Hoodwinked - Cute, Sassy Take on A Classic Fairy Tale

[danrak]

Cory and Todd Edwards co-wrote and directed Hoodwinked, a truly nice - and modern - spin on the classic fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. Anne Hathaway of Princess Diaries and Brokeback Mountain fame, plays Red. Red is a delivery girl for Granny (Glenn Close). Granny's got a business. She makes the best baked goods in a forest full of food proprietors.

Unfortunately, someone's working hard to shut down these fantastic food places. Granny's goodies are next on the list but not if Red can help it. Red's a sassy, in-your-face girl who does karate and rides a sweet bike. She's got some secrets. So does Granny and all of the main characters including the Wolf (Patrick Warburton), The Woodsman (James Belushi) and Boingo (Andy Dick).

The story unfolds backwards, so to speak. We begin with the police interrogations. Someone's been sleeping in granny's bed - and it wasn't granny. The viewer sees the story from the viewpoint of the major characters in the fairy tale - Granny, the Wolf, the Woodsman and, of course, Red. Each character has something to add to the story.

The Wolf, for example, is an investigative reporter. He's trying to uncover who's behind the corporate sabotage. He suspects Granny. Granny has her secrets; but, she's no crook. Granny is an extreme sports junkie who just survived an attack by some spies who are working for the real perpetrator. And who is that exactly?

You'll be surprised. It's not who you think.

All in all Hoodwinked is intelligent, fun and funny. It's well-done and a contemporary take on a classic fairy tale that is certainly not stale. It's not just a treat for the kids. Not at all.