Glee made mash-ups, the mixing of multiple songs, popular. But it was way back in the mid-’80s that the creators of Into The Woods mashed-up multiple Grimm Fairy Tales into an award-winning Broadway musical. Now it’s a celebrated film.
Into The Woods (Emily Blount, Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, James Corden, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp) – Rob Marshall (Chicago, Nine) does it again, taking a Broadway musical and creating an unforgettable film. Into The Woods is an all-star adaptation of the James Lapine/Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical that serves as a mash-up of fairy tales.
Jack and The Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood serve as the base for an enchanting, live-action songfest. Add an original story about a childless couple cursed by a witch and you have a lively, engaging, occasionally scary story that stays true to the original Grimm stories until the third act. Just as you marvel at the way that Lapine’s book interweaves the story to a happy ending, the mood changes as the wife of the Giant seeks revenge against the killing of her husband at the hands of young Jack. This is a musical that may actually play better on screen than on stage, which says a lot since the Broadway musical won numerous Tony Awards (it originated in San Diego at the Globe Theater).
There is much to love about this film, the most amazing of which may be the special effects. Creating the woods, the castles, the beanstalk, the giants, and the pyrotechnics was no easy feat. Stay for the credits to see the dozens of animators, CG artists, matte painters, and technical crew.
And then there is the acting and singing. From Meryl Streep and Christine Baranski, who showed their singing chops in the atrocious Mamma Mia! to the surprising singing ability of Chris Pine, Emily Blount, Anna Kendrick and even Johnny Depp, the music is the real star. Yes, you have to put up with Stephen Sondheim’s atonal tendencies but there are also quite tuneful melodies. Best of all, you can understand the lyrics, a problem that plagues so many musicals like Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera.
Don’t skip this because you think it is a kid’s film. It is not. It is a glorious celebration of song weaved brilliantly together in a way Glee fans would love.