Red Riding Hood (2011)

A modern twist on the classic children's tale.

The Brothers Grimm wrote some of the most influential stories in the history of literature, and their fable Little Red Riding Hood is one of the popular folk tales ever. This modern interpretation takes the story and mutates it into an interesting form, playing with the characters and themes.

Valeria (Amanda Seyfried) is a girl living in a small village amongst the forests and mountains. Her life is torn by the boy she loves, Peter (Shilol Fernandez), and the one she is expected to marry, Henry (Max Irons). Valerie's family is not wealthy, her father being a woodcutter, and if she was to marry into henry's prominent family, they could attain a certain level of status and comfort. Outside of this love triangle, is the more pressing issue of a wolf that terrorizes the village. It appears during a full moon, and unless it is satisfied with an offering of livestock, it kills a member of the population. After Valerie's sister is killed, the village take up and arms and go in search of the wolf, intending to kill it. When the mob return with the head of a wolf, they think their troubles are over, but Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) turns up in time to inform them that they have killed a simple wolf, not a werewolf.

Solomon's men put the village under lock down, and start their search for the real killer, one of the people. The intensity increases as more encounters with the beast occur, and suspicion falls upon several people close to Valerie. Now, as secrets become the fuel for a ravaging fire in the village, Valerie must discover a way to end her people's suffering.

A clever take on the classic tale, Red Riding Hood falls, unfortunately, into the same category as these teen-vampire films. It is a sexualised movie, with brooding guys and beautiful girls, that seems to ooze teen angst. Performances are unmoving amongst the younger members of the cast, and viewers may find themselves wishing that the wolf just kills them all.

It must be said, however, that Gary Oldman's entrance into the film ushers in a worthwhile period, where the tension begins, and his performances lifts that of others. Director Catherine Hardwicke has done well to create a brilliant fantasy setting, that looks like a page in a child's storybook. The wooden buildings and leaning trees offer a splendid cinematography.

Many viewers will notice the Twilight similarities, such as the sweeping shots of forests from the sky, and the high-school script, but this film emerges as a stark contrast once the fantasy elements kick in alongside the classic folk elements.

Somewhere between Twilight and The Village, this film will not emerge as a cult classic, but a decent endeavour into the world of children's morality tales.