Review of Into the Woods (2014) by Joel M — 07 Apr 2016

* Failure.

This is the best musical I have ever seen! Wait, wait! That was just a fairy tale because the movie musical "Into the Woods" is wood-in you have it, one of the worst movies I have ever witnessed. Man, this movie stunk! Director Rob Marshall's film focuses on integrating several classic fairy tales into a story set in the woods. The fairy tales that are featured here are: Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, and The Big Bad Bore. OK, maybe not the latter one but this what this movie was. "Into the Woods" stars James Corden and Emily Blunt as the Baker and the Baker's wife; they want to have a Fabulous Baker Baby Boy, but in order to do that they must provide a Wicked Witch a few things that will help her become young again. The Wicked Witch is played by Meryl Streep. Then somehow- Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack & the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood get integrated in the narrative. The entire movie is all bad, but the third act is even more atrocious when a Giant Woman comes into the woods and causes havoc; could not be worse than the havoc it did on my attention level. In a film filed with plenty of misfires, there could not have been a more giant mistake than this Giant Woman. Rob Marshall's plan in helming this picture was a big bad woof of a cinematic action. The movie's music was redundant as all the songs sounded alike, sorry I am sounding like a broken record on how bad was this movie. And let me not get started on the ridiculous screenplay. The acting ensemble was totally delirium-fused with overacting. I have no idea why Streep got Award nomination love for her performance as the Wicked Witch. Anna Kendrick seemed bored in her portrayal as Cinderella. Chris Pine's singing was not too charming in his role as Cinderella's Prince. If you blinked, you would have missed Johnny Depp's very brief big-bad-work as the Big Bad Wolf. Blunt and Corden overcooked their performances as the Baker and his wife. Tracey Ullman as Jack's mother was the only role that had fair game in this mess of a movie meshed with fairy tales. So yea! You have been warned! Please do not get "Into the Woods"!!!