Before we go any further; this is a musical movie. They sing in it. It’s always best to know that up front. That said, the musical direction is phenomenal. Every. single. voice. is crisp and clear as the melodies are sung in true musical theatre fashion. There’s something mysterious about ‘the woods’ and this film overall. A lingering, lurking feeling of suspense driven by this collection of trees that interweaves stories. The classic tales of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and Rapunzel are present with a twist and the baker and his wife. A witch and a spell tie these characters together and create an intriguing story.
A surprise performance came from Little Red. From the previews, I looked to Meryl Streep or Johnny Depp for a raving performance. Lilla Crawford (Red) has a solid voice and was a delight to watch. Anna Kendrick also delivered audible goodness. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about her as Cinderella since she often projects her inappropriate sense of humor and I’ve come to know her more for that than her acting career. However, the story and fantastic visual design washed away past performances, Emily Blunt has The Devil Wears Prada echoing behind her somewhere, and let the cast shine in these roles.
The big star of Into the Woods really is the music.
Into the Woods is in theaters 12.25.2014. Merry Christmas!
Ahh I can’t wait to see it 🙂
I think you summed it up for me. So many people in my family thought it was terrible because they don’t know the story and that it’s not suppose to end happily ever after. But, for me, getting the woods was amazing to see and it brought sides that I could only imagine at the stage show.