182 of 193 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Bad, For What It Is, March 27, 2011
Let me start by praising the look of this film, especially its nightmare fairy tale wilderness village and Peter Jackson-inspired sweeping landscapes. The designers create a lush, evocative screen image that captures the imagination without overpowering the actors. Without doubt, I haven't seen a better looking film than this one in quite some time. Even the costume and makeup people keep the actors looking good without forcing an artificial glamour.
I'd rather start that way because I refuse to become one of those critics who savages somebody else's film because it doesn't suit my tastes. I'm not among this film's target audience, and chances are, if you've fallen in love more than once or watched more than seven horror films, you aren't, either. This film reaches out for people who enjoy uncomplicated romances and have a very low scare threshold.
Director Catherine Hardwicke knows her young, wide-eyed audience, and delivers what they expect from a romantic fantasy with horror overtones. Pretty, willful Valerie (Amanda Seyfried) embodies 21st Century America in medieval Bavaria. She loves Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), a woodcutter who broods around the forest like an unemployed Robert Pattinson impersonator. But Valerie's mom (Virginia Madsen) thinks she'd enjoy a better life with the prosperous but uninspiring blacksmith, Henry (Max Irons).
But a werewolf besieges their village. When the wolf slaughters Valerie's sister, village life unstitches. Unscrupulous Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) starts hunting witches, while Valerie discovers her uncanny connection to the monster. Is Peter or Henry the wolf? Or gentle Father Auguste (Lukas Haas), simpleton Claude (Cole Heppell), or Valerie's reclusive grandmother (Julie Christie)? Veteran filmgoers know the answer is "none of the above," but the revelation genuinely surprised me.
This film accomplishes all its goals, and accomplishes them stylishly to boot. If it didn't reward an adolescent view of love and worked as hard on creeping dread and psychological horror as it does on "boo" moments, it would achieve possible greatness. Unfortunately, it pitches to its audience's expectations, and no higher. For what it is, Hardwicke presents a pretty good film. You decide if "pretty good" is good enough.
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92 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Atmospheric Mystery, March 16, 2011
Red Riding Hood is a re-imagining of the fairy tale. The film is very atmospheric in creating a medieval village, and the sense of doom is palpable. The lead character, Valerie is in love with an orphaned woodcutter named Peter (Shiloh Fernandez) but it has been arranged that she will marry the far richer Henry (Max Irons) who is a blacksmith. The only problem is that the village is terrorized by a werewolf and has been for more than a generation offering up a sacrifice when the moon is full. When the werewolf kills Valerie's sister, the village is galvanized into hunting down the creature.
Into this mix comes a werewolf hunter named Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) who is ruthless in his methods to find and destroy the werewolf. There are limitless possibilities as to who the werewolf could be and Solomon becomes more of a curse to the village than the werewolf does. The filmmakers created a great look for the village and the film was well cast. Gary Oldman is perfect as Solomon, and it is refreshing to see him play a villain again. Amanda Seyfried is nicely cast as the lead character as are her love interests. Virginia Madsen was also excellent as Valerie's mother, who has her own dark secret. It was also good to see Julie Christie in a film as Valerie's somewhat sinister grandmother.
The movie teeters toward a B-movie romance (one wonders if Valerie will suddenly declare her love for Henry as he proves himself very noble-hearted) but the mystery and horror of the werewolf kept my interest in the story. Although Red Riding Hood may seem like "Twilight for werewolves," I liked the story and the overall feel of mystery. Red Riding Hood is a film that I would like to see again maybe only for the marvelous visual realization of the village, grandma's, lonely but cozy cottage and the over-the-top performance of Gary Oldman.
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66 of 80 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Come away with me..., March 12, 2011
I just came back from the theater and I loved it! Cinematography, sets, all fantastic. Storyline unique in that it blends the traditional fairytale, a few elements from the earlier and wonderful "The Company of Wolves", and brings it to a more mature audience with a twist. Who done it? Who is the big bad wolf? The movie is fast paced, intricate, cleverly drawing on relationships both new and old, thwarted love, etc. all in a picturesque Grimm-like village and cottages that you are just dying to live in! Well, if you stay in this neighbourhood, that might be arranged! Far from predictable you will be finding yourself switching gears over a dozen times trying to figure it out. And the ending? My what sharp teeth you have! Enjoy as I did! A must see for any fan of fairytales and fantasy movies, or if you are a fan of Tim Burton, for it isn't too far from his style! Now I can't wait for the DVD and hope a soundtrack comes. I love the music from the festival!
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