- Actors: Timothy Omundson, Thaila Ayala, Eric Bauza
- Director: Alex Zamm
- Writers: Alex Zamm, William Robertson
- Producer: Mike Elliott
- Film Format: Animated, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
- Subtitles: French, Spanish, English
- Region: Region 1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Rated: PG
- Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: February 6, 2018
- Run Time: 94 minutes
With its release
sandwiched between a Paddington
sequel and a Peter Rabbit adaptation,
the Woody Woodpecker film is even
more pathetic by comparison. Not only is there a clear difference between a
film based on a manic cartoon and those adapted from classic children’s literature,
but Woody Woodpecker has also been
demoted to a straight-to-video DVD release. It is ironic that the British franchises
have been given theatrical releases, while Woody
Woodpecker was primarily made in order to sell to a foreign market. To add
insult to injury, it was also made primarily in Canada.
Knowing how
popular Woody Woodpecker is in Brazil, this American production opportunistically
took advantage of a cheap production in Canada. Even though the film is being
dumped onto home video this week, it has already served its purpose as a
foreign export. It really doesn’t matter if anyone in the country of its
production actually sees the film, and the reaction from critics and audiences
alike seem to reflect that reality.
Given a predictably
simplistic plot with a slight conservationist slant, Woody Woodpecker allows the energetic bird to wreak havoc as a
troublemaker for much of the film. After losing his job in the city, Lance
Walters (Timothy Omundson) plans to sell his family’s property in the forest
after building a luxury mansion designed by his high maintenance fiancé (Thaila
Ayala). There are two things standing in the way of Lance’s plan: his neglected
son moving in with him and having Woody Woodpecker as a neighbor.
With the help of
Woody the Woodpecker, Lance inevitably rebuilds the relationship with his son, Tommy
(Graham Verchere). But before this is possible, Lance must find a way to get
along with the endangered cartoon woodpecker. Despite his issues with the destruction
of the woodland area that is his home, Woody is easily bought off with some peanut
butter cookies. This easily removes any conservationist slant from the film, as
well as the film’s conflict until a pair of redneck poachers set their sights
on the bird.
About as
annoying as the Alvin and the Chipmunk
movies without the inclusion of popular pop songs, Woody Woodpecker may not be as bad as expected, but it offers
little to anyone over the age of 10. The animation has been updated, leaving
little beyond Woody’s laugh to remind audiences of the original cartoon. This
is a quick cash grab, through and through, though the youngest audience demographic
won’t care, apparently along with much of Brazil.
The DVD release
comes with three featurettes. The first is “Guess Who? The Evolution of Woody,”
which is the longest and most interesting, if only because it is about the
character as a whole rather than just this particular entry into the franchise.
At 3 minutes each, the remaining featurettes are half as long as the first, and
are only concerned with the production of this film. “The Making of Woody Woodpecker”
is a EPK featurette promoting the film with basic interviews and behind-the-scenes
footage, while “Working with Woody” is about the changes made to adapt Woody to
a live action setting.
Entertainment Value:
4/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 3.5/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
Special Features: 3/10
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