Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil

Yes, it's clever, full of puns, and funny, and yes, it turns familiar fairytales upside down. But Hoodwinked Too! didn't capture me the same way its predecessor did. Maybe the novelty has worn off, or maybe it was just too chaotic this time around. I just wasn't impressed.

In Hoodwinked Too!, Red hasn't yet finished her training with the Sister Hoods when she is called upon by the Happily Ever After Agency to rescue Hansel, Gretel, and Granny from an evil, kidnapping witch. But the lesson to be learned here is that people aren't always quite what they seem to be. The story takes us from the dark woods to the remote Asian-looking mountains of the Sister Hoods and finally to the city. Characters from the first Hoodwinked reappear while a slew of new characters join the fray. It's too fast-paced for younger children to appreciate, and it's rated PG for some rude humor, language, and action. This is another animation for an older audience.

Hoodwinked Too! is full of famous voices, which are oddly introduced as beginning credits on a dark screen. Seems like the movie was trying too hard to be something. The cast includes Glenn Close, Hayden Panettiere, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Bill Hader, and Amy Poehler among others. In the first Hoodwinked, Anne Hathaway voices Red, but the difference isn't noticeable. Although Close and Panettiere do a fine job, the show belongs to Hader and Poehler as Hansel and Gretel. I won't spoil the surprise there, but just remember this is not the story you are familiar with.

Three stars for a semi-entertaining but rather mediocre sequel.