Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s imaginative, droll, and ultimately poignant amalgamation of four Grimm fairy stories with one of their own tales makes for a movie musical dream come true with Rob Marshall’s film version of Into the Woods. Featuring a bevy of gifted singing actors who perfectly capture the fun, whimsy, and darkness of the piece and tied in with a physical production which brings the fairy tales to life without an overuse of special effects or an unnecessarily showy presentation, Into the Woods proves to be the finest screen transcription of a Sondheim composed stage musical yet and one that lovers of the genre can’t afford to miss.
Studio: Disney
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 2.39.1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD, Other
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Other
Rating: PG
Run Time: 2 Hr. 5 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray, Digital Copy
keep case in a slipcoverDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: ABC
Release Date: 03/24/2015
MSRP: $39.99
The Production Rating: 4.5/5
Playwright James Lapine has adapted his own Broadway libretto for the movie’s screenplay, and while much of the film cleaves closely and rather faithfully to the theatrical piece both literally and musically (certainly the themes and morals are the same: achieving dreams comes with consequences, the best achievements come with teamwork, children tend to copy adult behaviors), there have been some minor deletions, in some cases well-reasoned (elimination of several reprises of the title tune which on stage become quite repetitive, Jack’s brief farewell to his pet cow “Goodbye, Old Girl,” the first act finale “Ever After” since the two acts merge seamlessly into one another in the movie, the princes’ “Agony” reprise deleted since Snow White and Sleeping Beauty aren’t brought into the story and also because the staging of the song in the first half simply couldn’t be topped) and only in one instance leaving a small but noticeable hole in the film’s dramatic impact. That comes when the Baker at the end of his rope late in the story reaches an emotional climax that requires a musical epiphany (on the stage, it’s the song “No More”). Snatches of the tune play on the soundtrack, but there is no vocal, and it’s such a turning point for the Baker that the moment feels tentative and incomplete.
But the medium of film allows many of Sondheim’s complex melodies to receive a visual enhancement to expand the songs’ impact, and Rob Marshall has directed the musical numbers with economy and pace allowing his talented cast all the room in the world to act these numbers to their very cores. The Witch’s rap song, part of the unprecedented sixteen-minute opening number which serves as an introduction to many of the major characters and provides their motivations for the film’s first half, shows us visually some of the prior events she is singing about as does Little Red’s “I Know Things Now” after escaping from the wolf and Jack’s exhilarating “Giants in the Sky” which recounts his first exploits after climbing the beanstalk. Sondheim’s score is chock full of bountiful if sophisticated and intricate melodies paired with lyrics which are so astute and full of information that for many a second or third hearing is mandatory. But the songs often come from places of deep emotion: the Witch’s pleading “Stay with Me” attempting to persuade Rapunzel to remain safe in the tower, Cinderella’s thoughtful rumination on her possible choices in “On the Steps of the Palace,” the Baker and his wife sharing a cozy camaraderie in “It Takes Two,” and the two princes’ joyously competitive “Agony” splashing among a rocked-filled waterfall and oblivious to being soaked as they try to convince the other that his is the most tormenting love to bear. When things turn serious in the film’s second half, there is still some humor to be found (the Baker’s wife’s utter disbelief about her encounter with the prince in “Some Moments in the Woods”) and a calm loveliness before the storm (“No One Is Alone”) though the mood turns much graver for the most part as the protagonists quarrel in “Your Fault,” face the Witch’s condemnation in “Last Midnight,” and inevitably hear “Children Will Listen” as the mood clears at the climax.
Foremost among the performances is Meryl Streep as the Witch. Those who are only familiar with her singing in the popular but in many ways unfortunate Mamma Mia! will be astounded at her vocal dexterity and vast power and control as she caresses and thunders through her parts of the score. Dramatically, she’s very funny as she orders people about, poignant over the loss of her child, and angry at the way her life and her world are coming to an end: a musical and dramatic smorgasbord that any actress would be proud to display. Emily Blunt is likewise astonishingly resourceful and appealing as the Baker’s wife. Without getting too precious or nagging, she acquits herself wonderfully. James Corden is likewise likeable as the Baker handling the songs with a decent pitch even if there isn’t much sustain in his vocals. Anna Kendrick is a marvelous Cinderella with just enough pluck without ever becoming too needy and maturing gracefully as the story progresses. Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen are picture perfect peacocks as the princes, and Tracey Ullman lands all of her comedy moments as Jack’s exasperated mother. Johnny Depp is on and off rather quickly as the wolf to minimal impact (his song “Hello, Little Girl” seems more throwaway here than on stage) while Christine Baranski, Tammy Blanchard, and Lucy Punch make fine haughty stepmother and stepsisters respectively. As for the children, Lilla Crawford as Little Red has the better voice but doesn’t quite land all of her wonderfully droll comedy material while Daniel Huttlestone as Jack isn’t a trained singer but scores all of Jack’s best bits with surety.
Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 5/5
Special Features Rating: 4/5
“She’ll Be Back” – Deleted Song (4:48, HD): director Rob Marshall explains the reasons for cutting this newly composed number for the film before presenting Meryl Streep’s filmed rendition of it.
There’s Something in the Woods (13:23, HD): the major cast along with director Rob Marshall, producers John Deluca and Marc Platt, composer Stephen Sondheim, screenwriter James Lapine, director of photography Dion Beebe, art director Andrew Bennett, and production designer Dennis Gassner all share recollections about the project and their excitement over bringing it to the screen.
The Cast as Good as Gold (10:10, HD): the cast shares memories of what it was like to work together and to sing the intricacies of Sondheim’s score.
Deeper Into the Woods (HD): four production featurettes highlighting aspects of the movie.
- From Stage to Screen (8:33): Rob Marshall, John Deluca, and Marc Platt discuss the aspects of the Broadway show which made them eager to tackle the show as a film musical.
- Magic of the Woods (7:24): Rob Marshall reveals that the movie features both pre-recordings of the songs and live singing by the cast with the final result on film an amalgamation of the two. He also praises the work of his film editor Wyatt Smith and his sound editing and mixing teams.
- Designing the Woods (7:07): both production designer Dennis Gassner and director of photography Dion Beebe discuss the melding of real woods with the studio-constructed woods set at Shepperton.
- Costumes of the Woods (6:53): costume designer Colleen Atwood discusses her choices for the looks of the major characters and the materials used to construct the clothes.
Easter Egg (0:50, HD): a behind-the-scenes look at how the end of Meryl Streep's "Last Midnight" was shot.
Promo Trailers (HD): Tomorrowland, Aladdin.
Digital Copy: code sheet enclosed in the case.
The Cast
She'll Be Back
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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