Into the Woods

It can be rather difficult to adapt a Broadway play or musical for the big screen. Not only do you have to consider how the story translates in regards to set and story progression, but you also have to deal with the diehard fans who can be very touchy about their favorite story becoming a movie. Many musicals have been made into movies over the years. West Side Story, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago. The newest musical to join those ranks is Into the Woods. It's the story of several popular fairy tales, how they affect each other, and what happens after "ever after".

Now, I'll start by saying that I have seen the musical several times. I adore it, and own both the DVD and CD. So you could say that I'm a fan. As such, I am very attached to the original Broadway cast and was wary of it being adapted. I was comforted by the knowledge that Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine were working on it, as they are behind the Broadway play. My biggest concern, of course, was the singing and how the actors would measure up. I was especially concerned when I learned that Meryl Streep was playing The Witch, as her singing in Mamma Mia is best left forgotten and The Witch is a very important character. Plus, she has the unfortunate problem of not being Bernadette Peters, who is exceptional as The Witch.

Ok, let's address the singing all at once. Overall, I think the cast did a great job. Their singing was very good as a whole. James Corden, The Baker, was the weakest singer but even he sounded good. I loved Johnny Depp as The Wolf. He's able to make his voice so gravely and perfectly wolflike. And while I think Meryl Streep did alright as The Witch, she wasn't perfect. There were times when I felt she was trying too hard or maybe not trying enough. Either way, her singing still isn't my favorite but it was years beyond her previous, better-left-unnamed performance. I thought Anna Kendrick was very good as Cinderella, especially in "On the Steps of the Palace". I loved the way they did that song. I thought both Red and Jack were good in their roles, and I loved that they sang their individual songs to The Baker instead of to themselves or the audience. And I will admit that "No One is Alone" made me cry, as it always does. I thought it was very good. I also enjoyed that "Finale" was sung during the credits. It was different but I liked it.

However, I think Emily Blunt and Chris Pine stole the show. Not only because I really like them both, but because they were surprisingly good singers. Emily Blunt was perfect as The Baker's Wife. I thought she was just as good as Joanna Gleason. For her first major, public singing role, she did so well. She also had great chemistry with James Corden and they played off each other very well. And Chris Pine was just plain wonderful as Cinderella's Prince. He was dramatic, overdone, and charming. Both the Princes were actually. Possibly my favorite song from the musical is "Agony" and its reprise, which was not in the movie. But "Agony" in the movie did not disappoint. At all. Watching the Princes fight for attention and sing over each other while dramatically splashing about in the river and tearing their shirts was, hands down, my favorite part of the movie. It was totally overdone and beyond ridiculous but that's perfect for "Agony".

As for how the story translated in regards to story and set, I think it translated very well. I think one of my favorite shots was at the end of "Prologue: Into the Woods", when you see all the characters in the woods from an aerial view as they're going about their individual journeys. I definitely loved the woods and the variety in them. They changed so easily, which is the point, and I thought they looked great. I also thought the village was adorable and I would totally live there, minus the giant of course.

Speaking of the giant, poor Frances de la Tour. First she was Madame Maxime in Harry Potter and now she's a giant. She's not even that tall in real life, only 5'7". I've already mentioned quite a bit of the cast and how well I thought they fit their parts. Mackenzie Mauzy and Billy Magnussen were great as Rapunzel and Rapunzel's Prince. I especially liked how he kept falling and that the first thing he mentioned after being able to see again was her hair. I did like their new ending, as I thought it was nice that someone at least actually got a happy ending. Lilla Crawford was perfect as Little Red Riding Hood. Red is just so nonchalant about everything and Lilla Crawford captured that attitude. Overall, the cast was wonderful and played off each other so well. They were all so comfortable in their parts and everything seemed so natural.

As far as adaptions go, I thought Into the Woods was great. I personally really liked it. Yes, there were differences but most of them were not big. And the cast was spectacular. If you are a fan of the Broadway musical or just like fairy tales, then I highly recommend you see Into the Woods. And remember, be careful what you wish for.

Big Hero 6

Marvel has taken over the movie industry in the last few years, starting with the successful Iron Man in 2008 and all the way through to this year's Guardians of the Galaxy. From movies about single superheroes to movies with teams, Marvel has created a series of highly successful movies that are both fun and endearing. And now that they are a part of Disney, they have moved into a new format: animation. Big Hero 6 is the newest Marvel movie and the first that has been animated. And it has done exceptionally well. It's adorable and fun and just a great movie.

Big Hero 6 takes place in the imaginary city of San Fransokyo. It's about a 14 year old genius, four of his friends, and a personal healthcare robot. Like all Disney and Marvel movies, it starts off on a serious note. Hiro and Tadashi are orphans who live with their aunt, and then Tadashi is killed in a fire. Hiro and Baymax, his brother's robotics project, discover that Hiro's application project to the university was stolen and Hiro suspects that the fire that killed his brother was intentionally started to steal the microbots. Hiro turns himself, his friends, and Baymax into superheroes in order to stop the villain.

