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Girl n the 'hood
You're warned at the beginning of Hoodwinked not to judge a book by its cover. Likewise you shouldn't judge this movie, yet another rethinking of "Little Red Riding Hood," by its tacky look. Computer animated, it resembles a George Pal Puppetoon of the 1940s by way of those cheap-ass (but beloved) animated Christmas specials that air every year. What sets Hoodwinked somewhat apart is a slyly funny, often clever script by director Cory Edwards and his co-directors (and in one case brother) Tony Leech and Todd Edwards. Todd also wrote most of the original songs, which are about on a level with the animation. The story begins at the usual climax, with the "Grandma, what a big (fill in the blank) you have!" scene, followed by the Woodsman (voiced by Jim Belushi) saving Red (Anne Hathaway) and Granny (Glenn Close) from the big, bad Wolf (Patrick Warburton). The police swarm in on the crime scene, led by detective Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers) and police chief Grizzly (Xzibit), with officer Bill Stork (Anthony Anderson) and three little pigs. They question the four principals, all suspects on various (mostly ridiculous) charges, and hear the original story from four different viewpoints. You might call it Redshomon. The backstory could have been extremely topical if the writers had carried it a step further. Where they've left it makes no sense. It seems there's a "Goody Bandit" at large in the forest, putting small bakeries out of business by stealing their recipes. Since there's no sign of a Wal-Mart springing up to compete, there's no reason for business not to continue as usual. Anyway, Red makes deliveries for Granny Puckett, "the cookbook lady" (so she's already published her recipes), on her bicycle. She tells the police of her wild adventures, including earlier encounters with the Wolf on the day in question (explaining her line, "You again? What do I gotta do—get a restraining order?" when he takes off the Granny mask). Like everyone else, Red encounters Boingo (Andy Dick), a funny bunny, and Twitchy (director Cory Edwards), a manic squirrel. Like any Disney animated heroine, Red longs to break out of her confining life and see what the world holds, and sings a song to that effect. Next to testify is the Wolf, who explains he's actually an "investigative journalist." An informant, Woolworth the Sheep (Chazz Palminteri) confirms his suspicion that Red is smuggling goodies, so he stalks her to try to catch her in the act. Kirk, the Woodsman, is actually an aspiring actor who's trying to find his inner woodsman in hopes of snaring a commercial for Paul's Bunion Powder. His ultimate goal is to tour with "the greatest singing group in the world, the Happy Yodelers," but in the meantime he drives a schnitzel truck. Finally Granny proves to be another book you can't judge by its cover. She's a closet extreme sports enthusiast who's just been skiing against Dolph, a man with an odd resemblance to a certain California governator. With characters that look like cheap plastic (or furry) dolls, Hoodwinked will play better on TV screens than in theaters. It's safe fare for kids, amusing but hardly at a Shrek level of must-seeism for anyone beyond puberty. Steve Warren is a local actor and film reviewer. His reviews can also be seen weekly in the Sunday Paper. |
Hoodwinked
Directed by: Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards, Tony Leech 
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(2½ out of 4)