Hoodwinked! Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Trouble In The Hood
Armed And Dangerously Dumb
A Granny Who Kicks Fanny
Red Riding Hood, The Woodsman, Granny, The Wolf. Not Your Typical Crime. Not Your Usual Suspects.
The "Little Red Hiding Hood" fairytale gets an imaginative update. After The Wolf (Patrick Warburton) is found at Granny's charged with an intent to eat an investigation starts up by Nick Fippers (David Odgen Stiers). Red (Anne Hathaway), The Wolf (Warburton), The Woodsman (Jim Beluchi) and Granny (Glenn Close) give their stories, Flippers and Cheif Grizzly (Xzibit) and the rest of the police try to find out who is the Goodie Bandit. Bill: Anthony Anderson, Twitchy: Cory Edwards, Boingo: Andy Dick.
| Glenn Close | Granny |
| Anne Hathaway | Red |
| James Belushi | The Woodsman |
| Patrick Warburton | The Wolf |
| Anthony Anderson | Det. Bill Stork |
| David Ogden Stiers | Nicky Flippers |
| Xzibit | Chief Grizzly |
| Chazz Palminteri | Woolworth the Sheep |
| Andy Dick | Boingo |
| Cory Edwards | Twitchy |
| Todd Edwards | Sandwich Man |
| Tye Edwards | Dolph |
| Benjy Gaither | Japeth the Goat |
| Joshua J. Greene | Jimmy Lizard |
| Ken Marino | Raccoon Jerry |
| Cory Edwards |
| Todd Edwards |
| Tony Leech |
6.70 out of 10 (9140 votes)
Visitor Reviews
7 out of 10 for kids, 5 for adults
posted on 24 Aug 2009This was not the worst movie I have ever paid money to see, nor was it the best. It is true that the animation is sub par, but had I not already been bombarded with opinions about how poor the animation I probably would not have really even noticed it. I also think that had I never seen the trailer I would have enjoyed this movie more, because there were ample laughs in this film, however so many of them were previewed in the trailer that when I sat in the theater the laughs were few and far between.As I said this movie is great for kids, and I recommend it to anyone looking to take there children to this movie, they will love it. If you are going hoping that someone has recreated that magical formula that movies like Shrek and Finding Nemo managed to put to such good use (A movie that appeals on many levels to both children and adults), you will be disappointed. This movie does have several laughs that are obviously aimed directly at the adults in the audience, however if you have not figured out who the villain is by the second time that you see him you really are oblivious to the world around you. Of course this is a movie that is first and foremost for children, and as such the flaws, in what I admit is actually not a bad concept, do nothing to take away from your child enjoying this film, and as there are too few good movies out there that your children can enjoy, and that we as parents can stand to sit through I will say this in closing.If you are looking for a good film for the whole family, then this is probably as good an option as is available in the first month of 2006, however if you are looking for a film that will appeal to a more mature film goer, and you are not taking any children with you then I say give it a pass and catch it on DVD.
Lets face it, it wan't the best!
posted on 25 Jul 2009Lets face it, this was not the best animated film I had ever seen. And for once I actually agree with some of the movie critics reviews. (Although I think 2 out of 10 is a little harsh) There definitely were a fare few funny moments where the whole cinema laughed as one but they just weren't consistent enough to keep me sustained. Also, this is no Shrek. This is just the filmmakers trying to make another Shrek with probably half the budget. There using the same idea (making a fractured fairytale) and just not putting as much effort into it.Another thing was little red riding hood. I just do not get her part. The audience really never gets to understand her character. In the first half she is portrayed as this singing daisy and in the second she is beating up bad guys. All the other main characters were just plain random. I mean having a cute bunny as the villain really was used out in Monty Python's The Search for the Holy Grail. The only funny cast was Granny (who was excellently portrayed by Glen Glose) and all the minor parts. (Especially a singing goat!) So when you want to get your kids or your small sibling a movie, I would not suggest Hoodwinked unless you have watched all the other recent animated films. Instead get them something created by Pixar or Shrek.