The last movie I saw that was as funny as Big Hero 6 would be Guardians of the Galaxy. And that was a Marvel movie as well. Clearly Marvel has their stuff together right now. What's great about Big Hero 6 is that it combines all the parts of other successful superheroes movies into a movie that's even more for children but is just as good. You still have the underdog hero and the unknown villain. You have the idea of revenge, of wanting to stop the villain more for what he's done to you personally than because he's bad. And you have the perfect balance of funny and sad. As Joss Whedon says "Make it dark, make it grim, make it tough, but then, for the love of God, tell a joke." Big Hero 6 is all those things and more. With animated movies, there is already the perception that they're made for children. Sure, adults enjoy them but the success of Disney has made animated movies seem childlike. The previous Marvel movies have been wonderful but can seem too old for kids. Animating Big Hero 6 was the perfect decision to make it more "appropriate" for children but from a franchise that adults love just as much. And if anyone could pull off an animated Marvel movie, it is Disney.

It was hilarious and heartwarming. Watching Baymax try to move around and his repeated "On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your pain?" along with his giant marshmallow appearance is adorable. He is the cutest robot ever and I'm pretty sure thousands of children want their own Baymax now. Baymax is the heart of the movie and he's perfect. I just love everything about the movie. From Hiro and his friends to Baymax to Hiro's aunt. The sequence when Hiro and his friends are all learning to use their suits was great and very realistic. I think many of us would have the same difficulties at first. And of course, we can't forget the other robot in the movie, Hiro's bot for the bot fights. I love the big grin and then the very angry face as the little robot attacks you. Never underestimate those "smaller and weaker" than you. It never ends in your favor. Of course, I think one of people's favorite things was the fist bump that Hiro taught to Baymax.

If you didn't get the chance to see Big Hero 6 in theaters then you definitely missed out. It's a very adorable movie and a wonderful addition to the Marvel family. Plus, Stan Lee's appearance may just be his best one yet.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

I adore Tolkien and his works. I absolutely love Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings but I've been a little on the fence about The Hobbit. The last movie in The Hobbit trilogy comes out today. I was expecting to see it Friday night. My parents even said they preorded tickets for Friday night. Last night, my mom said we were going to see The Homesman. She said she really wanted to see it and I'm always up for going to the movies. My dad was on the fence about going but ultimately decided to join my mom, sister and I. My mom went to buy tickets while my dad, sister and I headed toward the entrance to the theater. And then my mom comes over with no tickets and says something to my dad about getting them printed by the person who checks the tickets. Looking back, that should have been my first clue that something weird was going on. Then my mom starts whispering to the person who collects the tickets. It was about that time that my sister and I realized that we were actually going to see The Battle of the Five Armies and not The Homesman. It turns out that when my mom had gone to order tickets for Friday for The Hobbit, she noticed that there was a showing at 7 on Tuesday night. So our parents decided to surprise my sister and me, and we went to see it last night. My sister and I were crying once we realized what was going on because we both knew what was coming and neither one of us had had time to emotionally prepare. Let's just say it was a good surprise but very emotional.

Ok, now that my long story is over, let's get down to business (to defeat the Huns). I even have a list of things I want to talk about in regards to the movie. To begin, this is not going to be an entirely pleasant review. You've been forewarned. Firstly, in case you didn't know, the Tolkien family is not happy with the Peter Jackson movies. Any of them. And if Jackson had led with this series instead of LOTR, then I would fully agree with the Tolkien family.

There have gradually been more and more changes in The Hobbit movies and it's become a little unrecognizable as Tolkien's Hobbit. For example, in the book, several more of the dwarves in the company die. Bilbo is also not really a part of the battle. He puts the ring on and gets knocked out because no one can see him. Then, no one can find him so they think he died. He barely makes it back in time to make amends with Thorin, who dies off the battlefield after the battle is over. The Dol Guldur escapade is different as well. The White Council is able to send Sauron away easily because he is not strong enough to stand against them, whereas in the movie he's strong enough to fight them. I will say I found the Galadriel part interesting. In The Fellowship of the Ring when she tries to take the ring, she's still beautiful because she's in control. In Dol Guldur, she's being partially controlled by Sauron so she's a lot scarier when she loses it for a second. I also appreciated that she mentioned Morgoth, because The Silmarillion is my favorite. Another thing that I didn't like was the giant worms that the Orcs used to tunnel under the earth. The only "worms" in Middle Earth are the dragons, who were also called the Worms of Morgoth. So those burrowing worm creatures were not canon.

