Runtime: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Rating: PG
Director: Rob Marshall
Quick Impressions:
My younger sister played Little Red Riding Hood in her high school production of Into the Woods, so when I heard that Disney was adapting the musical for the screen and had cast an actual child in that role, I had some definite misgivings.
I’m not an expert on Sondheim’s musical (though I went through a phase of listening to the original cast recording borderline obsessively), but I know from my sister’s anecdotes and the way she played the character that Red Riding Hood’s encounter with the wolf was pretty dark. My sister played it like someone who was seduced (possibly outright raped), then struggled with PTSD always bubbling just below the surface. (And when you listen to the lyrics of her song, it’s pretty hard to challenge that interpretation.)
As a Disney fan (I love Disneyland and grew up watching Disney movies), I have to say that this sounds like exactly the sort of detail that Disney would screw up (and deliberately). The company is not exactly known for handling dark/challenging material well. (I’ve heard people insist that Disney films actually contain all kinds of dark/disturbing elements, but I must politely disagree. The closest they’ve come to “disturbing” recently is making the movie Malificent at all, but then—surprise, surprise—Malificent turns out to be completely aligned with what we would all traditionally consider good, and meanwhile Stephan is an evil, raving maniac consumed with a villainous lust for power. I mean, about as dark and disturbing as Disney traditionally gets is admitting that some animals (and almost all parents of protagonists) die. So if you’re not a deer/a lion/a rabid dog/the off-screen parents of the hero, then you’re probably pretty safe in a Disney movie. And besides, since when is death dark and subversive? Everyone dies. That’s just life.)
So initially, I was a bit suspicious of this adaptation. (Also, Rob Marshall can be a great director, but Nine is proof that not everything he touches turns to gold.) I was still excited to see Into the Woods, of course. Meryl Streep as the witch seemed like winning casting. Plus I like musicals, generally, and I really love Emily Blunt and always like to see her in parts that are actually good (which happens far too rarely).
But then as Awards Season kicked into high gear and the movie’s wide release date approached, I started reading up on it and watching all kinds of cast interviews and YouTube clips. Right away, I felt immensely reassured. When you hear how closely Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine worked with filmmakers, then you’ve got to expect that the results will at least not insult the stage version.
And I have to say, I was actually quite pleased with the movie. Yes, they cut some things I really liked (such as the reprise of “Agony” which is definitely the funniest song in the entire show) and the narrator (eliminating the great scene of my sister coming unglued and threatening him with a knife) and the mysterious man (who was so crazy and hilarious in that high school production) and probably lots of other stuff I didn’t notice as much. But that’s okay. Tonally, the film is very similar to the play. This Red Riding Hood doesn’t seem quite as damaged as my sister’s, but Lilla Crawford’s take on the character works, too. She definitely seems right for the part. (My sister approved.)
The whole cast is pretty great, to be honest. Emily Blunt gives such a strong performance that an Oscar nomination doesn’t seem out of the question (though, sadly, it’s a pretty long shot at this point, I’d guess). Meryl Streep is obviously going to be nominated, and she’s definitely fun to watch, too. (And her singing is fabulous. Sondheim is so hard to sing. It’s not like tossing off a few ABBA songs. Her performance can be a little hammy at moments, but she is playing a storybook witch, after all. Her singing is excellent, and she has some fine, small, touching moments—as you would expect from Meryl Streep.)
Before seeing the movie, I’d heard a lot of general criticism of Johnny Depp, but I thought he made a fabulous wolf. (He’s only in the movie for like three minutes. How badly could he possibly screw it up? I actually think he’s great and perfect for the part.) I’d also heard bad things about the second act generally (specifically that it drags), but my husband and I found the reverse to be true. The second act is definitely the most engaging, energized, focused part of the film, a substantial improvement over the first act, to be honest. (Almost all of the actors’ best moments come in these late scenes. Blunt particularly shines here, and Streep’s last song is magnificent.) If anything, it seems to go faster than the first act (probably because it does. I mean, most of what they cut, they cut from the later scenes of the musical). The second act barely takes up a third of the total runtime, I am quite sure.
Now the first act is kind of slow, but not so slow that it’s a problem. To be fair, I must also note that I was extremely distracted while watching the film because this holiday season has been the most stressful that I can remember, and I just have a lot of stuff going on. Despite being worried and preoccupied, however, I genuinely enjoyed the movie. The rest of my family liked it, too, even my sister who often has very high standards for musical adaptations (particularly of shows she was in).