New heights of "BADNESS"
posted on 23 Jul 2009No story can overcome the worst animation i have ever seen in my life for a feature film. Add to that the worst character designs and Animation Rigs I have ever had eyes to lay upon. Any defense of this film is ridiculous. Nothing can be said. Let the public decide.We will find out the real story once this hits theatres and gets completely destroyed. South Park was limited anim. Wallace and Grommit too...but boy oh boy the animation was 1000 times better then what i've seen in the trailer. South Park was cut outs tooOO!!!..I just don't know what to say...i'm in the biz..and I thought this was a spoof joke when they put the trailer on at work.Goodluck, I hope yall don't ruin the 3d industry for everyone.
In this animated parody you have 'Fletch' meets 'Red Riding Hood'.
posted on 19 Jul 2009In 'Hoodwinked' Anne Hathaway does the voice of Red, the devoted delivery girl for Granny's (Glenn Close) treats. She loves the forest, yet she yearns to do more. Her wish is going to come true. Someone is stealing all the recipes in the forest and everyone's treat shops are going out of business; all except Granny's. Who is stealing recipes? Is it Red, Granny, the Big Bad Wolf? Or is it someone else?This is the real story behind Red Riding Hood. We all know the fairy tale, but this is what really happened. In this animated parody you have 'Fletch' meets 'Red Riding Hood'. This was a really funny movie with lots of jokes and unique characters. Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway, Andy Dick and James Belushi (to name a few) all do great jobs. However, I get the impression this was made too much for adults, I do not think kids will enjoy it as much. Some of the special effects seemed a little rushed, but the story makes up for it.
This movie ROCKS.
posted on 15 Jul 2009I saw HOODWINKED over MLK weekend. I had actually NOT seen the trailers prior to this, but reading the reviews on sites such as this one and hearing that it was made for $15 million or so made me curious.This movie is HILARIOUS!!!!! Animation-wise, I had read reviews stating that the animation was not up to par. The way I see it, comparing this movie to Pixar or PDI product is kind of like comparing Jay Ward cartoons to The Lion King or those classic Rankin-Bass specials to Corpse Bride/Nightmare Before Christmas. No, it isn't the highest-level animation, nor, I think, did it NEED to be. Like the Ward/RB stuff, I found the quality of animation (or lack thereof) to be part of the charm. What this film lacks in animation quality (which, by the way, I did not think was bad at all), it more than makes up for in its clever script, hilarious vocal performances (particularly Patrick Warburton as The Wolf, Glenn Close as Granny, Andy Dick as Boingo and director Cory Edwards as Twitchy) and great use of songs.All I can say in the end is that whatever the trailer looked like, don't use it as a basis to judge this film. See it for yourself.Oh, yes--MUCH praise must be lavished upon the filmmakers for daring to make a comedy with NO fart jokes, NO poop jokes and NO sexual innuendos--and, in the process, reminding us all that it can still be done.By thy side, Figaro
a new spin on the old tale
posted on 15 Jul 2009The old fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood is a staple of the fairy tale stories. Red Riding Hood goes to visit her Granny in the woods, ending up being attacked by The Wolf, with the Woodsman saving the day. Hoodwinked is where the fairy tale ends. After what unfolds in the traditional story, Red, Wolf, Granny and The Woodsman are arrested for conspiracy. Snack businesses throughout the forest have been closing down, with owners secret recipes being stolen; the latest victim The Muffin Man. With each one a suspect, each of their stories are unfolded to reveal the mystery.Based upon the fairy tale, Hoodwinked spins the whole story of Little Red Riding Hood on it's head, running off in a completely new direction. While pieces of the original story are present, the four split stories rework it into new territory, as each story unfolds and interweaves, revealing different views and perceptions from each character.The script for Hoodwinked is the real structure of the film. While many animated films can release weight onto the visuals, Hoodwinked doesn't have that option. With amazingly detailed animated films from Pixar, and walking in Pixar's shadow Dreamworks, Hoodwinked severely pales in comparison. The animation is flat with mat colours, it has the same level of animation quality of Toy Story, which started the 3D animation trend; you can basically call it archaic.Though calling the film bad based on the film quality is a low cop-out. The screenplay by Cory Edwards, Todd Edwards and Tony Leech is the strongest element. Hoodwinked is very cleverly written with the four separate stories. Weaving in other fairy tales references, yet not blatantly obvious. Cultaural and film references are kept minimal, the comedy evolves from the characters. While the script has been cleverly writing, the puns and jokes really fall flat; it's not very funny. Yes there are laughs to be had, but its not constant with many jokes clunking along. Hoodwinked runs off little laughs and snickers; nothing to really grab your sides; though at least they didn't resort to toilet humor for cheap laughs. The mystery story isn't that much of a mystery, you can figure it out early on in the piece.Not using celebrity status for the voice talent, Anne Hathaway, Patrick Warburton, Glenn Close and James Belushi all work well as the four leads. The supporting cast with David Ogden Stiers, Anthony Anderson and Andy Dick all add great support.Hoodwinked has taken an interesting spin on the fairy tale, yet lacking a lot of decent laughs and a few to many Looney Tunes situations, Hoodwinked doesn't leave much of a memorable mark.
