Whatever fears I'd entertained about Disney's adaptation of Into the Woods melted away as the first chords of the opening song played, voices raised in song. Here was the musical I knew and loved, sounding great and lighting up the screen with charm and magic.
As I told a friend recently, there were several pleasant surprises, and just a few disappointments. It's probably the best wide release film version of the show we're going to get.
Cast Into the Woods is an ensemble show that requires each character to work well in group scenes and moments of soliloquy, and this cast largely enjoyed success. Meryl Streep turned in yet another fabulous performance in her role as the Witch. Young Daniel Huttlestone, fresh off his Les Misérables debut as Gavroche, proved he's got the chops for much more in his portrayal of Jack, giving his solo "Giants in the Sky" some much needed levity and wonder, while Johnny Depp mercifully kept his Sparrowish tendencies at a minimum in his cameo as the Wolf.
But the standout surprise of the film has to be Chris Pine as Cindrella's prince. His first solo put any consideration of stunt casting out of the question as he sang his heart out, while he cavorted and smoldered his way through every scene without a hint of self-consciousness. His "Agony" with fellow prince Billy Magnussen was a riot of over-the-top exuberance, perhaps the best performance of the song I've ever witnessed.
James Corden, Emily Blunt, and Anna Kendrick didn't bring much new zest to their roles but each grew into their own as the film wound on. Blunt was a far softer, gentler Baker's Wife than I'm used to, but her chemistry with James Corden as the Baker was sweet, especially in their "It Takes Two" duet. Corden and Huttlestone also enjoyed great camaraderie, to the point that I'd love to see them both in a film together soon (perhaps Pinocchio?) I was at first put off by Kendrick's somewhat flat delivery as Cinderella, but she really came alive for her "Steps of the Palace" moment.
Adaptation Bringing a musical to life on film is tricky, especially when the source material holds enough material for two. Getting Into the Woods down to a decent running time while keeping most of the essential story threads is no easy feat (as Peter Jackson so recently proved), so I give full props to the movie's production team.
The best sequences made full use of the magic of cinema while keeping the focus solely on the performance. Whether it was the Princes splashing through a river, Jack climbing a tree ever higher, or Cinderella pacing the length of the palace steps while time held still, the movie really made use of restrained cinematic flourishes to bring the story to life.
Less successful were actual character changes that left me underwhelmed. Red Riding Hood's "I Know Things Now," usually a solo of self-discovery, turned into an odd one-sided conversation between her and the Baker, without any real sense of growth or fun; in fact, her every moment was characterized by a studied nonchalance that came across as bored rather than understated. Jack's Mother was stern to the point of abusive, never giving any sign of her affection for him until a last forced moment.
Most disappointing to me on a personal level were the removal of the two songs "Maybe They're Magic" and "No More," songs for the Baker's Wife and the Baker respectively. Their absence, especially "No More," subtly changed certain elements of each's character in a way that, to paraphrase the Witch, wasn't good nor bad, just less.
Finale Ultimately, though, a movie has to tell the story according to the dictates of its format, including omission for time if necessary. Established fans of the musical like my family may wish for more, but such a desire should not interfere with appreciation for what we were given. If the Princes' reprise was cut, we were at least given a first song that competed head-on with any theatrical production. Some storylines might not have been given the full treatment but all were given appropriate attention to create a pleasing coherent whole for novices and veterans alike.
Had I never heard of the show before, I think this adaption would both delight and encourage me to seek out the full score. For those of us hungering for more productions of this classic, that's the best possible end result.
