Advanced Screening: Red Riding Hood

I just got back from an advanced screening of Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman. I went into this film super excited, this story lends itself to a much darker telling than we’ve been privy to, but as I settled into the film I started to notice that things weren’t going to be as good as I’d hoped.

I’ll start by saying that the film was directed by Catherine Hardwicke; the woman that directed the first “Twilight” film; and unfortunately this film reeks of Twilight’s stench. While i’m not on the twilight-haters bandwagon, and I understand it has it’s own special place, it’s just not a film that I’d classify as a favorite. Unfortunately for me, Catherine Hardwicke decided to take Red Riding Hood down that same convoluted path.

The oddly placed love triangle that plagues the film isn’t the only thing set in place that causes it’s demise. Unfortunately the entire film is told around the same tired “who done it” framework that should have been killed off years ago, and it’s done just as poorly as it’s always been done with this film. After the credits roll you feel like you’ve not only wasted your time being spoon fed crap at the end to make the culprit fit in with the half-witted script, but also that you’ll never watch the film again for lack of any real plot depth; and therein lies the real issue with the film.

This film had the potential to be a blockbuster like the “Alice in Wonderland” remake or a cult film like “Edward Sissorhands” but unfortunately it will fade into obscurity like the many other films that people grow tired of.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekKMYAOmTj0