Tatum Tricarico
When the baker and his wife, Cinderella, Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, princes, and a witch all enter the same woods, many well-known Brothers Grimm fairy tales collide, creating one intense movie. Into the Woods has recently hit theaters and the hearts of many fairy tale fans.
There are many aspects to this movie that make it different from anything that I have ever seen before.
The first thing that I noticed was the amazing soundtrack by Stephen Sondheim. Each scene incorporated a different song that culminated in an emotive film.
Though each song proved to be a beautiful addition to the soundtrack, it seemed to be overkill in the movie itself
Into the Woods stars an A-list cast boasting names such as Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp who each play an integral role in this twisted fairy tale.
This movie has an array of very famous, experienced actors and actresses and that leaves the audience susceptible to spending the movie judging the performance of actors rather than focusing on singular characters.
The movie was good overall but contains several setbacks due to the previous reputations of such well known actors in one movie.
People who are watching or reviewing the movie already have preconceived opinions formulated about each actor, so they judge the actors to be good or bad depending on what they have previously seen. Whether this stigma is positive or negative then influences the opinion that the people watching develop after watching this film.
Also, if you know an actor, say Chris Pine as Kirk in Star Trek now transformed into Cinderella’s prince from the Grimm tales, then it makes the plot less believable.
Another interesting part of the movie was f the setting. Mostly, it was set in the woods, and sometimes in a little village nearby. To me each set was absolutely beautiful. I loved all of the scenery and color contrast as well as lighting tricks that were used. I think that it was wonderfully done.
Lastly, but most importantly, the plot of the movie to me was subpar. I liked the idea behind the combination all of the characters in these famous fairy tales, but it could have been executed a little bit better based on the character personality, interesting moments, and interactions in the woods. To me, the plot, songs, dancing, and acting were all very cheesy. Now, I know that they might have done this on purpose, but I didn’t like it regardless of if it were planned or not.
The best part to me, though, was the end, because unlike pretty much every fairy tale known to man, there was no happily ever after. It was nice to see a “happy-enough-after” ending that was more realistic.
If musicals aren’t your idea of a cinematic escape, steer clear of Into the Woods. But objectively, the film was capable and interesting to say the least. Grade: B+.
