Blu-Ray Review: More Symbols Than Story in ‘Red Riding Hood’

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CHICAGO – With Julie Christie as Grandma in this this new version of a familiar red cloaked fairy tale, it certainly gives a whole new meaning to the familiar “better to eat you with” routine. Amanda Seyfried gives an old fable a new spin as the title character in the Blu-ray and DVD release of “Red Riding Hood.”

Blu-ray Rating: 3.0/5.0

With enough symbolism for both literature and psychology classes to chew on, this version of Red is given a luscious treatment by veteran director Catherine Hardwicke (”Twilight”). Where it fails is in the story treatment, a bland mush of longing stares and fancy speeches, coupled with the mysterious wolf character, which doesn’t get its proper due, even as the focus of the story.

Amanda Seyfried is Valerie, soon to don the red hood. She lives in a middle ages village called Daggerhorn, crippled by their fear of the wolf, a strange and powerful hybrid of monster and animal. Valerie’s father is the town drunk, no good for her or mother Suzette (Virginia Madsen). When Valerie’s sister is murdered by the wolf, the town is put on high alert. Even an outside priest is brought in, the bizarre Father Solomon (Gary Oldman), who has his own theories about the evil.

If You Wear Red Tonight: Amanda Seyfried as Valerie in ‘Red Riding Hood’ Kimberly French for Warner Bros. Pictures

Valerie is in a love triangle, promised to the blacksmith Henry (Max Irons), but in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez). After her sister’s murder, many secrets about all the relationships she knows start to assert themselves. When the wolf comes back to town, he speaks to Valerie, leading Solomon to believe she’s a witch. A dream tells the red hooded girl that her grandmother (Julie Christie) may have something to do with the wolf’s presence. Solomon uses Valerie as bait for the wolf, and her two potential lovers Henry and Peter vow to rescue her. The fear that remains is of the big bad wolf.

This film is Twilight-like, with the same beautiful maidens, smoldering hunks and supernatural surroundings. Director Hardwicke generates a beautiful, surreal world that is part city/state civilization and man’s infiltration of nature. The red hood is a stunning, color saturated costume that pierces each of the scenes it is featured in.

’Red Riding Hood,’ now on Blu-ray and DVD Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The film cloaks itself in symbolism. The Red Hood could easily pass for the emerging sexuality of Valerie, the wolf the fear of that nature. The wolf also symbolizes the early humanity, fighting against the abject fear of the very forces they seek to conquer. Religion is skewed a bit in this one, as the two priests represented are shown to be incompetent (Lukas Haas as Father Auguste) or slimy (Oldman’s Father Solomon).

It is the story that doesn’t quite come together. After soaking in the lush scenery (great on Blu-ray) and clucking over the pretty people, there is not much left in David Johnson’s screenplay. The narrative meanders to the end rather than focuses, and what is left leaves virtually no surprise. Even the famous grandmother dialogue, so crucial to the familiar story, comes off as anti-climatic.

The Blu-ray extras contain an alternate cut, which offers a different ending (with a radical but questionable change). A picture-in-picture documentary commentary, gag reel, a feature on the men in the film and music videos round out the package.

Essentially Red Riding Hood is an adult fairy tale, taking the child’s tale and adding a little more bump-in-the-night. Despite all these new elements, even with a stunning visual setting, it is still no “better to watch.”

By PATRICK McDONALD Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com