Red Riding Hood (1989)

The Cannon Movie Tales version of Red Riding Hood, starring Isabella Rossellini and Craig T. Nelson, among other lesser-known names. This is just the second of the Cannon Movie Tales that I've seen after the fun Hansel and Gretel. This one isn't as good as that one but it is watchable, particularly for "so bad it's good" reasons. It's a nice-looking film despite its obvious budgetary limitations. The location shooting helps. I'm not sure where it was shot but, given Golan/Globus produced it, I'll assume it was filmed in Israel. Amelia Shankley is fine as Linet (never called Red Riding Hood). Isabella Rossellini is beautiful and graceful and brings class to things. Craig T. Nelson is embarrassingly bad here, playing dual roles. He's beyond corny as the hero and over-the-top hammy as the villain. I defy you not to laugh at his ridiculousness. Rocco Sisto plays the (were)wolf and does his fair share of scenery-chewing, as well. The songs are all pretty bad but worth a chuckle or two. Those synthesizers! As with Hansel and Gretel (and I imagine all of the movies in this series), Cannon has had to pad out a relatively thin fairy tale story to make it into a feature film. So here they have added elements from other stories, such as the part of Robin Hood where the evil king rules cruelly while his good brother, the rightful king, is off at war. Overall, it's a not a good movie but there is some fun to be had with it. Just don't expect much and enjoy the weirdness and unintentional hilarity of it all.

The Cannon Movie Tales films are all worth watching at least once, though overall quality wise they are variable. None are perfect, though some have more and bigger flaws than others, but none are worth avoiding either, with the best three being Hansel and Gretel, Beauty and the Beast and Snow White and the worst being The Emperor's New Clothes, Puss in Boots and this (was mixed on Sleeping Beauty as well).Red Riding Hood is nicely photographed, as is the case with all of Cannon's films, even when the low budget shows everywhere else in the visuals. It also contains one of Cannon's best songs in the cute, funny and menacing duet Never Talk With Strangers (which is the song that serves the most point to the story, and the only one to move it forward) and some witty scripting and entertaining chemistry with Ninet and Dagger. There are some decent ideas and one does have to credit the film for trying to bring in some life-like themes and situations, while the scenes telling the story that audiences are familiar with are executed quite well, with some nice humour and suspense. The acting is very much a mixed bag, with the best performances coming from a charming and sweet Amelia Shankley without being too sugary and a touching Isabella Rossellini.Was mixed however on the songs and Rocco Sisto. There are some good songs here, Never Talk to Strangers is great and Good at Being Bad is sung and acted with relish by Sisto. Lost in the Woods however goes on for too long and suffers the worst of the problem of taking too long to explain things and then over-explaining it, and Man Without a Heart is just limp in every way imaginable, with uninspired choreography, forgettable at best melody, cringe-worthy and again over-explanatory lyrics and Craig T. Nelson's one-note and pretty tuneless singing. There is some lush and energetic scoring, but along with Puss in Boots there are some cheap synthesised sounds that give it a more 80s sound than the rest of the Cannon films. Sisto plays Dagger the Wolf with real playfulness and really entertains in his chemistry with Shankley, but he could have been much more menacing, there were times where it did seem like he was underplaying too much.Craig T. Nelson is all over the place in his dual role of Godfrey and Percival, he looks zombified as Percival and then plays Godfrey with such a hammy over-theatricality that it jars with everything else. Apart from the photography, Red Riding Hood is one of the cheaper-looking Cannon films, with drab lighting, bargain-sale-fancy-dress-like costumes and incredibly unimaginative, minimally furnished and recycled sets, Godfrey's throne room is the sparsest and cheapest-looking throne room personally seen and the forest set is completely lacking atmosphere or character. While the dialogue and interplay between Ninet and Dagger was entertains, the rest was rambling and stilted and while Rossellini and Shankley are endearing together, any scenes shared with Nelson come over completely cold. The story is treated disappointingly here, appreciated the ideas and the life-like themes (plus reasons are given for Dagger's pursuit of Ninet and why Ninet appears unharmed after being saved) but more could have been done with them and they ended up convoluting and dulling the story rather than adding or expanding anything, with at least half an hour of pedestrian pacing and not much happening (somewhat aimless in fact). The actual story of Red Riding Hood that everybody is familiar with, while among the most successful parts of the film, arrives too late into the story and it felt like not enough time was dedicated in telling it.Overall, not a bad film and has enough to make it worthwhile, but one of Cannon's lesser efforts. A good try but doesn't quite come off. 5/10 Bethany Cox

I tend to like the Cannon Movie Tales. This is not the best one but certainly not the worst. It is the retelling of the famous fairy tale Red Riding Hood but the story is stretched out. Red Riding Hood is named Linet but doesn't wear her red hood in most of the scenes. There is an explanation of why she should wear it though. I'm glad that they took a young girl for her role of 10-11 who still likes to believe in fairies and not a girl hitting puberty worrying about sexuality etc as they tend to do in the more adult versions. This is how I wanted the story to be displayed, the kids version of the fairy tale like I have read it. Of course it is elaborated or it would be over very quickly. There is given much more background info about Red's mother, grandmother and the wolf who is a man named Dagger. Dagger works for the evil uncle of Red who exploits his minions. And yes Red does have a father! The songs in here are maybe not the best, kind of cheesy, but it is a movie for kids. In general I'm pleased with the result and I think multiple viewings will make me appreciate it even more.

This is one great Cannon Movie Tale.I just recently saw it.The music is very professional sounding and doesent sound cheesy like some of the other Cannon Movie Tales do.The plotline is a little screwed up.It does have an intriging backstory featuring the Lynette(Red Riding Hood) character's uncle(Craig T Nelson).This film boasts a terrific music score by Stephen Lawrence.It elivates the film so much and makes it seem more like a real film than a children's movie.The film has a nasty and frightening atmosphere that might scare the little ones.Children 6 and up will not find it scary. This film is a must see or buy.It is worth a blind buy.That's what I did just because I love the Cannon Movie Tales.It is worth it!Get It NOW!!!!