We'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.
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.