And now for my biggest issue that many other people love: Tauriel. I have no issue with Jackson creating a female elf because he thought the movie needed more women. What bothers me is the Tauriel/Kili relationship. No dwarf and elf would ever fall in love. It's not how Tolkien wrote them. And since he's the expert, I tend to agree with him. Dwarves and Elves are simply too different for a romantic relationship. Legolas and Gimli are proof that they can be friends but I cannot see it extending past that. Just, no. My greatest fear was that Jackson would save Kili so that he and Tauriel could be together. One of the saddest things about the end of the book is that the line of Durin is completely wiped out because Thorin and his nephews all die. I was so happy that they killed Kili because it's such an important part of the story.

I know it sounds like I absolutely hated the movie but that's not true. There were several things I liked. Of course, the music is one of the biggest things, although the music at the very beginning was very un-LOTR sounding. However, it was definitely made up for with Billy Boyd's song "The Last Goodbye". It was the perfect song to end the series and the Middle Earth adventures. I also adored the pig and ram steeds. In Middle Earth, people don't just ride horses. They also ride elk, pigs, and ram. They were so cute and I definitely want one. And let's not forget Beorn, falling out of the sky as a bear. I thoroughly enjoyed that. One of my favorite things in LOTR is the way that enemy lines meet at Helm's Deep and Pelennor Fields. Battle of the Five Armies did not disappoint in that regard. I was so excited to see the dwarves crouched down, waiting for the orcs to attack. And then bam! Elves overhead. That made me happy. Oh, and Billy Connolly as Dain? He was adorable. And let's not forget Bard and Legolas talking. I could barely contain my laughter because they're practically twins. I also liked that Legolas was sort of sent to find Strider, because they do know each other before LOTR.

Ok, last couple comments. The burning of Lake-town. That was a really cool scene, watching Smaug destroy the city. But my favorite part of the movie was Douchebag Thorin. And yes, I have made that into his title because if we're honest, he totally becomes a douchebag. And it was handled so well and done so beautifully. I loved watching him lose his mind. He goes so crazy and nuts and it's really hard to like him. As Bilbo says, how could Thorin think that his kin would ever betray him? They are so loyal to him and love him so much. I loved what Dwalin and Kili both said to him, about not wanting to watch their kin from the Iron Hills die while they hide away. And I love that you can see the change in Thorin by how he dresses. When he's consumed by the dragon sickness he is dressed in robes lined with fur and wears a crown. But when he comes to rally the company and ask them to follow him one last time, he's dressed simply, as he was in the beginning. And it's amazing how much 13 dwarves can change the tide of a battle, simply because the King is leading them. Thorin is without a doubt one of my favorite Tolkien characters, and I am so happy with how Richard Armitage portrays him. Even though his death was different from the book, it was still just as terrible and heartbreaking.

I know it seems like I didn't really like the movie. I did, but not in comparison to the book. I really had to focus on seeing the movie as a separate entity from the book. On its own, the movie was good and a satisfactory ending to the trilogy. I love the actors (Martin Freeman is perfect), I adore the scenery, and I just love the music so much. While I will miss Middle Earth, I am glad the series is finally over.

Gone With the Wind

Today is the 75th anniversary of the release of Gone With the Wind. The massive book was adapted into an equally massive movie, at least in regards to length. The movie was re-released this year and my mom and I went to see it. It was incredible.

Before the movie started, there was a clip that explained some of the history of the movie, the actors, and the premiere. It was actually really cool to learn about the backstory of the movie. I like things like that. For instance, a ticket to the premiere of the movie cost $10 and was considered expensive. I paid more than that to see the re-release. And I was excited to learn that the movie would be played in the exact same way it was premiered. The same aspect ratio, the overture and exit music, intermission, everything. That made it even more real for me.

Now, I love Gone With the Wind. I've read the book and own the movie. I find Rhett Butler devilishly attractive and I fully agree with the sentiment that Scarlett is a royal bitch. She's terrible. She truly is. But I still love the movie. How can I not, when it's a sweeping epic about war and romance? The romantic, girly side in me just swoons. It's a little pathetic, I know. There's just something about the movie that I love though. Its characters are flawed, except maybe Melanie, but there is still something to admire about them all. They're resilient, passionate, and hardworking. And the "sweeping" part of the epic has as much to do with the scenery as anything. The plantation houses, the scene in Atlanta with all the wounded soldiers on the railroad tracks, the scene where Atlanta is burning. It's a stunningly beautiful film. And, of course, I adore the music. And the costumes. They are spectacular and I would love to wear one of those dresses.

I have to say that I love seeing re-releases. There is nothing cooler than seeing a movie in theaters that you weren't alive to see in theaters the first time. Especially when it's one that you love. It gives the movie more meaning and you notice things you didn't before. And to see Gone With the Wind in the same way it was premiered, down to the intermission, was very cool. It was a little glimpse into the past and what it was like to see movies 75 years ago.