The New "Red Riding Hood" is No Fairytale

I was excited to view the re-imagining of "Red Riding Hood". Whether you love them or hate them two other re-imaginings -- "Tin Man" and "Alice" -- have been intriguing. This film is as well, but the results are dubious.

"Red Riding Hood' is about a village being plagued by a werewolf. For awhile the wolf remains placated with livestock offerings. One night; however it takes the life of a village girl instead.

Father Auguste, played by Lukas Haas, sends for famous werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Gary Oldman). The townspeople, unwilling to wait, decide to go after the wolf. That ends badly for town leader, Adrien Lazar (Michael Shanks). Still they kill the wolf in the lair and bring back his head for proof.

When Father Solomon shows up, he tells them they are fools. He says the wolf's head proves they did not kill the werewolf. If they had, it would have reverted back to its human form. Then he informs them that the wolf lives right in their midst.

They don't believe him and continue celebrating. That is until the wolf interrupts by making his presence known. Then the search begins in earnest to find out who is the wolf in sheep's clothing.

The tale centers around a young maiden named Valerie, played by Amanda Seyfried. While she has been given in marriage to Henry Lazar (Max Irons), she loves a woodsman named Peter, played by Shiloh Fernandez.

Valerie is the focus of the story because the wolf seems interested in her. He chooses not to kill her even when the opportunity arises. In fact he asks her to run away with him, begging the question: Is it one of her two suitors?
Julie Christie plays Valerie's grandmother. She is the only member living outside the compound, hence Red Riding Hood's need to travel through the woods to visit her. She is also the person responsible for Valerie's red cloak. It is a gift for her upcoming wedding.

The village harbors a lot of secrets. They are at the core of everything that goes wrong, including the wolf attacks. Solomon, rather than helping, makes things wors. He goes too far when he decides to sacrifice Valerie.

The real mystery here isn't who is the wolf or what he wants with Red Riding Hood. It is: Why doesn't this movie work?

You can't fault the cinematography. It is stunning enough to warrant watching of this film. You can't fault the caliber of actors involved, which also includes Virginia Madsen, Billy Burke and Michael Hogan. So where does the fault lie?

The script, penned by David Johnson is imaginative. Sadly, the characters lack the depth the audience needs to become invested in them. Even Red is somewhat unsympathetic. They call her "too good, too pretty, too perfect" and yet she slits a rabbit's throat as a child just to see what it would be like.

Valerie's mother (Madsen) comes across poorly. She is trying to re-live her life through her daughter. Valerie's father is a drunk who doesn't care about anything or anyone. Even grandmother manages to skirt the boundaries of oddity.

This isn't a happy family, a good village to live in or a good life to live. That leaves the audience without any attachment to the story.

Director Catherine Hardwicke manages to get a few excellent performances out of some actors. However, collectively they don't meld well. Valerie/Red seems less than comfortable around her grandmother, which is a critical union in the story. Additionally, as is often the case, Oldman overacts the role of Solomon.

Then there are the actors themselves. Christie turns in a solid performance as does Madsen and Burke. Seyfried, on the other hand, seems a little lost. I found that interesting given that she is one of Hollywood's brightest stars of the moment. Perhaps the character just wasn't hers to play.

This movie had a lot going on but none of it made it any better and maybe that is really where it all went wrong. Sometimes trying to do too much with so much reeks of desperation and inevitably falls flat. This movie does. I give it 2.5 out of 5 stars.

That rating is probably a bit generous, but the cinematography, costumes and set designs shouldn't be dismissed. I'd watch it again just for those key components, which are all worthwhile.

RATING SCALE USED:

0 = A stinker. Don't waste the money!
1 = Bad. Rent it at your own risk.
2 = Below average. See only if you have time to kill.
2.5 = Average. A toss up.
3 = Good. Worth a looksee.
3.5 = Very Good. I recommend it.
4 = Excellent. Don't miss it!
4.5 = Outstanding. What are you waiting for?
5 = Destined to become a classic. You will be sorry if you don't see it.