By Michelle Kuester–
Red Riding Hood is the latest movie directed by Catherine Hardwicke (who is behind the Twilight movies) starring Amanda Seyfried. It is based on the classic tale Little Red Riding Hood; however, in this version, the relationship and dynamic between the wolf and Valerie (red riding hood) vary greatly from the original.
Valerie was torn between who her family wanted her to marry and who she wanted to be with. At the same time, there was a werewolf with a strange fascination with her who was terrorizing her village.
I noticed shades of M. Night Shamalan’s The Village throughout the movie which made me wonder if there was going to be a big twist at the end. Instead, the movie seemed to fall more into the Twilight realm.
The movie was a lot less scary than I had expected it to be. I would classify it as romantic before scary. There were a couple parts that made me jump and few scenes that were a little disturbing, but as a whole the romantic aspect was more prevalent than the scary. If you are into bizarre films, this is a movie to check out. However, do not go into the theater expecting a good monster movie because that is not the main point. It is more of an in-depth look into the struggles Valerie is facing with her love life and of a werewolf who has a strange desire for her.
The acting was not particularly stand-out. Amanda Seyfried was kind of blah in her role; it almost seemed as though she was chosen for the part because of her large, blue eyes rather than her acting ability. One actor that was clearly above the rest was Gary Oldman as Father Solomon. Gary Oldman is one of the best actors of our time because he is always so believable as his character, and this movie is no exception.
Overall, if you like odd movies then check this out, otherwise skip it.
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