Finally getting around to writing a review of Into the Woods.
Finally getting around to writing a review of Into the Woods. Definite spoilers if you are unfamiliar with any of it so
don't talk to strangers
don't take things from strangers
don't eat strangers' houses
never trust strangers
never bargain with your shadow
kissing frogs is mostly not worth it
get a haircut (equally applicable to werewolves and Rapunzels)
contrary to A Chorus Line, cosmetic surgery will not get you the job
always get a pre-nup and make sure you read the small print
free child care is never free
people have real issues with reproduction
Electra and Clytemnestra really started something
and whatever you do, don't go into the woods.
Hope that was enough spoiler space.
The full musical is too long for conventional movie-making, thus some cutting is unsurprising. Partially, this is accomplished by having the music run under a scene without being sung in places. Other things are just plain old cut. This most heavily impacts the second half of the story. Again, not really a surprise, since this is the least family friendly non-happy ending portion, thus the least Disney-like.
Someone was channeling their inner drag queen when they designed the costume for the Witch once she is transformed into her beautiful self. She gets most of her numbers from the show, and while she doesn't do so all the time, by the time she sings "Last Midnight", you get the definite impression that Meryl Streep can sing, if she wants to.
It's pretty clear which cast members can and can't truly sing. Mostly, this doesn't matter. Interestingly, Johnny Depp did ok with Sweeney Todd, so he presumably could have sung more as the Wolf, but he didn't. Otoh, his was the only performance that made the sexuality and sensuality of his brief appearance intensely clear. Which was kind of creepy, because pedophilia.
The staging and campiness of the two Princes' performance of "Agony" was amusingly self-mocking. Kudos to the director/choreographer for actual competitive bodice-ripping and Fabio-posing.
The two youngest of the cast, Jack and Little Red Riding Hood, were clearly well-trained and polished, and maintained consistently good performances throughout.
I'm a pretty big fan of crossing the streams, but am conflicted about it here. I am a Dr. Who fan, and liked James Corden's episodes. Thus, the verbatim call-back to Closing Time ("I can do this on my own!", etc.) was both yay and boo. At least they didn't refer to the baby as Stormaggedon. Overall, though, I liked his performance.
The handling of "No More" undercut the potential for some meaningful moments and character development, although I suppose if you don't know that's supposed to happen you wouldn't mind much. Firstly, they never really explain the sudden appearance of his father. In fact, I'm not sure they explain that it is his father, but I can't remember. Since the Mysterious Man isn't in the first act at all, you don't build any association with the character. Nonetheless, they could have worked with the unexplained appearance, especially if they had kept more of the full number in, but they didn't. Or they could have played it without his father at all and just made it be an interior dialogue with a shortened musical number.
Pleasantly surprised by Emily Blunt. Wish they hadn't short-changed the whole affair in the woods bit. Maybe if they hadn't, the humor I remember from the stage version would have been there. That, and the clear message that the Prince was shallow, used her, and didn't care. I mean, he obviously blew her off, but you kind of couldn't really feel like there was any connection there at all. Then again, the movie made it look like they barely made out, not like they had sex. Nobody has sex in Disney movies. They're just drawn that way. P.S. Dear Director, please stop having her play with the hank of Rapunzel's hair in Act I. Distracting and pointless.
Other than that, they run the "Finale" over the credits, rather than having all the characters return and sing together on screen, which seems weaker to me, but I guess at least they managed to include it that way? Can't decide if it makes sense to have them show a final shot of Cinderella singing her final "I wish ..." without having had the build-up from the whole cast singing. If you don't know the stage musical, I'm sure it works as the oo, they gave us a little extra at the end! thing that has become so common in movies. Not a major issue.
I think it will succeed, though, in getting a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't have gone near it to want to see it live, and that's a good thing. It's not as flashy, but it's far and away better than The Phantom of the Opera.