open your child's imagination
posted on 07 Jul 2009This movie had me in stitches all the way through. i would recommend every parent get there child to see this movie. Both the parents and the children will have a great time together watching this. I am sure your children will thank you for it. mine did! want a movie to open your child's imagination - then this is a good movie for that. a very original idea. great story line. got to love the characters in this movie. i personally can not see how anyone could not love this movie. congrats to the movie makers of this film - yet another terrific job! you just have to see this movie. besides, what else you have to do on a Saturday night besides watch something good with your kids?
Just Go Ahead and Laugh
posted on 03 Jul 2009We're probably living through a period in film history that will be remembered as the emergence of CGI: leading the pack and ahead by a mile are Pixar, whose productions consistently set examples of how children's movies should be made, but walking the trail that Pixar have blazed over the years, other film-makers have contributed admirably to the newfound medium of animation. In doing so, artists and audiences alike have finally been able to find visual confirmation (in the 3 dimensional animation renderings) that nearly all elements of Live Action entertainment are absolutely compatible with animation, and that they will in fact be enhanced exponentially by the novelty of the medium collision alone.Cory Edwards' "Hoodwinked" is yet another example of modern animation's increasing shift toward older age groups. As all will already know before viewing, the story is a reworking of the classic Little Red Riding Hood folktale, and borrowing heavily from the premise of the immensely popular "Shrek" films, the setting and characters in the film remain anachronistically traditional while the plot details, character treatment and especially dialogue are made fiercely contemporary. While this simple film device is bound to outwear its welcome one of these days, "Hoodwinked" is a clear demonstration that it hasn't done so yet. Add a little nonlinear, intertwining subplot, a hint of the "Rashomon" Effect and a few immature giggles and you get what proves to be perfectly entertaining.Said entertainment however, will only take effect pending one contribution from the audience: we must give the animation criticism a rest. Some might say we must forgive the animation, but I refuse to say that because I don't believe there is anything here to forgive. Granted, there have been some simply stellar animated productions whose visuals have stunned audiences worldwide, such as "Princess Mononoke" and "Cars", and granted, the animation in "Hoodwinked" is on a par with a video game of two or three years ago. But what has been forgotten in the haze of elitist visual critique, and what needs to be remembered, is that films are not moving pictures, they are stories. A great story, a great screenplay, will carry a film with or without mind-blowing effects and it has never, in the history of the world, been the other way around.This is what "Hoodwinked" has to offer audiences: a broadly engaging story, sassily scripted and deliciously delivered by all, yes, all of the leading actors. If one were forced to split hairs and pick the highlights of the voice talents, Patrick Warburton and Andy Dick would emerge at the top, as the Wolf and Boingo the Bunny respectively. And again in the tradition of "Shrek", (despite cynical reaction, the film remains inspired by rather than derivative of its Green Ogre predecessor), the pop culture satire, both filmic and general, old and new, is nearly always spot on. Admittedly, scenes such as Granny Puckett "talking Black" with her snowboarding homies will probably render the film very dated in a few decades, but so what: right now it's hilarious. This is the kind of film that is willing to sacrifice timelessness for laughs, and its audience is mostly the kind that is willing to let it.In fact, overall enjoyment of the film is largely dependant on this: audiences letting it be what it is. Go ahead and laugh at the Generation Y culture references, at the 70's culture references even, at the hyperactive squirrel, the bunny aware of his cuteness, the 'Turtle scene', and just don't hold any grudges against the rest. You'll feel better for it, trust me.
