim his 'birthright' as a descendant of the Gorgos. In the climax at the 'Wolf's Tomb' in Germany, Paxton pretends to betray his family to help Mason complete the mirror. Mason, obsessed with power, looks into the mirror and wishes to become a powerful Gorgon. Paxton’s plan succeeds: because Mason is looking at his own reflection while wishing for the power of a Gorgon (Medusa), he is instantly turned to stone. Jordyn then makes the 'hard choice' to use the mirror's final power to destroy the artifact forever rather than wishing for her missing husband's return. The film concludes with the family receiving a distress signal from Carter in Peru, prompting them to set off on a new mission to rescue him.

Beat by beat

  1. Opening

    Carter and Jordyn Flynn are betrayed and go missing in Thailand while hunting a shard of the magic mirror.

  2. Inciting Incident

    Paxton and Tripp are attacked by fake Interpol agents and rescued by Dylan, who reveals their parents are 'Hunters.'

  3. Midpoint

    The group retrieves a shard from a booby-trapped cave in the Rocky Mountains using a vibrating crystal and map coordinates.

  4. Turning Point

    The team discovers the third shard is hidden in a glass slipper in a Boston museum, but family friend Mason Fuller reveals he is the villain.

  5. Climax

    In the Wolf's Tomb in Germany, Mason completes the mirror and is turned to stone by his own reflection after wishing to be a Gorgon.

  6. Resolution

    Jordyn destroys the mirror to prevent its evil from spreading and the family heads to Peru to find Carter.

20 tropes in one movie

We counted 20 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.

The backstory

The Hunters is a 2013 American science fantasy adventure television film directed by Nisha Ganatra from a screenplay by Matthew Huffman and Jeffrey Schechter, based on the graphic novel Mirror Mirror by Joshua Williamson. The film stars Robbie Amell and Alexa Vega. It premiered on the Hallmark Channel on October 25, 2013.
From Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

How it stacks up

Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.

Rating 5.4 vs every rated Hallmark moviemedian 6.4This movie · 5.4567

Among the lower-rated Hallmark movies — the median is 6.4.

Where this one fits

The corners of the catalog The Hunters belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.

Lines worth quoting

The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.

  • “Find and protect. Never use.”
    — Mason Fuller / Jordyn FlynnThe Hunter's oath regarding powerful artifacts.
  • “A hunter's strength comes from his or her family.”
    — DylanExplaining the source of a Hunter's power to the Flynn brothers.
  • “Mirror, mirror, restore to me, the power of Gorgos.”
    — Mason FullerMason's final wish before turning to stone.

Meet the characters

Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.

  • Paxton Flynn

    Lead

    Aspiring Sailor / Hunter

    ReluctantProtectiveStrategicIndependent
  • Dylan

    Love interest

    Hunter

    Former romantic interest and partner

    CompetentLoyalKnowledgeableTough
  • Mason Fuller

    Antagonist

    Billionaire / Leader of the Krugen

    Family friend and traitor

    DeceptivePower-hungryArrogant
  • Tripp Flynn

    Supporting

    Student

    Brother

    Tech-savvyRebelliousHumorousObservant
  • Jordyn Flynn

    Supporting

    Hunter

    Mother

    BadassSecretiveMaternal

Questions people ask about The Hunters

Where can I watch The Hunters?

The Hunters is available via Amazon Prime Video, AsianCrush, and Amazon Prime Video with Ads. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.

How long is The Hunters?

The Hunters runs about 1 hour and 25 minutes, and was released in 2013.

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Data and sources

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Sources:IMDbTMDBWikipedia