[Movie Review] Into the Woods (2014)

Posted on December 25, 2014 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Director: Rob Marshall

Writer: James Lapine (screenplay)

Runtime: 124 min

Main Cast:

Anna Kendrick as Cinderella
Emily Blunt as The Baker's Wife
Johnny Depp as The Wolf
Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince
Meryl Streep as The Witch
James Corden as The Baker

Guest Review: by Erika T

I wasn’t familiar with the Broadway musical of this film. So thankfully I could come in with a fresh perspective, ready for any and all surprises. And boy were there quite a few surprises!

A simple couple running a bakery (played by James Corden and Emily Blunt) desire nothing but a child. But due a long-standing curse of a formerly beautiful witch, they are not able to bear children. However, in a twist of fate, the blue moon will soon rise giving them the chance to break the curse. They journey into the woods to find the right ingredients to reverse the curse, and on their way they meet Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack, who are all on their quests of their own to fulfill their wishes.

What I Liked:

Anytime you give me a new take on an old fairytale I am instantly interested. Throw is more than one and then I’ll be REALLY interested. So the appeal of this movie was a given. And for the most part it lived up to my expectations. Meryl Streep gives a tour-de-force performance, which is par for the course for the revered veteran. I enjoyed her singing probably more than her acting, which was already quite good. Her numbers were really powerful and memorable. I don’t really know why, but I was getting Death Becomes Her vibes from her here. Perhaps it goes back to the character’s superficial desire for beauty.

Right behind Streep, I would have to say my favorite performance goes to Chris Pine as the Prince. I was fully expecting him to pull a James Marsden in Enchanted (I am waiting on a sequel for that one please), but he ends up being very different while still being very funny and charming. He stole the show quite often for the scenes he’s in.

I liked how self-aware the film was at times when things got a bit over-the-top. I felt like the laughs were well placed. Overall I was pleased with the casting, even down to Johnny Depp’s brief appearance donning yet another costume; he’s the Big Bad Wolf this time!

What I Didn’t Like:

I am not sure if this is a complaint, just more so an observation. I was a bit surprised with a few of the adult themes of this film, especially regarding infidelity. And there were a few scenes where either I had a complete gutter mind or the double entendre was intentional. I am thinking about Johnny Depp as the wolf pursuing Little Red Riding Hood. I can’t be the only one who had some pedo creeper vibes, especially during his musical number with those fairly suggestive lyrics. I think this film was more like a hard PG rating, if there is such a thing.

Also, I think the film ran a little longer than necessary, while at the same time I wanted to the backstories of the fairytale characters to be fleshed out more. We’re left to fill in the blanks since we’re familiar with the tales already, but I do think it would have helped to enhance the characters.

Summary

This film is releasing at the right time this year. It is a fun family film that’s fitting for the holidays and I enjoyed it a lot more than Maleficent.

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