Shrek Dreck Is No Fun Toy Story;
You've Been Hoodwinked

Hoodwinked

Cast: Anne Hathaway, Jim Belushi, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton

Director: Corey Edwards

Movie Help Web Popcorn Kernels:

How in the world did this movie get to be the #1 grossing film in America last weekend? Were we all tired of action, adventure, romance and excitement? Kids already seen Narnia twice? How could Hoodwinked actually take in more than $16 million on its opening weekend, albeit a holiday weekend?

You're Cute, But Not Like Princess Fiona

Hoodwinked inhabits Shrek and Toy Story wanna-be land with a terrific premise, decent voices and so-so execution. The result would make a nice feature on Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon. Instead, moviegoers are faced with the prospect of a big screen feature that simply doesn't have enough oomph to justify being on that screen.

The animation was okay, amazing by 1970s standards, but merely ordinary in a Pixar world. It was cute, but there was no magic. Those of you old enough to remember The Wonderful World of Disney on television each Sunday night will remember that there was magic in the little white stars that flew from Tinkerbell's wand. Magic need not be the land of special effects. But if you're banking your film on them, they had better be darn good, and these were merely adequate.

Another area where Hoodwinked pales in comparison is in the actors and actresses used for voice overs. Toy Story offered Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Don Rickles (to say nothing of script doctoring by Joss Whedon). Shrek offered Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and then John Cleese and Antonio Banderas in the sequel. Hoodwinked manages to snare Glenn Close and Anne Hathaway, who no one ever heard of before Brokeback Mountain and Ella Enchanted. That's it. The next big star? Jim Belushi. And John's younger brother hasn't had a hit movie in, well, forever. He certainly has been in a lot of movies, some of them quite good, but he rarely contributed.

Did You Reveal The Ending Already?

This poor man's Shrek not only lacks magic, but is missing mystery. The basic premise (Little Red Riding Hood not eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, but everyone investigating) is a pretty bright idea. There are clichés throughout, of course, down to pigs playing cops and a slick talking frog who is part neighborhood boss and part detective who pieces it all together. Actually, the role of Nicky Flippers (voiced very well by David Ogden Stiers) is never really explained.

But the mystery? Yeah, there is a mystery. My 12 year old turned to me twenty minutes into the movie and said "So and so is the bad [one]". Nope, I won't even give you a clue on gender. But you know what, my kid was right, and when I asked him later how he knew, he favored me with one of those "Duh, Dad you're so dumb" stares. Finally he said, "It was obvious". And when he explained how he reached his conclusion, I realized that it had been obvious. That is simply weak storytelling.

Main writers (and driving forces behind the film) Todd and Cory Evans don't have a lot of big credits behind their names, but this is a major studio release. Someone could have and probably should have picked up the very linear clues that lead the audience straight to the villain.

Then there were the jokes that went on far too long. Granny (Glenn Close) being into extreme sports was a cute idea. When the concept was revisited the fifth time the joke became stale at best. Even more unforgivable is a running gag on the movie Fletch. Part of the homage is spent on Chevy Chase's portrayal of Greg McDonald's character, even down to the "I'm a shepherd" line delivered in a perfect deadpan. Most of the influence will go unnoticed except by pop culture geeks like yours truly. Don't believe me? Quick - raise your hand if you remember that Fletch was a die-hard Lakers fan. Okay, some of you got that one. Now what number was the jersey? Right - my point exactly.

There Is Some Good Here

Besides the basic plot construction, which deserves major props, there are some fine moments in Hoodwinked. Andy Dick does a marvelous job channeling Steve Martin is his portrayal of the rabbit Boingo. And while most of the music and score is uneven, Ben Folds does a wonderful (uncredited) ballad called Red Is Blue. Swing by iTunes and pick up a copy. There is no need to buy the whole soundtrack, but music supervisor John Mark Painter also has been behind the boards on some of Folds' more recent work and was apparently able to lure the alt-pianist to contribute a song. The odd thing is that it is Folds' strongest ballad in years, certainly better than anything on Songs for Silverman, his latest studio release.

The Bottom Line, Popcorn Kernels and All

The movie made for HBO is in your theaters today. Sure, maybe it's okay for the elementary school crowd, but it won't entertain simultaneously, which is what the best Disney and Pixar releases do. Once it's on video, it's a fine buy for a family with a small child.

Five Things To Remember From This Review

1. In the tradition of Shrek and Toy Story, but not as strong as either.
2. A novel concept on a classic fairy tale - nicely twisted
3. Glenn Close and Andy Dick do superb jobs in their roles as Granny and Boingo
4. Listen for a pretty ballad by Ben Folds called Red is Blue
5. If you're one of Gregory McDonald's Fletch fans, go see the film, even if you don't have kids. But you better know Fletch, his lines and his habits.

Hoodwinked In The News

--G. Bounacos