Lawson views Hoodwinked as a "dramatic reinterpretation" of the tale because of how the story has been interpreted until recently:
- "No longer a celebration of female sexuality, it again warns against predatory masculinity. Three movies in the past 10 years have invoked the story in connection with paedophilia. In Matthew Bright's Freeway (1996), Reese Witherspoon is an abused teenager who runs away from home to seek sanctuary at her nan's, but is intercepted by a psychologist (Kiefer Sutherland), whose apparent friendship conceals hidden threats. The climatic scene in The Woodsman (2005) features Kevin Bacon as a paroled sex offender following a young girl into the woods. And the symbolism is even more explicit in Hard Candy (2006): a teenager wearing a red hoodie is carrying a basket of goodies when a middle-aged photographer persuades her to come back to his house. Weaving sexual abuse into the tale is logical, given that the monster who threatens Red in the original is disguised as a relative and a home is shown as being a dangerous place."
In contrast to these movies, Lawson finds Hoodwinked a celebration of "female strength."
Hmmm...Hoodwinked was poorly reviewed in the States and I didn't bother to see it. I wonder if I should?