Aren't you glad I didn't go on and on about Sondheim's brilliant composing with a full musical analysis? Don't answer that.
don't talk to strangers
don't take things from strangers
don't eat strangers' houses
never trust strangers
never bargain with your shadow
kissing frogs is mostly not worth it
get a haircut (equally applicable to werewolves and Rapunzels)
contrary to A Chorus Line, cosmetic surgery will not get you the job
always get a pre-nup and make sure you read the small print
free child care is never free
people have real issues with reproduction
Electra and Clytemnestra really started something
and whatever you do, don't go into the woods.
Hope that was enough spoiler space.
The full musical is too long for conventional movie-making, thus some cutting is unsurprising. Partially, this is accomplished by having the music run under a scene without being sung in places. Other things are just plain old cut. This most heavily impacts the second half of the story. Again, not really a surprise, since this is the least family friendly non-happy ending portion, thus the least Disney-like.
Someone was channeling their inner drag queen when they designed the costume for the Witch once she is transformed into her beautiful self. She gets most of her numbers from the show, and while she doesn't do so all the time, by the time she sings "Last Midnight", you get the definite impression that Meryl Streep can sing, if she wants to.
It's pretty clear which cast members can and can't truly sing. Mostly, this doesn't matter. Interestingly, Johnny Depp did ok with Sweeney Todd, so he presumably could have sung more as the Wolf, but he didn't. Otoh, his was the only performance that made the sexuality and sensuality of his brief appearance intensely clear. Which was kind of creepy, because pedophilia.
The staging and campiness of the two Princes' performance of "Agony" was amusingly self-mocking. Kudos to the director/choreographer for actual competitive bodice-ripping and Fabio-posing.
The two youngest of the cast, Jack and Little Red Riding Hood, were clearly well-trained and polished, and maintained consistently good performances throughout.
I'm a pretty big fan of crossing the streams, but am conflicted about it here. I am a Dr. Who fan, and liked James Corden's episodes. Thus, the verbatim call-back to Closing Time ("I can do this on my own!", etc.) was both yay and boo. At least they didn't refer to the baby as Stormaggedon. Overall, though, I liked his performance.
The handling of "No More" undercut the potential for some meaningful moments and character development, although I suppose if you don't know that's supposed to happen you wouldn't mind much. Firstly, they never really explain the sudden appearance of his father. In fact, I'm not sure they explain that it is his father, but I can't remember. Since the Mysterious Man isn't in the first act at all, you don't build any association with the character. Nonetheless, they could have worked with the unexplained appearance, especially if they had kept more of the full number in, but they didn't. Or they could have played it without his father at all and just made it be an interior dialogue with a shortened musical number.
Pleasantly surprised by Emily Blunt. Wish they hadn't short-changed the whole affair in the woods bit. Maybe if they hadn't, the humor I remember from the stage version would have been there. That, and the clear message that the Prince was shallow, used her, and didn't care. I mean, he obviously blew her off, but you kind of couldn't really feel like there was any connection there at all. Then again, the movie made it look like they barely made out, not like they had sex. Nobody has sex in Disney movies. They're just drawn that way. P.S. Dear Director, please stop having her play with the hank of Rapunzel's hair in Act I. Distracting and pointless.
Other than that, they run the "Finale" over the credits, rather than having all the characters return and sing together on screen, which seems weaker to me, but I guess at least they managed to include it that way? Can't decide if it makes sense to have them show a final shot of Cinderella singing her final "I wish ..." without having had the build-up from the whole cast singing. If you don't know the stage musical, I'm sure it works as the oo, they gave us a little extra at the end! thing that has become so common in movies. Not a major issue.
I think it will succeed, though, in getting a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't have gone near it to want to see it live, and that's a good thing. It's not as flashy, but it's far and away better than The Phantom of the Opera.
Aren't you glad I didn't go on and on about Sondheim's brilliant composing with a full musical analysis? Don't answer that.
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