'Into the Woods,' starring Meryl Streep, stays true to stage version
The Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine 1987 musical 鈥淚nto the Woods鈥澛爃as been transferred to the screen by director Rob Marshall with most of聽its complexities and light-dark tonalities intact. Rumor had it this Disney聽production would bland out the show鈥檚 richness, but this turns out not聽to be the case. Although its first hour is more stunning than its second,聽this is a movie musical that, for a change, never degenerates into a false聽wholesomeness. It鈥檚 one of the rare musicals that both children and adults聽can enjoy, though for somewhat different reasons. Children will delight聽in the vast potpourri of classic fairy tales that have been mashed together;聽adults will appreciate the wisdom and moral reckonings in the retellings.
The cast is large and for the most part up to the task. James Corden听补苍诲 Emily Blunt are wonderful as the village baker and his wife, who are childless due to the curse placed upon them (long story) by the blue-haired聽Wicked Witch, played and sung with ravishing zest by Meryl Streep,聽looking like she鈥檚 having the time of her life. Anna Kendrick (a bit vanilla聽for my taste) is Cinderella, who, in this version of the tale, purposely聽leaves behind her glass slipper for the Prince (Chris Pine) to find. The聽Prince is a fatuous twit whose best line comes when he confesses, 鈥淚 was聽raised to be charming, not sincere.鈥�
Among the large cast is also Johnny Depp鈥檚 somewhat underused zoot-suited Wolf, Tracey Ullman as the overbearing mother of Jack (Daniel聽Huttlestone), and Lilla Crawford as a precocious Red Riding Hood.聽Most of Sondheim鈥檚 score, one of his best, is retained, with full justice聽done to such classics as 鈥淐hildren Will Listen" and "Stay With Me." Grade:聽B+ (Rated PG for thematic elements, fantasy action and peril, and some suggestive material.)
