Into the Woods is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests.
Meryl Streep as the Witch
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 abaker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.
The Baker (James Corden) and Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford)
Into the Woods Review:
Let me say upfront that I don’t like musicals. Yes, it’s hard to believe since I have seen so many over the years. So when I was invited to the screening of Into The Woods, I went with a bit of trepidation even though Rob Marshall, the talented filmmaker behind the Academy Award® – winning musical “Chicago” was the director and the movie is based on the very popular play by legendary eight-time Tony, Grammy® and Oscar-winning composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
Let me just say, that I was totally wowed from the opening scene until the very end. This is the origin story of many recognizable fairy tales converging into one story which makes it for an interesting, funny (yes, funny) and engaging movie. It goes without saying that Meryl Streep as the Witch is amazing from her singing to her wicked ways.
My favorite scenes are with the two princes which are played for laughs and it is well worth the price of admission. You Star Trek fans will be thrilled by Chris Pine’s funny prince. It is a revelation that Chris Pine can sing, sings well and is actually funny.
The Prince (Chris Pine)
The rest of the cast is of course, stellar. I know that Meryl Streep is probably the most recognizable name of the cast but Emily Blunt and James Corden as the Baker and his wife are the main characters and were outstanding. If you don’t James Corden (my daughter and I are fans of his from his Gavin and Stacy days – look it up, you will not be disappointed), you soon will as he takes over from Craig Ferguson in January. Fans of Anna Kendrick of Pitch Perfect fame will not be disappointed in her Cinderella role.
The tag line – “Be careful what you wish for” becomes quite evident as the movie progresses and is so true.
The only negative of the movie and they can’t really edit it out is Johnny Depp’s scene as the Big Bad Wolf. His encounter with Little Red Riding Hood is integral to the story but there is no way, you can not feel like his role and the words he sings is truly that of a pedophile. It’s hard to explain unless you see it.
Into the Woods is Must See Holiday Movie:
If you like a good story line, great acting and of course, love a good musical (and even if you don’t), definitely put this on your must see list. And far as age goes, I would recommend it for ages 10 and up.
INTO THE WOODS featuring Anna Kendrick singing “On the Steps of the Palace”
this looks amazing, I cant wait to see it. Thanks for the review.