The Good:
The cast is great. The costumes and make-up are incredible. (My sister was so impressed with Meryl Streep’s Witch make-over that she’s now scheming to dye her hair a similar blue.) The sets are also quite something. Anyone who’s ever been in a high school play will probably have the same reaction to the sets my sister and I shared. We kept thinking, Wow, that looks so fun. I wish I were in this cast. The environment is so rich and beautiful and intricate. And from what I’ve heard, very little is done with green screen. Most of what we see are actual, elaborate sets built from the ground up. (Disney might not excel at handling subversive material, but they can build castles like nobody’s business.)
Another remarkable plus—this shouldn’t be remarkable, but sadly it’s an anomaly in a movie musical—everyone in the cast can actually sing. (Of the performers who actually get their own songs, Johnny Depp definitely has the least impressive voice, but he performs the song so well that his vocal limitations do not matter at all.) Most of the principal cast sings well enough to appear on Broadway (or the West End), particularly the children. (And, in fact, I think both Lilla Crawford and Daniel Huttlestone have been on stage already.)
I already knew that Meryl Streep could sing, but to be honest, I had no idea that she could sing this well. She’s great in Mamma Mia!, but even I can jump around belting out ABBA songs. Honestly her performance of “The Winner Takes It All” was great, but it did not even suggest that Streep was capable of the type of vocal performance she gives here. I’ve always loved the song “The Last Midnight,” but I’m used to hearing Bernadette Peters sing it on CD. I’ll admit that I was pleasantly surprised when Meryl Streep’s performance turned out to be just as strong. I wouldn’t have expected that. Of course, Streep is a great actress, but she’s an even better singer than I ever realized.
Emily Blunt also has a beautiful voice. If given the choice, I always prefer to watch the performance of an actor who can (sort of) sing. In my opinion, casting a singer who can (sort of) act in a lead role is always a mistake. As a fan of Emily Blunt, I would have been content to listen to her “sort of” sing. I’m sure I could have found things to praise in her performance even if she had a fairly weak voice. But as it turns out, Blunt has a fantastic, strong voice. I have no idea why she hasn’t showed it off anywhere before now. Her performance throughout is really very winning, and then near the end of the film, it suddenly becomes something truly special (thanks particularly to her acting, though her singing is definitely top-notch).
Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen really can hit those notes, too. Pine is so great as Prince Charming. He’s another one who should have been singing professionally long before now. That voice really makes him stand apart from the burgeoning crop of young, pleasantly handsome, rising male stars who come to fame as the leads in big summer movies.
Anna Kendrick has a great, strong voice, too, of course. And her performance as Cinderella is the more impressive given that her showcased song is…like…impossible to sing. (At least it would be for me.)
I don’t really remember James Corden’s singing, but he’s fantastic as the Baker. We’re big fans of Corden around our house because last year, we all binge watched the show Gavin & Stacey, and now my mother is completely obsessed with it. (Seriously, I think she watched the Christmas special at least once a day the week before Christmas.) Corden could probably have a future in musical theater, too (though I don’t know how he’ll find the time now that he’s taking over for Craig Ferguson.) He’s particularly good with the moments of comedy (such as the bit with Red Riding Hood’s cape). He manages to make us laugh while keeping the character sympathetic and real.
Then there are the non-singers rounding out the cast. When my sister spotted Christine Baranski as the step-mother, she was like, “Oh, of course, she’s in it.” Baranski is definitely proof that you don’t need to be known as a fantastic singer to star in a multiple high-profile movie musicals. (I’m not saying she has a bad voice, but she’s not known for her singing. She’s known for scene-stealing and hamming it up and has to be one of the most recognizable character actresses working today.) She’s great as the Wicked Stepmother. I also really like Lucy Punch who plays one of the step-sisters, although she’s really not given much to do here.
Tracy Ullman is also good as Jack’s mother, and it’s nice to see Frances de la Tour as the Giantess (although, honestly, you barely see her face and you only hear her with vocal distortion, so anyone probably could have played that part. It’s nice to be aware that it’s de la Tour, however, because she seems so right for the role).
Best Scene:
When I asked her, my then-five-now-six-year-old shared that she liked the cow-feeding scene, and after she mentioned it, that did seem to be the general consensus in the room.
Best Scene Visually:
The witch’s transformation is a delight to watch. Everything in the film looks pretty great.
Best Action Sequence:
Even though the second act of the movie has superior pacing and contains most of the film’s most exciting moments, some of the most delightful action scenes happen earlier.
Cinderella’s repeated escapes are quite hilarious as is the absurd, disturbing bit with the stepsisters’ feet.
Personally, I’m extremely fond of the bit when James Corden feebly attempts to steal the cape from a very defiant Little Red Riding Hood.
