Into the Woods

On a Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 Being the Best

3

Plot: This movie is a fusion of four classic fairy tales which include Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel and the tale that links them all together is about a baker and his wife that want a child. I found this to be a pleasant idea, until all those fairy tales met a sad end, then I found it abnormally long and frankly...boring. None of the music moves the plot forward and all the fairy tales coming together just lead to this really long prolonged end. I love Disney but this is unoriginal and the only reason it was probably made was to make a buck.

Characters/Actors of Note:

Meryl Streep playing the Witch: All of the acting was quite good in this, and Ms. Streep is no exception. She was able to go from her ugly persona to her beautiful persona well. I also was impressed by how well she played such a strange character. Her singing was not bad either. In fact, I kept thinking it was Bette Midler singing! Thumbs up.

Anna Kendrick playing Cinderella: I will always see Ms. Kendrick as the girl from Twilight, but By George, she always does a great job. Excellent singing, as many know from her other movie Pitch Perfect, and her acting was not too shabby. I found her story-line especially repetitive though; the only way I didn't find her annoying was her acting and singing.

Daniel Huttlestone playing Jack: I remember watching this movie and thinking "I know that kid from somewhere..." When my aunt leaned over and stated it was the kid from Les Miserables! I found Mr. Huttlestone's performance was significantly better than his Les Mis performance, namely because his accent wasn't crazy thick. Jack is a character that is a fool, but a lovable fool. Mr. Huttlestone's performance also was impressive with his singing. I found that he could blend well and sing softly, which is again different from Les Mis, as he wasn't blaring in your ear. I found that he is much improved. 

James Corden playing Baker: I am sorry, but I was not that ecstatic about this character. He was pushy but also a push-over. I found him inconsistent about his "wish" and the way he felt about his wife. I was not that happy that he was the narrator either, as his voice made me want to fall asleep, although at the end it makes sense. His singing wasn't that fantastic either. His best skill is that he can blend with others. Casting was great, with the exception of this Mr. Corden.

Music: I think the best way to describe the music can be summed up with a sentence I heard as I left the theater, "If they say 'wish' one more time, I'm going to lose it." Stephan Sondheim wrote this musical; you may know him for his works such as West Side Story and Sweeney Todd. I guess I either love him or hate him because I was pretty sick of the music. It was repetitive, it didn't move the story forward, and it prolonged the movie. I would say that the music needs cutting and rewriting.

Camera Work/Cinematography: Visually, this movie was wonderful. It used colors and angles well. I found also that the make-up and costume department did a spectacular job. I was very impressed with how well this movie looked. Two thumbs up in this aspect.

RECAP:

Overall, the acting, camera work, make-up, and costumes were spot-on. The writing of the script and the music are so off the mark though. When I watched this in theaters, people left early and became antsy in their seats. The movie could have ended in the middle and I would have given it an 8, but since it dragged on for another hour it gets a three. Bad writing only deserves thus. 

Courtesy of Pinterest

Want me to critique a movie? Comment below!