In Theaters: Hoodwinked -- a Review
Hoodwinked is an animated adaptation of the classic "Little Red Riding Hood" fable. But it's not the sweet fairy tale from your childhood.
Using three-dimensional computer-generated animation, the film tells the story of how "goody" recipes from throughout the forest are being stolen. Granny (voiced by Glenn Close) is the last victim to have her recipe book stolen ... or is she really the culprit?
Her granddaughter Red (voiced by Anne Hathaway, who sounds like she's channeling Janeane Garofalo) travels through the woods, fending off the evil wolf, to find said Wolf waiting for her in Granny's bed.
But the Wolf (voiced by Patrick Warburton) is really an investigative journalist who is trying to track down the "Goody Bandit," with the help of his trusty photographer, Twitchy, a hyperactive squirrel.
At this moment, Granny pops out of her bedroom closet, where it appears she has been tied up.As Red confronts Wolf with her award-winning kung fu moves, an axe-wielding Woodsman (voiced by Jim Belushi) busts in, followed by the police.
Police Chief Grizzly (voiced by rapper Xzibit) and Detective Stork (voiced by Anthony Anderson) decide to handcuff everyone in the house when they are interrupted by Detective Nicky Flippers (voiced by David Ogden Stiers) who decides to question Red, Wolf, Granny and the Lumberjack.
At this point the story leaps into flashback mode as each character explains the events that led them to Granny's house.
This film really wants to be a film like Shrek that has enough silliness and slapstick for the the kids, but enough sarcasm and pop culture references for the adults. Wants it so badly that many of the jokes seem to try too hard for the laugh.
Sure, I giggled and snickered here and there, but many of the scenes just seemed like filler. The only character that truly made me laugh out loud was Twitchy, who draws to mind comparisons with Disney's Chip and Dale characters...if Chip and Dale were on speed. And it seems that Twitchy is hyperactive naturally, so when later in the film, he is given his first coffee, utter mayhem ensues. And it is truly funny.
I also enjoyed finding out about Granny's secret life as an extreme sports star, but many of the characters and situations used to show how "cool" Granny is seemed rather formulaic and even a bit stereotypical. Is it really necessary for her bear friend to be talking like Snoop Dogg to show she's hanging out with her homies?
Additionally, most of the plot devices used throughout the film are so apparent that I guessed who the "Goody Bandit" was before Flippers was even done questioning the quartet of suspects.
At 80 minutes, Hoodwinked just came across as an over-bloated Saturday morning cartoon. It's pleasant and amusing, but also uneven and, at times, even boring. Which is disappointing, since the premise showed great promise. I think the Wolf says it best when he comments, "The song was catchy, but the choreography was terrible."
Unless you're a complete animation junkie, or need to entertain the kids with an afternoon out, I'd wait until dvd or cable for this one...or at the very least see it at a matinee instead of paying full price.
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Cast (Voices of): Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway, James Belushi, Patrick Warburton, Anthony Anderson, David Ogden Stiers, Xzibit, Chazz Palminteri, Andy Dick, Cory Edwards and Todd Edwards
Director: Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards, Tony Leech
Rated: PG-13 [for some mild action and thematic elements]
Rating Score: 6 out of 10
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Official website: www.hoodwinkedthemovie.com
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