Campy, crappy, but fun in its own weird little way.
posted on 01 Jul 2009I got to see this for free, and to be brief, no I probably wouldn't pay $10 to see this in the theater.The animation does indeed suck. The story's not all that great. The voice acting leaves much to be desired. The lighting is horrible and the textures are gaudy and annoying. Yet...for some odd reason I still liked it. I think for the same reason I enjoy silly little student films. That's all this is--a feature-length student film. I can see it gaining an audience on college campuses. I could see watching it again, high as a kite. But to take this seriously is just wrong.BTW I'd also like to mention that I'm currently working on a $90m CG Feature, and this film made me feel that much more secure about my job. Thanks Hoodwinked!
Fun in the Hood!
posted on 25 Jun 2009Hoodwinked tells the stroy or Red, a lonely girl that delivers muffins every day to her Granny's house. But when someone steals the secret recipes from another store, an investigation begins to try and find therobber. There are four possible leads, Red, her Grandma who isn't your average Granny at all, a Wolf who just happens to be a nosey journalist and a woodsman who isn't as scary as he looks. The storys told are great and there are so many laughs, especially from Patrick Warburton's Wolf and his companion named Twitchy. Hoodwinked is a fun flick for the family to go see and is a lot better than the disappointing Madagascar. Go see it with the kids!
Xlnt Movie
posted on 23 Jun 2009This movie was HILARIOUS. My friend and I laughed the whole way through. It's true the animation is not as slick as we may have become used to but i thought that actually gave it more character. I especially enjoyed the snide wolf character but they were all really good.We weren't sure if kids would like the movie although it sounds from the other reviews that a lot do. There is no potty or "adult" humor, just cartoony type violence.I think they used some sort of claymation technique with stuffed animals. It was really funny that you could see that the wolf was a stuffed animal - you could see its fur. I was never a big fan of monty python or Saturday night live (i am however a huge fawlty towers fan) but I found the "dumb" comments in this movie to be hysterical so go figure.
A modern twist on a tired fable
posted on 21 Jun 2009I found this film to be undeniably one of the best works of animation i have viewed throughout my life of viewing film.On the trailer alone, one would expect it to be a clichéd, tedious animation, which was churned out by the studio to make a few bucks. However, looks can be deceptive, as i came to discover.For start, yes the animation was not the greatest. However, i would commend the creators for having such courage to create a movie where the dependence is not on the animation, but on the strong script and plot; unlike some other recent disasters *cough cough* Finding Nemo. The attention to detail was there, although the prettiness was lacking, which i found a relief compared to the typical disneyfication almost all animation movies tend to have these days.The story centres around a thief who is stealing all the recipes from all the baker's in the forest causing them to go out of business until, the only recipe book left is that of Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother. The story is largely consumed as to the manic events that led to granny being tied up in the closet, the wolf pretending to be granny, a maniac huntsman crashing through the window, and Little Red caught in the middle of it all. The police then arrive, and each character gives their testimony of what happened during their day, which got them into such a mess.I found the plot to be very witty, although subtle. The way in which the stories interlink was extremely clever, and the script was exceptionally well written; resulting in a tremendously funny film.All in all, a well written, clever little project, with relatively good animation. I would recommend it to both audience's young and old, who will appreciate it in different ways.
Low-budget animation is NOT a drawback
posted on 17 Jun 2009If there's one thing that annoys me, it's judging a book by its cover, or, in the case of a CGI film, by the CGI budget. There's been a lot of badmouthing the animation on Hoodwinked, even by people who say that the story more than makes up for it. Well, it's true enough that the CGI is low-quality; but that does NOT translate to bad CGI, because high-quality graphics was not what the movie was about.The way I see it, there are two classes of CGI: there's realistic CGI, and there's cartoon CGI. Final Fantasy: The Movie was realistic CGI, as was (to a lesser extent) Shrek, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. Toy Story, etc. No, they didn't necessarily portray physically accurate characters, but their attention to fine detail was one of their selling points; the fact that (most of them) had a good story was a happy circumstance to add on top of that.On the other hand, cartoon CGI is along the lines of Jimmy Neutron, VeggieTales, and that Saturday morning cartoon "Reboot" from a few years back. For these shows, their strength was not in the photo-realism of the CGI, but in the ease with which the CGI could be manipulated to go along with the cartoonishness of the storyline. Bottom line: Jimmy Neutron looked funny. The VeggieTales had no hands. Reboot looked like it existed inside a computer.Hoodwinked looks like a fairytale.And this is what really ticks me off. Photo-realism isn't the only way CGI works right. You have to pick the style that fits your story. I, for one, wouldn't be as interested in Bugs Bunny if he looked realistic. I hated that other CGI cartoon show "Transformers: Beast Wars" because it tried to make a cartoon show look photo-realistic (and failed miserably, but that's beside the point. It still wouldn't have worked if they had succeeded).So, to all those that say the low-budget CGI was a hindrance: NOT AT ALL. The cartoony animation works perfectly with the cartoony story to make a perfect cartoony movie. It couldn't have been any better for higher levels of detail than the old Bugs Bunny vs. Red Riding Hood cartoons would have.
