Into the Woods
Into
the Woods
Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick
Directed by Rob Marshall
Starring Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick
Directed by Rob Marshall
Synopsis:
Several fairytales come into contact in unique, odd, and even disastrous ways while they all travel into the woods.
The Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt) are trying to have a baby, but can’t due to the Witch’s (Meryl Streep) curse on his family. After they wish for a child, she says the curse can be reversed if they go into the woods and bring back a cow white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and a slipper pure as gold. If they could accomplish this task, then the Wife will become pregnant.
Red (Lilla Crawford) wishes to get to her grandmother’s house with bread but is sidetracked by a wily Wolf (Johnny Depp) who wishes to eat her and her grandmother.
Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) wishes for his cow to produce milk so his mother (Tracy Ullman) wouldn’t sell her, but the cow remained barren so he travels into the woods to the next town to sell it.
Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) wishes to go to the ball, and when her wish is granted she meets Prince Charming (Chris Pine) but balks and takes off into the woods.
Finally the Witch’s wish is to be beautiful again, so she can be fully accepted by her daughter, Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy).
As the wishes come true, they come with consequences, and everyone realizes they’ll have to work together in order to survive the ordeal that they seemingly brought upon themselves.
Review:
I’m going to start out by saying I’ve never seen the stage musical, and basing my review strictly from what I saw on screen. I know people compare the two, but I won’t do that, because I have nothing to compare it to.
That being said, I don’t understand the hate the film has gotten from people. It wasn’t anything truly exceptional like “Chicago” or “Les Miserables,” but it’s far from one of the worst musicals I’ve ever seen – and I really like movie musicals.
The performance by Meryl Streep is awe-inspiring, as she always delivers an immaculate performance. Emily Blunt and James Corden were decent as the Baker and Wife, and Anna Kendrick gave a very nuanced performance to Cinderella, but the true standout performances were those of Daniel Huttlestone as Jack and especially Lilla Crawford as Red. Those two kids delivered performances way beyond their years, very sophisticated and both of them had amazing singing voices.
The one complaint I can understand is how the film seems to be two films in one, with a terrible crossover. Just when you think the film has completed and everyone has had their “happily ever after,” the film takes a sudden – and surprisingly dark – turn as everything the characters wished for goes array and the entire world is under attack, leading to death, despair and the true price you pay for getting what you wish for.
Summary:
A great cast, a great story, catchy songs and amazing set pieces, “Into the Woods” brings out some great visuals, if only muddied by the two stories it seems to tell at once.
My Rating: A-
Several fairytales come into contact in unique, odd, and even disastrous ways while they all travel into the woods.
The Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt) are trying to have a baby, but can’t due to the Witch’s (Meryl Streep) curse on his family. After they wish for a child, she says the curse can be reversed if they go into the woods and bring back a cow white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and a slipper pure as gold. If they could accomplish this task, then the Wife will become pregnant.
Red (Lilla Crawford) wishes to get to her grandmother’s house with bread but is sidetracked by a wily Wolf (Johnny Depp) who wishes to eat her and her grandmother.
Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) wishes for his cow to produce milk so his mother (Tracy Ullman) wouldn’t sell her, but the cow remained barren so he travels into the woods to the next town to sell it.
Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) wishes to go to the ball, and when her wish is granted she meets Prince Charming (Chris Pine) but balks and takes off into the woods.
Finally the Witch’s wish is to be beautiful again, so she can be fully accepted by her daughter, Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy).
As the wishes come true, they come with consequences, and everyone realizes they’ll have to work together in order to survive the ordeal that they seemingly brought upon themselves.
Review:
I’m going to start out by saying I’ve never seen the stage musical, and basing my review strictly from what I saw on screen. I know people compare the two, but I won’t do that, because I have nothing to compare it to.
That being said, I don’t understand the hate the film has gotten from people. It wasn’t anything truly exceptional like “Chicago” or “Les Miserables,” but it’s far from one of the worst musicals I’ve ever seen – and I really like movie musicals.
The performance by Meryl Streep is awe-inspiring, as she always delivers an immaculate performance. Emily Blunt and James Corden were decent as the Baker and Wife, and Anna Kendrick gave a very nuanced performance to Cinderella, but the true standout performances were those of Daniel Huttlestone as Jack and especially Lilla Crawford as Red. Those two kids delivered performances way beyond their years, very sophisticated and both of them had amazing singing voices.
The one complaint I can understand is how the film seems to be two films in one, with a terrible crossover. Just when you think the film has completed and everyone has had their “happily ever after,” the film takes a sudden – and surprisingly dark – turn as everything the characters wished for goes array and the entire world is under attack, leading to death, despair and the true price you pay for getting what you wish for.
Summary:
A great cast, a great story, catchy songs and amazing set pieces, “Into the Woods” brings out some great visuals, if only muddied by the two stories it seems to tell at once.
My Rating: A-
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