Every good fairy tale begins with a curse or a wish or a desire for unmet dreams and expectations. Into The Woods does not disappoint on all counts! Then add in the musical component and you’ve got a winning combination. Into the Woods is beautiful, clever, frequently funny, sometimes somber, and ultimately uplifting as elements from several Grimm Fairytales are combined into a clever whole.
Viewers are given a lot to think about as the beloved Broadway musical with music composed by Stephen Sondheim takes to the screen. We come to love the flaws of the likes of Cinderella, Prince Charming, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood. The Big Bad Wolf is delightfully lascivious and the Wicked Witch is, well, Meryl Streep – so she’s perfectly terrifying.
As the result of generation old curse of a once-beautiful witch (Meryl Streep), a baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) are childless. Of course, their only wish is to have a child of their own. Three days before the rise of a blue moon, because of course, these things can only happen Once in A Blue Moon, they venture into the forest to find the ingredients that will reverse the spell and restore the witch’s youthful beauty: 1. a milk-white cow, 2. hair as yellow as corn, 3. a blood-red cape, and 4. a slipper of gold. During their journey, they meet Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Jack, each one on a quest to fulfill a wish. Fairytale Folk are rather a selfish lot.
The storyline is advanced through music and we are treated to the delightful singing talents of Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine (who knew he could sing), Johnny Depp and the young Lilla Crawford, as Little Red Riding Hood. My favorite song was “Agony” sung by the obnoxious Prince Charming and the Other Prince (nameless) who is wooing Rapunzel. These delightfully rapacious fellows add just the right amount of shallow silliness to the plot. And my favorite quote comes from Prince Charming, as he faithlessly jilts his unsuspecting new bride, Cinderella. He tells her ” I was raised to be Charming, not sincere” which resonates that not all wishes or Fairytales have a Happy Ever After. True happiness takes hard work, as viewers come to value teamwork and learn that family is often found in unexpected places, as Into the Woods characters tackle moral dilemmas in ways that will resonate with all.
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