The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Granny has been kidnapped while on a mission to save Hansel and Gretel
from being turned into pie. Red Riding Hood, who was away studying, returns to
save her, aided by her sidekicks Wolf, with whom she has a love-hate
relationship, and Twitchy, a hyperactive squirrel. Red and the gang discover
that Granny’s kidnapping was orchestrated by Hansel and Gretel, who are far
less innocent than they seem. They want her to tell them the secret ingredient
that turns normal chocolate truffles into supernatural sweets that in turn make the
eater invincible; so they can make a fortune by selling the super truffles
to the world’s villains.

The animation is astonishingly bad, looking more like an old-fashioned
video game than anything else. The characters’ mouths are frequently out of
sync with the voices and for the most part, the characters’ movements are stiff
and wooden.

The story makes no sense and is inexplicably filled with pop culture
references that you’d have to be at least twenty-years-old to get. Hoodwinked
Too tries with all its might to be cool, to be the kind of film that would
appeal to both kids and those unlucky enough to be taking them to the cinema.
It’s also crammed with references to pretty much every single fairytale ever written,
whether it makes sense for them to be included or not. It has preachy messages
about the power of sisterhood, redemption, cooperation and the perils of eating
too many sweets even though its scenes are filled with every kind of dessert.   

The film’s only redeeming feature comes in the form of Bill Hader and
Amy Poehler as the villainous Hansel and Gretel. They’re absolutely delightful
whether acting all cute and innocent or indulging their dark and sinister sides.
It seriously is a pity that the film focuses on Red Riding Hood and the Wolf; Hansel
and Gretel bouncing around with their fake German accents and dastardly cackles
would have made a far more entertaining film.

If you’re looking for an animation that is rife with pop culture
references and riffs on fairytales; save yourself the agony and watch Shrek instead.