Red Riding Hood

What's it about? Valerie's quiet life is disrupted when her village is disturbed by a murderous wolf , and a hunt begins to destroy it. She must also choose between her true love and the son of a wealthy blacksmith. 

Starring: Amanda Seyfried , Max Irons , Shiloh Fernandez , Gary Oldman , Billy Burke 

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the premiere screening of the film in Leicester Square , a slightly unnecessary fact but not exactly my average Thursday evening. Set in a medieval village haunted by the terror of a murderous wolf, red riding hood retells the folk tale from a somewhat different perspective. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke the film began with a considerably generic and predictable plot; bearing an uncanny resemblance to Hardwicke’s recent film Twilight. Although the film was often plagued by a tendency to become over dramatic, the moderately stereo typical story line was soon saved by Amanda Seyfreid, who stars as Valerie (a.k.a red riding hood). Seyfreid delivers a convincing portrayal of Valerie as her simplistic life is thrown out of balance when her village is unsettled by the threat of a ware wolf and she is forced to choose between a poor woodcutter (Shiloh Fernandez) and the son of a wealthy blacksmith (Max Irons). The story line remains bearably unoriginal throughout the piece but is redeemed only by a large budget and a surprisingly intelligent ending. I feel it is fair to say Hardwicke has done an adequate job on this film, it’s never easy to retell such a well known tale and the film does encompass moments of brilliance. I still remain undecided about my verdict for this film, I'm torn between declaring it a predictable and dull film saved only by a good cast and big budget and acclaiming its smart ending and clever take on a classic tale. I think that this film had the potential to shine and I applaud its eerie, dark tone and ability to surprise the audience. However it is also true to say the film is far from perfection and would be nothing without its cast and impressive sets. I think this film is worth a see but it’s nothing to get too excited about. 

Verdict? 3 stars , a much better version of Twilight