And we knew better, too...
posted on 09 Jun 2009I remember when my husband and I saw the preview for this film in the theater we made a very sure decision not to see it. The animation looked cheesy, much worse than most video game graphics these days, and the characters were obviously, yet poorly, designed to rip off others from more successful and better crafted works. Unfortunately, my husband forgot about the preview last week and rented Hoodwinked for our daughter to watch (also forgetting that she had actually seen it with a friend, and she is only 7 and so not very discerning shall we say). So, we sat with her and agonized through this horrid, ill-conceived and weak attempt at cashing in on the popularity of animated films. The plot would have been okay, but the characters were so odious and clichéd, so unbelievably bland in their delivery in fact, that we couldn't have cared less what happened to any one of them. Except the goat. He was funny. The music was another obvious attempt at creating a "hit soundtrack" but the songs were simple, quick-shots that only dragged the film out longer than was already bearable. One thing I hate more than many others about bad films is the inevitable "misunderstanding" scene that people throw in when they can't figure out how else to create tension or ill ease among the "good guys." This film's misunderstanding scene made me want to choke someone, it was so unbelievable. Yeah, I know: "It's a cartoon! Why would you expect believability in a cartoon??" All you have to do is look at Shreck to understand that one has to at least believe in the conventions of the created world to enjoy the story set therein. Shrek works because it's set in a world with well-defined rules and a magic all its own. Hoodwinked was at once too self-conscious and too unconscious to let us believe in anything other than that we were fools to pay money to rent, and then watch! this film. If you haven't yet seen it, don't bother. Try something by Miyazaki.
Too complicated plot
posted on 05 Jun 2009This film is a modern reworking of the Little Red Riding Hood. The story line is completely different from the original.I find the plot too twisted and complicated. It shows the story in four different perspectives, and then integrates the four perspectives to generate the truth. It is very unlikely to work for kids, whom I guess will have a lot of trouble understanding the plot. Other than that, I must applaud for such an innovative concept, to rework the children's story to make it look like a detective story for kids.Other than that, the animation is great. It is very pleasant to watch. The Little Red Riding Hood has such big eyes that is obviously modelled on Anne Hathaway's eyes!
Funny and good entertainment
posted on 03 Jun 2009Hoodwinked is an updated, re-telling of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood." Now everyone thinks they know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but this movie takes you deep into the movie, and this is why I really liked it. Anne Hathaway does the voice for Red, Glenn Close does the voice for Granny. Other voices are Xzibit and Anthony Anderson. I think this is one of the best animated movies I've seen in about 2 years.This movie basically starts off with the classic story of "Little Red Riding Hood." But when the FBI arrive at the scene, each of the characters tell their own little story of what actually went down. I just thought this was such a cool movie with it's rules and clues. It's like a big puzzle you're trying to put together. It's also one of those animated movies that I would watch again. Before I saw this movie, I watched "Chicken Little" and I wasn't very happy with that movie, it was just weird. But this movie I thought was funny and it had great entertainment.This isn't a movie for only the younger viewers. I know a lot of people will think this is a good movie. I liked how they went deep into the classic story. Really, I feel like watching this movie again. 8/10.
