Here’s my review of the new movie “Red Riding Hood” from KTKA-49.
“Red Riding Hood” is the worst kind of movie. Artistically, it’s a complete fraud. The film, by Catherine Hardwicke, director of the first “Twilight” movie, is nothing more than a calculated attempt to take a well-known fairy tale with built-in name recognition and update it for the “Twilight” audience.
Instead of a vampire and a werewolf competing for her affections, Red Riding Hood has two hot young men trying to win her heart, and one of them may be the same werewolf that’s stalking her village.
Danger and romance: Great things to build a story around. Throw in a couple of well-known lines from the fairy tale, and Gary Oldman as a Van Helsing-like werewolf killer, and you’ve got an enjoyable movie, right?
Wrong. This shameless, joyless affair hinges on a whodunit mystery that is so obvious in the first reel, it leaves you wondering, “Is that all there is?” Unfortunately, it is.
At least the first “Twilight” movie did a good job of expressing the alienation of teenagers and how dramatic those emotions can be.
“Red Riding Hood” doesn’t even try to flesh out the classic Big Bad Wolf storyline—the most interesting part. For a movie that’s trying to be suspenseful and romantic, it’s essentially toothless.
Eric is the Editor-in-Chief of Scene-Stealers.com and writes the Screen Stealers column for The Pitch. He’s President of the KCFCC, and drummer for The Dead Girls and Ultimate Fakebook. He is also Air Guitar World Champion Mean Melin. Eric goes to 11. Follow him at:
