To tell the truth, I never saw the original Hoodwinked. It sounded vaguely familiar, but I wondered how I’d missed it. So, I check the dates and realized-- oh, yeah – I was busy recovering from 57 hours of back labor and an emergency C-section while caring for a colicky child who didn’t sleep for 18 months. But, I digress.
Six years later, my back is pretty much repaired and I’m adequately rested. I settled into my cushy seat, and I’ve gotta admit – I got a little giddy, even as the opening credits began to roll. True, my cappuccino had just kicked in, but I mean, come on! Expectations are through the roof when you read: Close, Cusack, Andy Dick, Bill Hader, Brad Garrett, Amy Poehler, Martin Short, Cheech & Chong, Patrick Warburton (Elaine’s boyfriend from Seinfeld), and David Ogden Stiers (Winchester from M*A*S*H – am I dating myself with these old references?!). Oh, and Hayden Panettiere, who was fine, but really, who cares next to the rest of that seasoned cast?
So, this crazy-amazing cast dives right in and delivers a crazy barrage of one-liners and clever references (props to the writers, truly). One minute they’re catering to the kiddies-- and those of us with kiddie-like senses of humor--with lines like (in a French accent), “I think the fan is about to be hit by the doody.” The next, they’re nodding and winking at grownups by riffing on iconic movies like Goodfellas and Silence of the Lambs. And it’s rapid-fire. No dawdling and milking every joke for all it’s worth. Seriously, I think this is the kind of movie I’ll have to rent/own and view multiple times to catch all the verbal and visual gags.
I kid you not, I had tears in my eyes as I giggled my way through the first part of the movie (the frequency of the gags subsided a bit as we got into the meat of the story). Maybe it’s because my expectations were so low after the last two kids’ movie I watched turned out to be (a) a bitter disappointment and (b) only mildly entertaining. (That’s Rango and Hop, respectively). Or maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for good talent and good writing. Either way – thoroughly enjoyable.
(Oh, wait – did I mention it was in 3D? Usually, that’s a total turnoff for me, but I didn’t mind it in this case. It was totally unnecessary—as is most 3D these days, if you ask me—but the movie is worth the annoying, ill-fitting glasses!)
For New Orleans-area movie theaters and showtimes, visit...
http://neworleans.mrmovietimes.com/
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