A Rather Grimm Fairytale:Into the Woods.

You can watch my youtube review HERE!!!

Disney of course has been adapting fairy tales to the big screen since its inception so of course they would end up adapting a musical that threads several of them together. Into the Woods is based on the very famous Broadway musical of the same name from Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. With it being a musical who better than Rob Marshall (Chicago) to direct it with a cast the includes Anna Kendrick, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, James Corden, Chris Pine and a very small role from Johnny Depp.

The film follows various characters who must travel through the forest to achieve various goals. There's Jack and the beanstalk, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and a Baker and his Wife who want to have a child (that's a fairytale right?). Being a Disney production the film was of course made to appeal to families and because of that the adaptation has lightened some of the darker and more adult aspects of the film (there's less death and infidelity) but both Sondheim and Lapine have been involved in the changes.

Unfortunately I feel these changes hinder the film. By toning the film down to be more family friendly the film loses a fair bit of its emotional impact. All deaths happen off screen, themes are touched on but rarely fully delved into and the tone becomes very inconsistent when you go from fun adventure to near apocalypse. This also affects the pacing which was already troubling given the films length and rather jumbled plot. Threading all these fairy tales together does make the story a bit of a mess but that in no way hinders how enjoyable it can be.

Lets get to what I'm sure you want to hear; the music is fantastic. The whole cast knock the songs out of the park and it makes for a very entertaining watch (especially the song Agony). Kendrick is starting to create a niche of singing movies for herself as she has another musical coming out this year. Blunt and Corden have great chemistry as the baker and his wife which helps create comedic banter between the pair. Meryl Streep has been in talks for awards but as good as she is I don't really see it; she's just as good as the rest of the cast so I don't really see why she's being singled out as the best. Lastly Johnny Depp is really only in two scenes of the film but his performance is solid for his lack of screen time.

Dion Beebe shot the film and it is quite beautiful to look at with nice lighting, a contrast of muted and bright colours, great use of fog and dynamic camera movement. When you consider the budget of the film the production value is quite fantastic considering the size of the film. It looks just as big and expansive as your Hollywood blockbuster but for half the cost or less. The art direction and visual effects blend really well and create a fully realised world. Overall it is a really well made piece of entertaining spectacle with cautionary morals and if you're a fan of musicals you're going to have a whole lot of fun!

3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.