Best Song:
“Agony” and “The Last Midnight” are my two favorite songs from the musical, anyway, so it’s not a huge surprise that I love them both in the movie. Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen do a fantastic job with “Agony.” Its clever staging and general silliness won a lot of appreciative laughs from the audience. And what a surprise that Pine is such a strong singer!
Also, even though Johnny Depp is not the world’s strongest singer (though he is probably a better singer than I am), his performance as the wolf is delightfully creepy and perfect. That song is definitely a pleasure to watch.
Most Oscar Worthy Moment, Emily Blunt:
Emily Blunt’s final, brief encounter with the prince is fantastic. (During their song together, Chris Pine is also great.) When Blunt reacts to what has happened here, she delivers some of the finest acting in the film. I must admit, I was never too taken with the Baker’s wife as a character until I saw this performance.
Blunt is definitely beautiful and sings extremely well. She’s got great comic timing and a lot of energy. So her performance throughout the entire film is a definite pleasure. But what she does here in this late scene is something truly special (fine, fine acting). Based on her work in this scene alone, she definitely deserves a nomination for Best Actress.
Personally, I hope she (by some miracle) gets it. (Of course, I haven’t had the opportunity to see Jennifer Aniston yet, so I’m perhaps too eager to kick her out. For all I know, she’s giving the performance of her career in Cake and is absolutely revelatory. But I really love Emily Blunt, Amy Adams, and Marion Cotillard. Before I even saw Blunt, I was rooting for one of the three of them based entirely on the strength their past work. But my feelings on this may change once I’ve seen Cake.)
Most Oscar Worthy Moment, Meryl Streep:
I can’t help thinking that Meryl Streep’s performance will help Blunt’s Oscar chances slightly (kind of the way Cate Blanchett helped Sally Hawkins last year). Surely lots and lots of people will watch the screener of Meryl Streep’s performance. (Or will they just vote for her blind to save time?) So maybe if they see Emily Blunt, she’ll sneak in there, too.
If Academy members watch nothing more than Streep performing “The Last Midnight,” surely she’ll get their votes. She’s perfect as the witch. Her final scene with Rapunzel is quite touching and well played. Her energy level and physical commitment to the role is through the roof. And when you add the delightful bonus that she actually sings the part extremely well (not just well for Meryl Streep), then surely an Oscar nomination is the inevitable outcome.
The Negatives:
I wish they hadn’t cut the reprise of “Agony.” It’s my favorite thing in the entire show. It’s so hilarious. I know the movie is already long. (In fact, it feels longer than the most recent installment of The Hobbit.) Still the “Agony” reprise actually serves a purpose. As things stand, audiences are left with the impression that Rapunzel really did live happily ever after (and her storyline is rather abruptly dropped from the film).
Now granted, we don’t miss her. Mackenzie Mauzy’s Rapunzel is easily the blandest and least memorable character in this movie. Perhaps the actress is wonderfully talented, but I think she’s miscast here. Every other adult in the entire movie is extremely famous, and that helps the audience to become invested in their characters more easily. Mauzy is a virtual nonentity, and she doesn’t get much of a chance to win us over in this bland role. Billy Magnussen isn’t all that well known either, but his antics in “Agony” leave a positive impression on the audience.
I also wish they would have retained the character of the narrator. I think that might have been helpful to first time audiences trying to figure out what to make of the story.
I’m positive that lots of people will be puzzled by this movie. I think its previews do it a disservice. I realize that Disney’s goal with these is to lure people to the movie, but I’m sure that most people unfamiliar with the stage musical will go in with expectations that do not match the product they get onscreen. I’m sure that’s going to be the biggest complaint general audiences have about Into the Woods—they’ll be expecting a typical Disney fairy tale, and they’ll get a dark, in a sense depressing Stephen Sondheim musical.
I think retaining the character of the narrator would have helped a bit with that. The musical brings out the point that the narrator helps the characters know what to do and tells them what to think. But the narrator could also help shape the audience’s expectations. And then when the narrator is gone, and the characters’ lives all fall apart, the movie audience might get the point more emphatically.
Of course, the ending of the movie is extremely heavy handed as it is. The lyrics of the final two songs literally tell the audience exactly what to take away from the film. I’ve already heard some people complaining that the ending makes no sense and the movie has no point. I find that puzzling since it practically beats you over the head with its message at the end.
Overall:
Into the Woods was better than I expected. The ensemble is immensely talented. Almost all of them can both act and sing and show dexterity in performing both the comedic elements and the dramatic moments in the show. Both Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep deserve Oscar nominations (and Streep will surely get one). Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine are fantastic, too. The whole thing is a lot of fun to watch, particularly if you’re already familiar with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical.