***Spoilers immediately following**** Initially two things disappointed me about "Hoodwinked". First was the relatively primitive and underdesigned CGI - it was almost like watching a Claymation feature like "Wallace and Grommett". And 2nd, all the 'plot twists' were utterly predictable; every "ironic" character stereotype reversal in he movie has been done to death already - Granny actually does extreme sports, Red is a martial arts expert and wants to get out of the woods and into the big world, the bunny is actually a power hungry lunatic, the wolf is actually a good guy and a reporter, etc. Honestly, how long did it take the writers to come up with this? Three minutes?
However, parts of it were amusing. I noted some clever slapstick humor and some nice verbal byplay. So I didn't count "Hoodwinked" as a total loss.
But a week later I got the urge to watch it for a second time (I had bought the DVD used at Blockbuster for $5) for some reason, and I wanted to rewatch it more than any of the other DVDs I picked up at the time. And this time around I "got" Hoodwinked. My expectations and sensibilities adjusted to the aesthetics of the character designs and I could appreciate the graphics for their simple, straightforward merits. I also began to really appreciate how darned good the voice acting was. And I realized that while the plot may have been pretty derivative and 2nd rate, it was executed with impressive energy and panache: most of the interchanges between the Wolf and Twitch were extremely droll and snappy; the yodeling mountain goat with custom horns for every occasion was actually a stitch to watch; and Andy Dick's delivery of Boingo the bunny's lines were comedic gems. I actually laughed out loud several times on this second viewing and replayed several scenes several times to better appreciate some of the nice touches and subtleties to be seen and heard.
I decided that viewing a movie like "Hoodwinked" is a lot like watching a Tex Avery or Bob Clampett directed cartoon from the 50s and 60s. Sometimes it takes a while to school yourself in the sensibilities of the guiding intelligence behind what you see - and to see beyond the "Bigfoot" cartoon style. But if you give Avery and Clampett a chance, you will come to appreciate the genuine creativity (and lunacy) of their approach....and the same is true here.
So I ended up being glad I have my own copy of "Hoodwinked". I wouldn't rate it over modern classic "The Incredibles" or "Monsters Inc", but I like it a lot. And I want to sound just like Patrick Warburton (the Wolf) when I finally grow up.
However, parts of it were amusing. I noted some clever slapstick humor and some nice verbal byplay. So I didn't count "Hoodwinked" as a total loss.
But a week later I got the urge to watch it for a second time (I had bought the DVD used at Blockbuster for $5) for some reason, and I wanted to rewatch it more than any of the other DVDs I picked up at the time. And this time around I "got" Hoodwinked. My expectations and sensibilities adjusted to the aesthetics of the character designs and I could appreciate the graphics for their simple, straightforward merits. I also began to really appreciate how darned good the voice acting was. And I realized that while the plot may have been pretty derivative and 2nd rate, it was executed with impressive energy and panache: most of the interchanges between the Wolf and Twitch were extremely droll and snappy; the yodeling mountain goat with custom horns for every occasion was actually a stitch to watch; and Andy Dick's delivery of Boingo the bunny's lines were comedic gems. I actually laughed out loud several times on this second viewing and replayed several scenes several times to better appreciate some of the nice touches and subtleties to be seen and heard.
I decided that viewing a movie like "Hoodwinked" is a lot like watching a Tex Avery or Bob Clampett directed cartoon from the 50s and 60s. Sometimes it takes a while to school yourself in the sensibilities of the guiding intelligence behind what you see - and to see beyond the "Bigfoot" cartoon style. But if you give Avery and Clampett a chance, you will come to appreciate the genuine creativity (and lunacy) of their approach....and the same is true here.
So I ended up being glad I have my own copy of "Hoodwinked". I wouldn't rate it over modern classic "The Incredibles" or "Monsters Inc", but I like it a lot. And I want to sound just like Patrick Warburton (the Wolf) when I finally grow up.