‘Red Riding Hood’ Review

I knew that Red Riding Hood was receiving countless negative reviews, but that did not deter me from seeing it. I’ve wanted to see the movie ever since I saw the trailer that included the Nine Inch Nails hit “The Hand That Feeds.” I thought, “If Trent Reznor will allow his music to grace this movie trailer, then it must be good.”

Many critics seem to complain about the movie’s lack of good acting. I fail to see what they are complaining about. My only qualm with the acting is that most actors do not attempt to adopt an English, or at least foreign, accent. Red Riding Hood is supposed to occur in a medieval village, but many of the actors (except Gary Oldman) sound distinctly American. The acting was fine; it could have been better, but it was not awful.

Catherine Hardwicke and her crew did a magnificent job setting the atmosphere for Red Riding Hood. The landscape is gloomy and the costumes are extremely well-designed. Brian Reitzell composed an ominous score that excellently fits the film’s mood. For those of you who have seen the movie and are wondering who sings the nifty little number that is played during the celebration scene, the answer is Fever Ray; the track is called “The Wolf.”

Although Red Riding Hood gets its name from the famous fairy tale, it has little in common with the ancient story. The film still centers on a wolf, but a werewolf instead of a mere gray wolf. The fact that the villain is normally human engages the audience, who must determine who the bloodthirsty werewolf is. I thought this was a very good plot device, and I was surprised when the identity of the werewolf was revealed. However, be on the lookout for a clever and fairly amusing allusion to the fairy tale which will appear during a dream sequence.

Of all the actors in this film, I would say that Gary Oldman delivered the best performance. I thought he was the only actor who became immersed in his role. He plays Solomon, a man who is forced to kill the mother of his children. His wife bore the werewolf’s curse so he could not let her live without endangering his kinsfolk. Solomon resolved that no one should have to suffer what he endured, so he became the leader of a group of knights whose chief concern involved the killing of werewolves. I love Gary’s performance because he artfully captures the obsessive nature of Solomon. What is interesting about Solomon is that he is ready to kill for his cause without question, but he cowers when the sword is turned against him.

Ultimately, Red Riding Hood puts an original twist on an old tale. It’s about love and accepting the consequences of your actions. I say this because Red Riding Hood contains an arranged marriage element that strongly influences the movie’s outcome. Yet, the arranged marriages do not stop the characters from reuniting with their true loves. In fact, the movie ends with you feeling as if true love can survive the harshest struggles.

I must admit that I was pleased with Red Riding Hood. I’ll definitely give it another watch when it hits the DVD shelves.