Hoodwinked!

Starting at the end of the action, Hoodwinked reimagines Little Red Riding Hood by letting each character tell their side of the story. Detectives arrive at Granny's cottage after a commotion, and a karate-kicking Red, a sarcastic Wolf, and an oafish Woodsman each offer contradictory accounts. Flashbacks overlap and contradict one another, so the audience pieces together events from competing memories and motives without revealing the final outcome. The film mixes mystery and comedy, keeping a brisk, playful tone through quick banter and oddball set pieces. Investigators Chief Grizzly and Detective Bill Stork organize the testimony.

Released in 2005, the movie was directed by Cory Edwards and created by Todd Edwards and Tony Leech. The voice cast includes Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, Jim Belushi, and David Ogden Stiers. It was an independent production.

It surprised many observers by doing solid business for a small-budget animated feature, attracting family audiences worldwide. That success opened doors for theatrical distribution and home entertainment deals worldwide.

Though not a mainstream classic, Hoodwinked became known for its nonlinear, multi-perspective storytelling and speedy dialogue, and for showing that a familiar fairy tale could be reimagined as a comic mystery aimed at both kids and adults. Fans cite its fast pacing and humor as inspiring later offbeat fairy remakes.

Critical response was mixed, reflected in a middling audience and critic score around 6.3 out of 10, with praise for its clever structure and voice performances and criticism for animation quality and tonal unevenness. Themes touch on perspective, truth, and assumptions. The voice work, particularly Hathaway and Close, drew praise.