HOODWINKED TOO: HOOD VS EVIL (2011)

Genre: Family/ Comedy
Director: Mike Disa
Cast: Hayden Panettiere, Patrick Warburton, Glenn Close, Andy Dick, Cory Edwards, Martin Short, Debra Wilson, David Ogden Stiers, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Benjy Gaither, Joan Cusack
RunTime: 1 hr 25 mins
Released By: GV
Rating: G
Official Website: http://www.hoodwinkedtoomovie.com/

Opening Day: 12 May 2011

Synopsis: From the team that brought you HOODWINKED, the comedic portrayal of the fairy tale Red Riding Hood, comes the all-new animated family comedy HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD VS. EVIL in 3D. The sequel finds our heroine, Red (Hayden Panettiere), training with a mysterious covert group called the Sisters of the Hood. But Red is forced to cut her training short when she gets an urgent call from Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers), who returns as head of the super-secret Happily Ever After Agency, aka the HEA. A wicked witch (Joan Cusack) has abducted two innocent children, Hansel (Bill Hader) and Gretel (Amy Poehler), and Nicky needs Red for the search-and-rescue mission. Of course, what is a sequel without guest stars from the original? Thankfully, Granny (Glenn Close) and the rest of the HOODWINKED gang--including the ever-clueless Wolf (Patrick Warburton) and his over-caffeinated little partner, Twitchy (Cory Edwards), join Red to solve the forest's latest caper. Fracturing fairy tales and pop culture with good-natured glee, HOODWINKED TOO! HOOD vs. EVIL in 3D takes viewers on a rollicking rollercoaster ride combining edge-of-the-seat adventure with classic, zany cartoon antics.

Movie Review:

I’m not sure anyone wanted a sequel to the low-budget animated film “Hoodwinked”, even I dare say those- like myself- who did enjoy the original back in 2005. After all, much of its charm lay in the freshness of its Rashomon-style treatment to tell the story of Red Riding Hood CSI-style, a gimmick one must admit that probably wouldn’t work as well the second time round. And besides, do we need another reinterpretation of classic fairy tales after four “Shrek” movies?

But wisdom or even prudence doesn’t always dictate how Hollywood works, especially how the Weinstein Company works, so here we are with this long-delayed sequel six years later. If the troubled production wasn’t enough to convince you that “Hoodwinked Too” was not going to be a good movie, then let’s sure hope this review does- because just, or even worse, than expected, this Mike Disa movie is one witless, charmless, humourless animation that doesn’t for one second justify its existence.

The first thing you’ll notice about the movie is its unappealing visuals. While that was true of the first movie as well, it was largely excusable because of the budget the pair of filmmakers- Cory and Todd Edwards- were working with. Here Mike Disa’s budget is a much heftier US$30 mil, and though that may be small by Dreamworks or Disney standards, it is still no excuse for the flat uninspiring backgrounds and Ceramic-like look of all the characters. The most glaring of all is how the movement of the characters’ mouths don’t even follow the onscreen dialogue!

Whereas the dialogue and the story was one of the original’s strong suit, it is just another of this sequel’s banes. Attempting some form of continuity, the Edwards brothers set Red and the original team of Wolf, Granny and a hyperactive squirrel Twitchy in search of the people who have stolen the recipe for a ‘super truffle’ which apparently gives the person who eats it dominion over the Earth. What?! Yes, that was the exact incredulity this reviewer was faced too.

A modicum of the original’s wit could have made this easier to swallow, but alas even that was conspicuously missing here. The script by the Edwards brothers, Disa and Tony Leech is filled with unfunny lines and inexplicable allusions to films like “Silence of the Lambs”, “Goodfellas” and “Kill Bill”, none of which worked on the kids nor the adults judging by their lack of a reaction. The film also tries to do the equivalent of Scrat for “Ice Age” by having the blind singing goat from the first movie pop up at regular intervals during the film to be interrupted  by one of the main characters, but even that fast becomes a gimmick which wears out its welcome.

As if acknowledging the mirthlessness of it all, the ensemble voice cast sound terribly bored. Hayden Panettiere takes over the voice of Red from Anne Hathaway, and gives a soulless treatment to the character. Glenn Close just sounds uninterested to be back, Patrick Warburton is often mumbling in his own world as Wolf, and Twitchy is not as funny the second time round. Bill Hader and Amy Poehler try their best improvising as Hansel and Gretel, but there’s only so much they can do to save a sinking ship.

And indeed that’s exactly what this unnecessary sequel is, a movie that starts off mediocre and quickly and surely descends lower than your lowest expectations. Rarely have I seen such a restless and unresponsive audience during an animated film, and that alone is proof of which side of the balance- hood or evil- this film falls into. My final words of advice? Don’t be hoodwinked, avoid this altogether. 

Movie Rating:

(Perhaps the most witless, charmless and humourless animation you'll encounter in the cinemas this year) 

Reviewed by Gabriel Chong