The family-flick "Hoodwinked," which was relatively unheard of prior to its release, surprised many by ranking high at the box office.

After opening on the four-day MLK Jr. weekend and grossing $16,879,402, the Weinstein Co.'s new animated film "Hoodwinked" came in a very close second to Disney's "Glory Road," which grossed $16,927,589. A week later, "Glory Road" was at number three, "Underworld: Evolution" was number one, and "Hoodwinked" remained at number two.

This was not the only surprise provided by "Hoodwinked." The production team took a big chance with the film by pursuing independent digital animation. For the first time, this kind of technology was affordable enough for this to be a possibility. It used to be that only mega companies like Disney could afford something like this.

However, with big animation studios like Pixar and DreamWorks to compete with, there was still an assumption that the animation just wouldn't compare. Granted, the animation does not compare to that of movies like "Finding Nemo" and "Shrek," and nobody would mistake Granny (Glenn Close, "The Stepford Wives") with an old lady walking down the street, but what "Hoodwinked" lacks in animation it makes up for with an imaginative storyline and creative character development and personalities.

Co-directors Cory and Todd Edwards offered artistic skills and knowledge not only to the writing and direction of the screenplay but also to the voices of the characters and to the entirely original soundtrack comprised of 15 tunes, which include a theme song for each of the four suspects as they recount their stories. These range from Granny's rap-style "The Real G" to the Woodsman's "Schnitzel Song," which will produce some giggles. Whether they are pop, rap or soul, these songs are a strong addition to the film and its characters' individual stories.

"Hoodwinked" contains an ensemble of unique characters despite the hackneyed original Little Red Riding Hood, which provides everyone with the lesson that you should never judge a book by its cover. There is more to the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood than meets the eye. This film will be enjoyable for people of all ages, anyone who grew up listening to fairy tales will enjoy the new twist in this usually predictable tale.

Beginning at the end of the story, when Red (Anne Hathaway, "The Princess Diaries") is supposedly about to be eaten by the Wolf (Patrick Warburton, "Family Guy"), the story comes, literally, to a crashing halt as Granny bursts from the closet and a Woodsman (Jim Belushi, "According to Jim") smashes, screaming through the window. The police soon have the entire house surrounded with yellow tape and an investigation ensues. With a goody bandit on the loose, this story becomes a classic case of "who done it" with each of the four characters as a suspect.

What are the charges for this group of unusual suspects? They range from alleged Goody Bandit to Intent-to-Eat to Wielding an Axe Without a License.

Red, who dreams of far away places, fears that being charged as the goody thief could ruin her entire future. Granny is already a legendary goody maker, but could she be trying to monopolize the industry?

Enter Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers, "Teacher's Pet"), a very green and long-legged investigator with a hunger for the truth. Taking command over a comical unit of police officers that include the voices of Anthony Anderson and Xzibit, Flippers sits each character down and asks them to recount the events leading up to the scene at Granny's house.

With each version the characters tell, seemingly simplistic characters become increasingly complex as questions one would never think to ask are suddenly answered. Why is Red really journeying up the mountain to Granny's house? How did Granny really get tied up in the closet? Why was the Wolf really stalking Red, and what does the Woodsman really have to do with anything? And most importantly, who is the one really doing the hoodwinking in this mystery?

As the viewers learn more about each of the characters being interrogated, they will become more deeply involved in discovering whom the true villain is, for it will already be clear that these are no usual suspects. As new facets of the story emerge and collide with each other, it becomes clear that there is more to every story (yes, even Little Red Riding Hood) than meets the eye.

Rating: 3 out of 5