The famous fable about Little Red Riding Hood would have us believe the Big Bad Wolf planned to eat Little Red Riding Hood and her Granny, then make off with a basket of goodies intended for Red's frail grandmother. However, Hoodwinked poses a new theory about this age-old story.   

SPOILER ALERT

In this amusing animated movie, the Wolf (voiced by Patrick Warburton) has been framed by the Goody Bandit, who not only steals treats but recipes as well. An investigative journalist attempting to be incognito when meeting with sources, the Wolf is merely trying to get information that may lead to the capture of the Goody Bandit. Granny's house seems to be the only one the bandit cannot penetrate. 

Is the bandit really Red Riding Hood (voiced by Anne Hathaway)? After all, she delivers goodies for Granny (voiced by Glenn Close) and has not been robbed while doing her route. Is she working with Granny in an attempt to shut down other shops and steal recipes to give Granny the edge? 

Hoodwinked begins at the end of the Little Red Riding Hood story -- at the scene of the crime, so to speak -- and attempts  to get to the bottom of what really happened by discovering  the identity of the Goody Bandit.

One of the Wolf's sources, a Bunny, gives him directions to Granny’s house. The shortcut leaves the Wolf waist deep in water and wondering why he took such a dangerous job. He feels he would have been better off as a film critic because it's less dangerous.

Jim Belushi voices the Woodsman, who sells schnitzel from a truck. He fancies himself an actor but is so terrible he never gets past the initial audition to get a call back. This time he's up for a Paul Bunyan cream commercial and must learn how to wield an axe. The audition doesn't go well, but he gets a callback because the director wants a woodsman-goes-nuts approach. He practices cutting down trees near Granny’s and crashes through her window, inadvertently becoming one of the suspects in the Goody Bandit case. 

Granny is not what she seems either. Although elderly, she participates in extreme sports competitions and consistently racks up trophies, belts and titles. Granny does not want this secret to come out. Because Granny's latest competition is today, Red coming over will mean she cannot compete in it. Her ability to make goodies that sell well is only a small part of the story -- which brings us back to Red herself.

When the Wolf appears to be stalking Red and asking too many questions, she uses karate to beat him senseless. Her red hood also protects her and helps her parachute or fly out of peril.

Will the Goody Bandit ever be caught? Is the Wolf innocent after all? Is Red involved over her head in the crime?

Hoodwinked features several wonderful voice performances from a solid cast. Close’s no nonsense Granny is a delight. I particularly enjoyed Warburton as an investigative reporter who wishes he had taken a safer job at his newspaper. James Belushi is also excellent as the Woodsman, a wannabe actor. And the Billy Goat is a hoot as he sings every line of  dialogue due to a curse placed upon him. But the film could have done without a manic squirrel nobody understands until the climax of the story.

There's plenty here to entertain kids while the jokes aimed at  parents are funny, sarcastic, and cleverly executed to grab their attention as well. Hopefully, we'll see a lot more in the future from co-writers/directors Todd Edwards and Cory Edwards.

(Released by The Weinstein Company and rated "PG" for mild action and thematic elements.)