My Cat-astrophic Reviews: Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

In the Lore, the big bad wolf has been a prominent part of almost every bedtime story that's being told to kids all over the world. The wolf is often the villain in all these stories. Depicted in movies and books as bloodthirsty creatures that lurk in the shadows, that devour men and animals alike and are often tricksters by nature. Some even confuse them with werewolves. In the story, Three Little Pigs, the wolf huffed and puffed and blew each of their houses down. Of course, we all know that the last pig, didn't get his house blown so was never eaten. But seriously, can a wolf really blow a house down? I think not. In the Twilight Saga and in True Blood, the wolves are more like shifters than werewolves. They can change their form from human to wolf whenever they please. In a way, we can say that they are part human and part wolf.

Which leads us to the original tale of Little Red Riding Hood where the big bad wolf ate Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother in the hopes of making a meal out of her too but unfortunately for him, a woodsman came, killed him and eventually freed Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother from his bulging stomach. In the latest Catherine Hardwicke movie, Red Riding Hood, Amanda Seyfried stars as Red Riding Hood - A young woman living in a small secluded village with a dark legacy. During the full moon, the villagers have to offer their best livestock and pray that the wolf will not take their lives instead. This practice has been handed down from one generation to another until this very day. In the movie, when one of the villagers was attacked and apparently, got killed by the so called beast, the whole village decided that enough was enough and that now is the time to end this dark legacy. So that night, they decided to hunt the wolf in it's den and it was there that they awaited their prey. The hunt ended tragically when one of the villagers was slaughtered by the rumored beast. Fortunately for them, they were able to slay it and behead it, taking it's head as their prize. With that knowledge and proof, they all went back to the village to tell everyone of the good news. Little did they know that the head of the beast that was in their hands was nothing but a mere grey wolf that lived in that den. Their merrymaking was put to a halt when a strange man came into their village. He was armed and he had many men who looked strange in their uniforms but all of them look like they mean business. It later occurred to the villagers that this was no ordinary man. He was believed to be a slayer of everything unknown. He believes that the village's problem isn't in fact just an ordinary wolf but rather of an uninterrupted werewolf bloodline. Which meant that the village is dealing with something more that they have bargained for. Like in all stories, a werewolf can change it's form, from human to a wolf. It only shifts it's shape on a full moon and in the movie, a werewolf can create more of it's kind simply by biting it's victim on a blood moon.

The story of the movie was good, not your usual fairy tale and definitely not for kids. The best thing about the movie is that it will definitely take you for a ride. It's quite difficult to guess who the actual wolf is. I had to keep on guessing until almost the end of the movie and you'd actually be surprised as to who the actual wolf is. The soundtrack of the movie is another strong point. It is very powerful, raw, primal and yes, creepy for some. The movie certainly has a Twilight-ish feel to it but somewhat with a twist. The only downside is that the ending was rather lacking. Yes, I expected more. I felt like the ending was wrapped up quickly and thus fell short on the story development department however, the cast and everything else in the movie was great. When I was watching the movie, I felt like I was being absorbed into their secluded world. Thumbs up for the director, the cast and everybody else who made the movie possible.

Would I recommend it to everyone? Not really but somehow I don't feel like I wasted my time watching it. I just think it has an acquired taste that's all. Not everyone will like it but not everybody will hate it either. So, who's afraid of the big bad wolf now? I'm not. I think wolves in their many different names and forms are still somewhat fictional by nature and with all the changes in form, depending on who tells the story, without consistency, how can you be afraid of something that's still unknown? I welcome the idea that wolves are alive but I am not quite sure about the other stories that have evolved from merely a single animal. Besides, if they were real, can people actually know and differentiate them from regular people? I think not. If there are truly big bad wolves out there then I just have to wait and see for myself. Only then will I be afraid, only then will I cower in fear but for now, I am not afraid of the big, bad wolf...