Into the Woods (2015) Film Review

Into the Woods is perhaps best described as a culmination of Disney’s current trend of live action fairy tales, by pulling a Shrek and bringing a handful of them together into this adaptation of the 1980s musical of the same name. In the early stages of production, and when set photos started being released online, it became a potential Oscar frontrunner, and not just for the standard hair and costume awards that is to be expected. So far, it’s living up to that initial hype, placing in AFI’s Top 10/11 Films of 2014 and gaining largely positive reviews by critics, audiences and fans alike. But how about musical cynics like myself?

The quickest compliment that can be given is that the songs themselves are particularly strong, with titular tune ‘Into the Woods’ perhaps becoming a potential earworm for 2015. Granted, a handful of the songs don’t hit the same high points, particularly during the third act, but they do help carry the film with ease and making the journey not so much of a gruelling challenge without them. It’s also quite noticeable what has been changed to appeal to a PG rating, in particular the relationship between Johnny Depp’s Wolf and Lilla Crawford’s Red Riding Hood – although that’s hinted at through the choreography rather than the lyrics. The quality of the singing is also mainly strong, with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt being the strongest on offer, but the red herring of the bunch is Chris Pine as Prince Charming, whose singing doesn’t match his performance or even how he sings. If it weren’t for Pine, the singing would be an overall smash, but alas there’s always one at fault.

But the quickest complaint that can be given is that the third act seems to fall apart, extending a story which would have otherwise wrapped up quickly and adding an extra 30-40 minutes to try and add some sustenance to an originally nicely-done conclusion and tie all the characters together as they resolve the issue forced upon. It’s an ending which drags out and makes the film feel a lot longer than it is, whereas as the first two acts fly by so swiftly. There’s also the fast removal of both Rapunzel (an underused Mackenzie Mauzy despite her somewhat large presence) and Pine’s pompous prince; they both have a form of farewell but neither seem natural as they both run off,

But those first two acts are very enjoyable, giving fast retellings of the classic stories within the first act and then mixing those characters up with our lead hunters James Corden and Emily Blunt. Thanks to the strong likability of all these characters, each appearance and interaction is pleasant and they never overstay their welcome. Even Depp has a surprisingly short appearance – perhaps scenes were cut after the performances of The Lone Ranger and Transcendence? Meryl Streep’s Witch is a great connector between various characters and steals each scene she appears in, as expected at this point in her career, even if her character isn’t even needed for the scene.

Into the Woods is where we go to find a film that may be slow, but never ever bores you. It has better style and direction than its contemporaries, and features some great music both orchestrated and sang, and has a mostly strong cast – only let down by Chris Pine. Its third act does fall apart but still features some enjoyment value, so it musters up a 7/10.