Hoodwinked

I have a real bone to pick with the people who marketed the computer-animated feature Hoodwinked . They had me convinced I was going to hate the movie.

We ended up renting it over the weekend for Movie Night, and I roared from start to finish.

See, the trailer made it look like some kind of action flick in which the main characters from the Red-Riding-Hood story team-up to do battle in some kind of James Bond adventure. Turns out, this is the Brothers Grimm meets Law and Order. Furry and feathered cops from the animal world investigate a domestic disturbance at Granny’s cottage, involving a girl, a wolf, and an axe. The charges are many: breaking and entering, disturbing the peace, intent to eat, etc. After seeing the story from Red’s point of view, the story is re-told for the cops by each participant — the girl, the wolf, Grandma, and the Woodsman.

Of course, in each re-telling we learn a little more and thing we saw in Red’s version are seen in a new light or explained in a bizarre way. It’s really done in a clever way.

That alone would have gotten me into the movie theater, but then it came time for the wolf’s story and I was about to go from enjoyment to fandom. The wolf, wearing an old, hooded sweatshirt and a Lakers jersey, is a dead-on homage to the title character in the classic 80s comedy, Fletch.

And it’s done perfectly! The Harold Faltermeyer music in the background, the disguises, the razor-sharp dialogue as the Wolf goes undercover. Absolutely beautiful. My only quibble was that Patrick Warburton’s voice was too deep and menacing to pull off the trademark Fletch banter. Warburton does deadpan to a “T,” but Chevy Chase gave it that extra sarcastic bite that made it truly identifiable.

It was a much needed fix for this hardcore Fletch fan. I’ve been holding out hope that someday Kevin Smith will get around to doing that coveted third Fletch. movie, but I know not to get too optimistic. ‘Till then, I’ll have this gem.