Review of Into the Woods (2014) by Jonathan B — 07 Jul 2015

Watching your favourite musical transferred to the big screen can fill one with something of a sense of apprehension. Cinema is a very different medium to the stage and obviously changes have to be made.

I'd long since worn out my old off-air video recording of the James Lapine stage version starring Bernadette Peters but the memories of it linger as do the versions I've seen live down the years.

So how does the Rob Marshall version hold up? Pretty well as far as I'm concerned. True, Meryl Streep can't match Peter's vocals...doesn't even come close actually, but then again, she plays a witch and witches are supposed to be a bit croaky right? As with any transfer to screen there are cuts and changes to the story.

The only one that really jarred for me was there was no "Goodbye Old Friend" from Jack after he sells Milky White to the Baker, a short verse that always makes me laugh and cry. I was concerned that Disney would try to sanitise a story in which a major character, and a sympathetic one at that, meets a fairly grisly end, however the studio has maintained the integrity of the piece and kept it darkly comic.

What a delight it is to see Tracey Ullman back on the screen and she is joined by a fantastic cast including James Corden, Emily Blunt , Chris Pine and Johnny Depp. Sondheim's brilliance at weaving together so many of the familiar Grimm's fairytales into a single story about adolescence, desire and loss shines through.

The settings are lovely and I especially enjoyed Anna Kendrick's repeated flights from the palace on the strokes of midnight. The big twist in the story comes When Everyone seems to have what they desire.

The Witch has her beauty returned, the Baker and his wife have a child, Cinderella has her prince, Jack and his mother have all the gold they could wish for. Then things change. Life with a Prince Charming isn't all it's cracked up to be and beauty has its own price.

This, like all Sondheim musicals, is a touching and emotional ride, darkly comedic with a slant making it different from the kind of musicals where characters just stand at the front of the stage and shout at the audience about their feelings.

Although for me, the stage version will always be the preferred one, I think the movie is a worthy addition and will hopefully bring the modern American master of the musical genre to the attention of a wider audience.