Into the Woods (2014)

"Be careful what you wish for"

Directed by Rob Marshall
Produced by Rob Marshall, John DeLuca, Marc Platt, Callum McDougall
Screenplay by James Lapine
Based on "Into the Woods" by Stephen Sondheim, James Lapine
Starring: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, Johnny Depp
Narrated by James Corden
Music by Stephen Sondheim
Cinematography: Dion Beebe
Edited by Wyatt Smith
Production company: Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios, Motion Pictures
Release date: 24 December 2014 (South Korea)
Running time: 124 minutes
Country: United States, United Kingdom
Budget: $50 million
Box office: $173.2 million

"Into the Woods" is a musical adventure fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Rob Marshall and adapted to the screen by James Lapine from his and Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. The story is about a witch who tasks a childless baker and his wife with procuring magical items from classic fairy tales to reverse the curse put on their family tree.

Cast

• Meryl Streep as The Witch
• Emily Blunt as The Baker's Wife
• James Corden as The Baker
• Anna Kendrick as Cinderella
• Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince
• Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother
• Christine Baranski as Cinderella's Stepmother
• Johnny Depp as The Wolf
• Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood
• Daniel Huttlestone as Jack
• MacKenzie Mauzy as Rapunzel
• Billy Magnussen as Rapunzel's Prince
• Tammy Blanchard as Florinda
• Lucy Punch as Lucinda
• Annette Crosbie as Little Red Riding Hood's Grandmother
• Joanna Riding as Cinderella's Mother
• Frances de la Tour as the Giant's Wife
• Richard Glover as the Steward
• Simon Russell Beale as the Baker's Father

The director of the film is Rob Marshall whose remarkable works are "Memoirs of a Geisha" (2005) and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (2011). As for his "Into the Woods", I was looking forward to it so much, however, it didn't surpass all my expectations. Yes, I love musicals but something wasn't enough for me. Unfortunately.

The cast turned out all-star: eccentric Meryl's Witch, purposeful Emily's the Baker's wife, diffident Anna's Cinderella, vain Crhis' Prince Charming, funny Lilla's Little Red Riding Hood. Moreover, they all can sing in tune and that's the main incomparable advantage except beautiful special effects and charmong music.

Advantages

• Meryl Streep as The Witch
• Anna Kendrick as Cinderella
• Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince
• Johnny Depp as The Wolf
• Musical
• The unusual end for fairy tales

Disadvantages

• Too slow moving

"Strangenesses"

• Even tales becomes more realistic today

Clue Moments

• Weddings
• Death
• Wonders

Soundtracks

1. Anna Kendrick - On the Steps of the Palace
2. Anna Kendrick & Emily Blunt - A Very Nice Prince
3. Anna Kendrick & James Corden & Lilla Crawford & Daniel Huttlestone - No One Is Alone
4. Chris Pine & Billy Magnussen - Agony
5. Chris Pine & Emily Blunt - Any Moment
6. Christine Baranski & Tammy Blanchard & Lucy Punch - Careful My Toe
7. Daniel Huttlestone - Giants in the Sky
8. Daniel Huttlestone & James Corden & Lilla Crawford & Meryl Streep & Anna Kendrick - Your Fault
9. Emily Blunt - Moments in the Woods
10. Emily Blunt & James Corden - It Takes Two
11. Emily Blunt & James Corden - The Cow as White as Milk
12. Joanna Riding - Cinderella at the Grave
13. Johnny Depp & Lilla Crawford - Hello, Little Girl
14. Lilla Crawford - I Know Things Now
15. MacKenzie Mauzy - Rapunzel's Song
16. Meryl Streep - Last Midnight
17. Meryl Streep - Stay With Me
18. Meryl Streep - Witch's Lament
19. Stephen Sondheim - "May I Compare This Ear of Corn?"
20. Stephen Sondheim - "She Won’t Get Far With One Shoe"
21. Stephen Sondheim - "This Cow Is Covered With Flour"
22. Stephen Sondheim - "Who Cares!"
23. Stephen Sondheim - Almost Midnight
24. Stephen Sondheim - Back Into the Woods
25. Stephen Sondheim - Baker and Wife Part
26. Stephen Sondheim - Cinderella Runs
27. Stephen Sondheim - Ever After
28. Stephen Sondheim - Find the Boy
29. Stephen Sondheim - Granny's Cottage
30. Stephen Sondheim - Jack Chops Down the Beanstalk
31. Stephen Sondheim - Last Midnight
32. Stephen Sondheim - Magic Beans
33. Stephen Sondheim - No More
34. Stephen Sondheim - One Day Left
35. Stephen Sondheim - Princes' Fanfare
36. Stephen Sondheim - Rapunzel's Hair
37. Stephen Sondheim - Rapunzel's Tear
38. Stephen Sondheim - Searching for Cinderella
39. Stephen Sondheim - Stay With Me
40. Stephen Sondheim - The Beanstalk Grows
41. Stephen Sondheim - The Cape as Red as Blood
42. Stephen Sondheim - The Far Away Prince
43. Stephen Sondheim - The Forbidden Tower
44. Stephen Sondheim - The Giant Attack
45. Stephen Sondheim - The Slipper Fits
46. Stephen Sondheim - The Witch's Transformation
47. Stephen Sondheim - Two Midnights Gone
48. Various Artists - Finale | Children Will Listen (Pt. 1)
49. Various Artists - Finale | Children Will Listen (Pt. 2)
50. Various Artists - Prologue: Into the Woods

Quotations

* * *

Cinderella's Prince: I was raised to be charming, not sincere.

* * *

Witch: Stay a child while you can be a child.

* * *

Little Red Riding Hood: Do not put your faith in a cape and a hood, they will not protect you the way that they should. And take extra care with strangers, even flowers have their dangers, and though scary is exciting, nice is different than good.

* * *

Little Red Riding Hood: Isn't it nice to know a lot... and a little bit not...

* * *

Witch: Careful the wish you make, wishes are children. Careful the path they take, wishes come true, not free. Careful the spell you cast, not just on children. Sometimes the spell may last past what you can see, and turn against you. Careful the tale you tell, that is the spell. Children will listen...

* * *

Witch: You're not good, you're not bad, you're just nice. I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right. I'm the witch. You're the world.

* * *

Baker's Wife: Just remembering you had an 'and,' when you're back to 'or,' makes the 'or' mean more than is did before.

* * *

Baker's Wife: Oh, if life were made of moments, even now and then a bad one - But if life were only moments, then you'd never know you had one.

* * *

You may see the trailer here.

Plot: 5/10

Entertainment: 6/10

Acting: 6/10

Originality: 5/10

Music and Sound: 7/10

6/10