Hoodwinked! (aka: L'il Red Fries Rabbit)
posted on 03 Jun 2009I'm a 47-yr. old father of one who went to see this movie WITHOUT my son. Why? Well, he wasn't around and I have been over-run on "serious" movies lately ("Brokeback Mountain" and "Syriana" to name but two). All I wanted to do at the theater was sit back, relax, chomp some smuggled-in, air-popped, secret-recipe popcorn, and have a few laughs.I couldn't have picked a better movie to fulfill my needs."Hoodwinked! The Real Story of Red Riding Hood" was a blast! It is funnier than many other animated films ("Shreks 1 & 2" and "Madagascar" to name three off the top of my head). Those films incorporate every possible pop-culture reference for the sole purpose of making everything OBVIOUS. I'm not saying that "Hoodwinked" sets a new standard for animated film screenplays. But, I will say that the choice of writers/directors Cory and Todd Edwards and Tony Leech to use "Rashomon" (a film by the legendary Asian filmmaker Akira Kurosawa) as a plotting template bests the choices of other animated filmmakers whose pop-culture-laden screenplays steal from each other.The movie begins with a bang at Granny's (Glenn Close) house in the woods. There we find the big bad Wolf (Patrick Warburton) seemingly up to no good, preying on Granny. Oddly enough, however, upon the Wolf's arrival Granny is no where to be found. When Red (Anne Hathaway) shows up the Wolf dons a Granny mask and (in)appropriate attire in an attempt to pass himself off as Red's grandmother. During their confrontation Granny bursts out of the bedroom closet just before an ax-wielding Woodsman (Jim Belushi) suddenly comes smashing through the bedroom window.In the next instant the screen goes black.From there the screenwriters incorporate the plotting device employed in "Rashomon" allowing for each of the four principals to tell their stories in flashback to the chief police investigator, a dapper, long-legged, taciturn, mustachioed frog named Nicky Flippers (played to perfect pitch by David Ogden Stiers). He leads an investigation augmented by one hyper-aggressive police chief, Chief Grizzly (Xzibit), and a host of goofballs: two pigs, a stork, and an alligator. (Their exchanges throughout the Q & A sessions are mostly hilarious, especially one dealing with apprehension of crime suspects based solely on their appearing "creepy" to the misguided, apprehending police officers.) Together with the audience Flippers listens to the principals' stories while trying to piece together what transpired at Granny's house. Their stories bring into the mix Boingo (Andy Dick), a wisecracking, ubiquitous, neighborhood rabbit; Twitchy the Squirrel (Cory Edwards) the Wolf's speed-talking (and speed-balling?) sidekick; and Japeth the Goat (Benjy Gaither), a hillbilly goat whom--due to a hex put upon him many years before--can only sing when communicating verbally.There are other ancillary participants as well, playing integrated performances furthering the movie's story seamlessly.Having seen a bit of the MTV animated series, "Daria," I would say that L'il Red's persona is very similar. Despite her youth she has a "been there, done that" attitude if only because she wants to do more than she is permitted by her legal guardian, Granny. Her countenance speaks of both frustration and know-it-all intelligence. In short, she is wise beyond her years, waiting for the day in the not so distant future where freedom will mark the beginning of her true existence.As for Andy Dick's voice-over and autonomous acting performance as Boingo it is, indeed, excessive and spectacular. Except for Cory Edwards' equally over-the-top presentation of Twitchy, the hyperactive, Chimpmunky-voiced squirrel, Dick nearly steals the show. Thanks, on his behalf, should go to the screenwriters who feed him line after line after line like eager kids feeding goodies to a horse at a petting zoo.In once such scene he barks out to instructions to his henchmen. "Dolph! Go get a Helicopter! And Keith! Change your name! It's not very scary sounding and I get embarrassed saying it!" Much too much has been made about the animation of "Hoodwinked" lacking for one reason (poorly animated, says one in the profession) or another (not up to PIXAR standards, say most others). I'm here to tell those who whine about it, for any reason: locate a life! To each his own.To those animated filmmakers who strive to produce animated films that are original in some way—the producers of "Hoodwinked" to name a few—congratulations! You've succeeded. Perhaps you made believe that PIXAR does not exist or that yours was the first animated film ever made. Whatever your motives, "Hoodwinked" succeeds because of its' animation. It's colorful, bursting with pastels, and in its simplicity, which works in tandem with the screenplay, it doesn't draw one away from the story.As for that story, well, you'll have to go and see this one for yourself. Safe to say, I think you will be surprised that ANYONE would find "Hoodwinked" not worth whatever money was forked over to view it. The humor crackles, the original songs, written by the screenwriters, but, for the most part, sung by relative unknowns (though Ben Folds is hardly unknown in my household) are clever, and the action, 80 minutes of non-stop fun, is compelling.
