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Overall Rating : 6/10
Directed By : Giacomo Cimini
Kathleen Archebald
Susanna Satta
Roberto Purvis (Exorcist: The Beginning)
Marco Fiorini
Supplied By : MTI Home Video
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Dec. 15, 2005
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| PLOT Twelve-year-old Jenny McKenzie has had a tragic, lonely childhood. The promise of a better life comes when her mother takes her to Rome. But she soon finds herself abandoned by her mother. Left with the resources to survive, Jenny decided her life needed a purpose. Enter her new friend, George. With George by her side Jenny sets to task. By day, the bustling, winding streets of Rome is where she targets her prey. Come nightfall, Jenny and George hunt them down in the deserted labyrinth of the Eternal City. No one is safe. God forgives, Jenny doesn’t. |
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| THE REVIEW RED RIDING HOOD, is rather one of the strangest movies I have seen in a while, but that does not necessarily mean, it wasn't entertaining! This twisted little fairy tale, that even boasts it's self saying "you should't tell it to kids", begins with the narration of 12 year old Jenny. We see Jenny's father murdered on screen and learn that all that Jenny had was her Mother. Well it just so happens that her mother has fell in love with a much younger man and has left Jenny in Rome to live on her own. Jenny really likes Rome, but she sees just one problem, there are a lot of "evil" people out there in the streets of Rome. So Jenny along with her imaginary friend "George" who dons a wolf-like mask, set out to punish the evil doers in various macabre ways and fashions. It is not until Jenny learns that her Grandma is coming to pay her a visit, with the intentions of transporting the little girl back to New York, that she finally loses all of grip on sanity she had remaining. This is not your ordinary fairy tale, I can tell you that much. RED RIDING HOOD, takes the innocence of a little children's story and spins it into a deep dark web of gore and brutality. The big bad wolf here, is an imaginary friend, whom wears a big white wolf mask that covers his face, and it is sort of creepy to see. As you can imagine, our central character, Jenny dons a dark hood while on her killing spree. This film to me had the look and appearance of SUSPIRIA and the plot pace that of MAY, and I thought it really worked quite well, Most of the film's action is shot deep in dark light, which gives it all the more, a more erie feeling in general, much like all Italian films have. This film didn't as much succeed on the director's imagination but the cast's as well. Speaking of the cast, the real winning element for this film is the acting. We do have some fine performances offered in RED RIDING HOOD. Kathleen Archebald as the Grandmother, is a prime example. This woman is not a youngster, yet she let the director put her in for one hell of a beating! She was bloody, had to scream and everything and in one scene, little Jenny took her kneecaps out! truly commendable, if I must say. Next we have who is quite possibly the star of this thing, Susanna Satta, whom is both cute and yet oh so dangerous as Jenny. I would compare her acting here to a young Danielle Harris when she appeared in Halloween 4 and 5. Now with me saying this, probably everyone who knows me will laugh at me, quite simply because they know that I absolutely love Harris. But that is the only logical comparison I can think of, a younger actress takes charge in a grown-up environment and that's what Susanna does. The only dry spot in this film, is that of it's conclusion. I would rather not explain it here, not to give it away... but let's just say I wasn't to enthused by it, as I feel it had no logic behind it. |
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| GORE
METER 6/10 Very nice gore for a change! We have blood splatter and some limb decapitations, and one instance with a nail gun. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 3.5/10 One thing I really did not care for was the score/soundtrack. Mix in is a lot of classical opera like music, which may have very well fit the film, it just wasn't my particular taste. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM At first, I really thought that RED RIDING HOOD may be a little on the dull side, however it turns out that it wasn't. And even though Jenny's hood isn't red, but rather black, this film still has a lot of "red" to spill! Fan's who want to see an Italian film, with a little American flavor should love this, but as I see from many other reviews, it looks to be not for everyone. |
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