“Hoodwinked!” takes the old story of Little Red Riding Hood and turns it into a police case, told from five different points of view. The film wants to be clever, funny, and a bit dark. Mostly, it succeeds at being clever.
The setup is simple. A police officer named Nicky Flippers and a detective named Bill Stork arrive at Granny’s cottage to look into a domestic disturbance. Inside they find a karate-kicking Red Riding Hood, a sarcastic wolf, and an oafish Woodsman. The film then rewinds, showing each character’s version of what happened leading up to that moment. It is a structure borrowed from crime dramas like “Rashomon” and “Pulp Fiction,” and the film leans heavily on it.
Trailer, via AnimatedMoviesC.
Voices Behind the Story
The cast brings real talent to the voices. Anne Hathaway plays Red, Glenn Close plays Granny, Patrick Warburton plays The Wolf, Jim Belushi plays The Woodsman, David Ogden Stiers plays Nicky Flippers, Xzibit plays Chief Grizzly, Anthony Anderson plays Detective Bill Stork, Chazz Palminteri plays Woolworth, Andy Dick plays Boingo, Cory Edwards plays Twitchy, Benjy Gaither plays Japeth the Goat, and Ken Marino plays Raccoon Jerry. That list reads like a roster of recognizable names, and it shows on screen.
Patrick Warburton’s Wolf is the standout. He plays the character as a sarcastic reporter, and the performance lands more often than it misses. Glenn Close’s Granny adds menace to her usual warm tone, and Jim Belushi’s Woodsman brings physical comedy that fits the character’s description as oafish. Anne Hathaway carries the emotional weight as Red, and Anthony Anderson’s Detective Bill Stork delivers the film’s funniest lines.
A Low Budget in the Animation
The film was made without a major studio behind it, which meant the creators had full control over the story but limited money to spend. That showed in the animation, which was done in the Philippines with a design inspired by stop-motion films. The result looks fine, but it does not reach the polish of films backed by bigger budgets.
The film’s tagline promises “Not Your Typical Crime. Not Your Usual Suspects.” That promise is mostly kept. The story treats Red Riding Hood as a businesswoman protecting her family’s pastry recipes, with the Wolf working as a reporter chasing a lead on a criminal called the Goody Bandit. The Woodsman, meanwhile, turns out to be an aspiring actor trying out for a commercial. It is a twist on the familiar tale that actually pays off, even if the execution stumbles along the way.
Where the Film Falls Short
The problem is pacing. Rewinding the story five times means the same events get told again and again, and some of those retellings feel stretched thin. The film runs 81 minutes, and the middle stretch drags. Characters explain things they have already explained, and the repetition grows tiresome rather than clever.
The humor also leans heavily on pop culture references and inside jokes that do not land with younger viewers. The film assumes adults will catch the references, but it does not always explain them well enough for children to follow along. That split audience is a real weakness, since the film is marketed as a family comedy.
The Case for the Film
Despite the flaws, “Hoodwinked!” gets a few things right. The voice acting is strong across the board, and the central twist on the Red Riding Hood story holds together better than expected. The film’s structure, borrowed from crime dramas like “Rashomon” and “Pulp Fiction, ” gives the story a sense of mystery that other fairy tale parodies avoid. It is not a remake that simply mocks the original, but a reinvention that actually changes how the story works.
The film also stands apart from the Shrek series, which it shares territory with in the fairy tale parody genre. While Shrek built its comedy on gross-out humor and pop culture references, “Hoodwinked!” aims for wit and mystery instead. That difference is a deliberate choice, and it sets the film apart from its competitors.
Here is how the film’s strengths and weaknesses break down:
- Voice acting — strong, with Patrick Warburton and Glenn Close standing out.
- Structure — clever, borrowing from crime dramas like “Rashomon” and “Pulp Fiction.”
- Central twist — a fresh take on the Red Riding Hood story that holds together.
- Animation — fine, but limited by its low-budget origins.
- Pacing — uneven, with repeated explanations wearing thin.
The Verdict
“Hoodwinked!” is a film with ambition and talent, held back by a structure that does not quite serve the material. The voice work is excellent, the central twist is clever, and the attempt to stand apart from Shrek is admirable. But the repetition of the rewound story and the uneven humor keep it from reaching greatness.
It is a film worth seeing once, for the performances and the idea behind it. It is not a film that demands repeat viewings, though. The low budget shows, the pacing sags in the middle, and the humor misses more than it connects. Those flaws are real, and they cannot be ignored.
“Hoodwinked!” earns a score of 4.5 out of 10.
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