Into the Woods (2014)

United States of America

Fantasy, Comedy

Walt Disney Pictures, Marc Platt Productions, Lucamar Productions

James Corden, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Lilla Crawford, Daniel Huttlestone

Rob Marshall

James Lapine

Taglines: Be careful what you wish for...

witch, princess, fairy tale, prince, musical, based on play or musical, curse, beanstalk, based on fairy tale, duringcreditsstinger, red riding hood

In a woods filled with magic and fairy tale characters, a baker and his wife set out to end the curse put on them by their neighbor, a spiteful witch.

Reviews:

Author: r96sk
Too drawn out, 90 minutes might've been perfect. I like the idea of 'Into the Woods', with its mash-up of numerous fairy tales from 'Cinderella' to 'Little Red Riding Hood' to 'Jack and the Beanstalk' to 'Rapunzel'. I'd also say the musical pieces are enjoyable across the opening 20-30 minutes, which are nice and energetic. However, from the midway point things start chugging down to a snail's pace. The novelty of the premise begins to wear thin, as it becomes clear that there isn't much more to tell - despite a load of the 125 minute run time still remaining. I will say, though, the look of the film is pleasant. I do also rate the casting. James Corden seems to split opinion online, but I've always liked him; having watched and enjoyed him since his career took off with UK TV's 'Gavin & Stacey'. Emily Blunt and Johnny Depp are two of my favourite actors, while Meryl Streep and Anna Kendrick are strong casts. I like Chris Pine too, but he's iffy in this. In conclusion, I almost found entertainment with this but overall it disappoints due to its poor pacing and gappy plot.