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.