Although it treads on somewhat familiar ground and the animation isn’t as sharp as you might expect from a studio film, Hoodwinked is filled with enough humor and quick dialogue to help an audience look past some of its faults.
The film is a fresh funny spin on the classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood, and follows the basic same formula that has worked for other animated films - like Shrek. It is filled with all kinds of talking animals, fairy tale references, and some jokes that only adults will probably get.
The film also follows the animation trend of having a huge cast of Hollywood stars providing voices for the various characters – including Glen Close, Jim Belushi, Anthony Anderson, Anne Hathaway, Patrick Warburton, and Xzibit.
Hoodwinked starts off as a somewhat normal looking tale of Red Riding Hood as she visits her grandmother and encounters the big bad wolf. This encounter is interrupted when a tied up granny pops out of the closet and a bumbling woodsman crashes through the window swinging his axe like a madman.
After that, the forest police (which consist of talking pigs, bears, and storks) have the four suspects (the wolf, granny, Red, and the woodsman) all under arrest. There appears to be a bigger crime story going on, and all four are suspected of being the recipe bandit.
Hoodwinked spins a new twist on the story of Red Riding Hood
The bandit has been stealing the secret recipes from various snack shops in the forest and forcing them to close. As all are about to be taken to jail, police detective Nicky Flippers (naturally a frog) shows up to interview the four and discover the real identity of the recipe bandit (kind of like The Usual Suspects, but with lots of singing and cute characters).
The film then gives four different versions of how each person ended up at the cottage, and how the truth is not as it appears. Each character has a perfectly good explanation for how they ended up at granny’s house - the wolf is actually an investigative reporter; Red was trying to safely deliver the family recipe book; the woodsman (who is actually an actor) was fleeing a falling tree; and granny was participating in an extreme sports competition (you just have to watch the movie to understand that one).
We are given clues to the real identity of the recipe bandit; meet some strange and funny forest creatures (such as a goat with exchangeable horns); and endure lots of singing that is really in the film simply for the sake of having some music.
Although most kids will probably love it (and that is the movie’s targeted audience), Hoodwinked is a film that both succeeds and fails on several different levels - such as the comedy, music and animation.
Hoodwinked’s comedy is fast paced and sharp
At times it is extremely funny, and then parts of it flat out drag. The jokes are fast paced and if you aren’t paying attention a lot of the humor can be missed. The film was written by Todd and Cory Edwards (Cory also directed it), and the two made sure to throw in some jokes for the adults – such as the way the Wolf seems to have a Fletch theme going on with the music, disguises, and the basketball jersey he wears.
The music in the film is peppy, and fun (Japeth the Goat’s songs will make you laugh so hard you cry). However, it also feels like some of the music is simply thrown in to make it more kid friendly or to lengthen the plot. Some of the songs seem completely out of place, and really kill the movie’s pace (my three year old lost interest in the film by the second song).
Another problem with the film is the animation – which is far from what we have come to expect by today’s standard. At times, the film’s animation is clunky and almost seems like it was rushed. The characters move stiff, and some look like they are leftovers from older films. While this problem is more than likely completely lost on children, adults might feel a little ripped off by the quality look of the film. It doesn’t ruin the movie, but does take some time to get used to the style.
The DVD comes with some decent special features that you would expect from this type of film. They include five deleted and extended scenes that are fun, but not really needed. If you enjoyed the film, you will enjoy the extra scenes. There is also a detailed look at how to make an animated film, and a music video for the song “Critters Have Feelings.”
There is more to this gang of usual suspects than meets the eye
Even with its faults, Hoodwinked is a film that kids will love (my seven-year-old son has watched it four times already) and won’t drive parents completely crazy. It does have plenty of funny moments to keep you laughing from the time it starts until the credits roll. Hoodwinked is an entertaining film for the whole family and one I would recommend giving a chance.
Hoodwinked is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.
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