There's a nameless Baker and his wife (James Corden and Emily Blunt) who want a child but are unable to. The Witch (Meryl Streep) who cursed his family into barrenness decides to throw him a bone. She'll lift the curse if she gets some items in three days. But how will they get a white cow, a red cape, a yellow hair and a gold slipper?
They get the cow from Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) and give him magic beans. The cape comes from Little Red Riding Hood (Lila Crawford). The gold slipper belongs to Cinderella (Anna Kendrick). Rapunzel's hair looks just right.
These fairy tale characters all wish for things. They want a quick "Happily Ever After" and will do anything to get it. That just brings about a big problem onto the land.
Like the earlier Sondheim rendition Sweeney Todd, this is reasonably adapted for the screen. The alterations to the play's libretto lets it seamlessly run in one continuous act (rather than two). Any unfortunate changes were done for the sake of the film story. You won't get thrown off by the story.
The artistic design isn't as garish as the advertisements suggested. In fact, it's a fine display of fantasy costumes and environments. There's magic in the visuals even in questionable spots. One might snicker at the Big Bad Wolf's (Johnny Depp) suit when he first appears. But he's legitimately creepy and unsettling once he starts singing. You won't be laughing much longer.
Into the Woods has an amazing rendition of its Sondheim score. Each tune is a memorable piece of music. The actors who sing the parts are well chosen. The dramatic numbers do their job well. Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen's (as the dashing Princes) duet is a highlight as it's a ridiculous dramatic number. Sondheim's trademark rapid tempo and lyrics don't overwhelm the cast at all.
This isn't a fun and fancy story, though it's nowhere near as Grimm as the play or its original stories. Keep that it mind when you go Into the Woods and you'll come out good. It really is a memorable cinematic fairy tale.
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