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Rating : ✰ ✰
I was really excited to see this movie... it had a lot of things I'm generally interested it. Meryl Streep with blue hair, fairytales and it's a musical!!. I went in cold
not knowing anything about Into The Woods - I know, I really should have known more about it. There were quite a few moments in the movie that were pure magic; I was excited and scared and couldn't tell where the plot was going. I was taken into another world, with just enough familiarity to give me barings and then the whole movie fell apart and crumbled in our laps. The specific issues I had with this movie were* :
-misuse of narrator
-the overplay of parental death
- Johnny Depp as Mr. Wolf
-Princes were disgusting
-the entire second half of the movie
Narrator
A narrator is meant to guide you through the story and clue you in to things that cannot be acted out, or information that cannot be delievered to the audience through the actors. The movie began with the narrator opening scenes and mapping the beginning of the plot and then suddenly the voice dropps out. The narrator is never heard from again and I could have really used that role towards the second half of the movie when I was bored, confused and couldn't understand any of the symbolism because of sheer miscommunication.
Parental Death *spoiler alert*
-little read riding hood's mother (and father) are dead. Her grandmother also dies.
-Cinderella's mother dies. The tree she uses to connect with her also dies.
-The baker's mother dies (father leaves).
-After they have a baby, the baker's wife dies (who just became a mother in the plot)
-Jack's father is gone/dead. Jack's mother dies after being pushed by a royal subject.
-Rapunzel is the (kidnapped) daugher of the Witch. The Witch is swallowed into a vortex, so she also presumably dies.
This is why I don't go and see movies like 'Wild' or why I'm completely distraught after watching the first 10 min. of 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. This may have all very well been part of the play, but there was very little focus on anything else. Particularly in the second half, it felt like everyone was just being delievered the news that their parent died. I understand that the second half is meant to demonstrate a whole slew of metaphors and symbols of the life/death, heaven/hell but this movie didn't even scratch that depth which is why the onslot of parental death was half-heartedly over done.
Johnny Depp as Mr. Wolf
Plain and Simple, the scene is meant to show the wolf and Red more as peers. She is apparently suppose to be older than 12. Instead, the entire scene was pedophilic and ultimately disgusting. I was actually shuddering in my seat. The undertone is meant to be sexual but it was completely overplayed and Johnny Depp and so it was just gross. I just want him to do a movie where he's not trying so hard.
Princes were disgusting
They were way too old and took their roles too seriously. The humor and sarcasm of the song Agony was totally lost becuase they took themselves too seriously and had no audience to play off of. That scene in particular could have really been well done, but it just missed the mark.
The entire second half of the movie
I'm sorry but the entire plot was lost on me. Apparently where there should have been an intermission is where there should have been an explanation by the narrator. Instead The Woods became broken by the giants and the 'happily ever after' was twisted on it's head. Despite there being beautiful singing and well done costumes and set designs I needed a glue to make this movie work for me... my glue ended up being my equally as dissapointed friend beside me who really knew and studied the play Into The Woods. It's extra dissapointing because I'm genuinely curious to understand the true meanings and symbols of the musical. I want something heavier to sink my teeth into but it just barely scratched the surface.
The champions in this movie were : Emily Blunt and Anna Kendrick and Meryl Streep (who's performance can also be argued to be overplayed, but I did enjoy it). The costuming was great, the set design great, the music great.... but it just crumbled.
I give this movie 2/5 stars.