"Into the Woods" Movie Review

We had the opportunity to see an early screening of Into the Woods last week, and I have to say – I still don’t know exactly what I think of it :)

Admittedly, I knew much of the soundtrack but was not as familiar with the broadway show as I am with many others, and I hadn’t gone into the screening having seen lots of clips or really knowing much of what to expect. I was anxious to see performances from the cast, and otherwise had very little opinion in advance.

From Disney:

“Into the Woods is a modern twist on several beloved fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy), all tied together by an original story involving a Baker and his Wife (James Corden and Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the Witch (Meryl Streep), who has put a curse on them.”

The original Broadway show premiered in 1987, ran for 764 performances and won Tony awards for Best Score, Best Book and Best Actress in a Musical.

The performances in this movie version were all spectacular. Anna Kendrick as Cinderella was absolutely endearing. James Corden and Emily Blunt as the Baker and his Wife were lovable, funny, and relatable as a couple. Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen don’t have large parts, but their performance of “Agony” had the entire theater laughing out loud. Johnny Depp had a role that might nearly be considered a cameo since the Wolf only appears in one scene, but his performance we appropriately creepy. Christine Baranski, Lucy Punch and Tammy Blanchard were hysterical as Cinderella’s unfortunate step-family. And Meryl Strep… oh, Meryl Streep. I mean, what can’t she do? She was every bit as impressive as you might expect. She rapped, she sang, she scared the bejeezus out of me and she made me laugh. The rest of the cast (Jack and his mother, and so many more) were great. And the makeup and costuming and other visual choices throughout the movie were all wonderful. I was absolutely engaged from start to finish!

Now. I’m not sure I’ll rush out and buy it, but this comes down entirely to personal preference. Or maybe I will, because maybe it’s the kind of story that needs a second time to grow on me?  A few of the arcs and/or directorial choices were so over the top I almost literally groaned. I think all of them “in question” (to me alone, maybe) were true to the original production – they just didn’t do it for me. Same goes for much of the dialogue. My husband actually gave a nod to the use of over the top, “doesn’t take itself too seriously” choices, to me they were a distraction. There was much to love about the movie though, so I wouldn’t let that be your deciding factor either way.

I think everyone should see this movie at least once, and I think a lot of people will watch it over and over. It’s brilliantly done on many levels. I’d love to hear from a huge fan of the Broadway show and see if you think they did it justice (within the necessary limitations of a different medium, of course).

From a parent’s perspective…

My kids won’t see this one for quite some time. Many (most?) scenes with the Witch are pretty intense, and while much of the darker stuff from the original show happen off-screen, they’re pretty clear. Some violence from Cinderella’s step mother and in the Red Riding Hood scene (as well as some at the hands (beaks?) of some birds), adult topics like death, infertility, and adultery, innuendo and just general creepiness several times throughout make this one that I honestly am not sure should be billed as a family movie this holiday season. Fans of the original musical will be pleased that it’s still quite dark. If you can secure a sitter and enjoy a musical that’s a bit out of the ordinary without the kiddos, it might be one worth seeing if only for Sondheim’s brilliant soundtrack. :)

Did you see Into the Woods? Are you planning to?