Rashomon Meets Little Red Riding Hood
posted on 30 May 2009Deconstructed fairy-tales and animation go hand in hand and have produced fantastic films such as THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE Christmas, SHREK, and SHREK 2.HOODWINKED literally rips the entire fable of Red Riding Hood apart, borrowing from RED RIDING HOODWINKED, RASHOMON, PULP FICTION and even TOUCH OF EVIL. The events that led to Red Riding Hood's eventual confrontation with the Big Bad Wolf are told not from one but from several points of view as the main players -- Red, the Wolf, the Woodsman, and Granny -- are interrogated by the police who are investigating a crime from one "Goody Bandit". Every confessions reveals a lot more about each character and the more that is disclosed, the closer they are to catching up with the thief.A sharp reconfiguation of a classic fairytale has the unfortunate aspect that it looks flat and clumsy. It's as if the entire production team felt the rush of having to turn out their product and in the process forgot to complete it. The laughs that come from its setting, while frequent and spot-on at the beginning, become clichéd after a while and makes the film look much longer than its brief 80 minutes. The animation, frankly, was bad. Here is where it fails the most. There are many moments when Red Riding Hood's lips don't match her voice and in two sequences she looks like a pre-production image. Ditto for Granny and the entire landscape-as-book sequence. A musical number feels placed for the hell of it, and I found myself guessing whodunit well before the revelation. And that's bad.Oh well... maybe next time or when it reaches DVD and will look considerably improved. Kids will love it, though.... Aren't they the ultimate critics for a film like this?
Far from "Incredible"
posted on 20 May 2009Ever since the success of "The Incredibles" (a children's film that takes the bold and innovative step of respecting kids enough to NOT rely solely on fart jokes and bathroom humor for cheap laughs), animated filmmakers have been scrambling to copy Brad Bird and Pixar's format. The basic idea is to have inside jokes that kids won't get but that adults can appreciate ("Shrek 2"), while at the same time appealing to the young folks with an easy to follow plot and stunning animation.And the makers of "Hoodwinked" try, really they do. It's just that the writing, which is supposed to be clever and sharp, ultimately fails miserably at both. The idea (the "REAL" story behind Little Red Riding Hood, which is almost surely already a book somewhere) is a good one, but the plot comes across confusing and scatter-shot. None of the main characters' back stories are interesting enough to follow; kids may get a kick out of an overly caffeinated chipmunk named Twitchy, but almost all of the other grand attempts at humor (hmm...a German Woodsman selling Schnitzel...these folks really ARE in-step with today's typical elementary school banter, huh?) fall completely flat.Which brings us to the characters, another major problem with the movie. It is unwritten Hollywood law that all animated films have at least one highly adorable character if for no other reason than to sell a few toys (heck, even a mediocrity like 'Chicken Little' has the oddly endearing "Fish out of Water"). Not only do the makers of "Hoodwinked" fail to come up with one such marketable character, they create a cast that is largely unlikeable. In "Hoodwinked" we have an overly wry "Big Bad Wolf", an overwhelmingly unfunny Woodsman, a stereotypical 'wild' Granny, and a salt-of-the earth Little Red Riding Hood who comes across as though she belts back a shot of scotch and chain smokes each morning before heading to her nine-to-fiver. Detective Bill Stork is almost painful to watch both because of the bad fake accent and yawn-a-minute Sherlock Holmes impersonation.The film gets a 5 out of 10 because it isn't blatantly offensive, but it is most definitely unfunny for adults and for any kid possessing at least the worldly sophistication of a six-year-old. You may as well rent it if your cable has been shut off and a winter storm is approaching, but don't go out of your way to find it, either.
why this was without a doubt a cool movie...and why your wrong.
posted on 26 Aug 2009this movie was cool for one reason...it was done in an extremely stylized way...clearly no one that saw it is a fan of old noir style movies and old caper movies...yes the animation was by no means the top of the line...but why did it need to be...whats so important about it being the absolutely most cutting edge animation...it did its job...when they ask flippers why hes called that is funny as hell...and it was just funny to hear dmx doing a cartoon voice...but yeah those parts aside its clear you guys didn't catch the whole retro style thing....and if you did notice you clearly just don't appreciate the real ones...it was still better then most of the crappy cgi movies that have been out lately...oh and also the none liner story telling added to an animated movie was a cool gimmick..