Into the Woods (2014)
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Well, another message is "careful what you do and say to your children." Unfortunately that got a little lost since "Finale" was sung with no visible people singing it, and it should have had the characters visibly singing it.
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Here's my review/thoughts of the film from BroadwayWorld.com:
When the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS was announced, everyone was holding excitement for it because it had taken them 20 years to get it to the screen; since there was a reading in 1994 with a different team of writers who changed the dark piece into a light hearted affair. Then after years of development hell and casting that never happened, a new reading took place in 2012 which was a sign that a film was being developed; which in fact, it was. Rob Marshall was announced as the director and the screenwriter was none other than the man who wrote the book for the stage version in 1987, James Lapine. But when Disney announced Marshall and the studio's involvement, every fan was naturally worried with the studio cutting the dark elements of the piece out.
But on December 26th 2014, something happened on the screen... It not only was a very faithful adaptation of Sondheim's brilliant musical, but it defeated and destroyed LES MISERABLES as my favorite musical film of the 2000's-present, not only for now, but it can rank up there with THE SOUND OF MUSIC, CABARET and THE KING AND I as my personal favorites. The ending more or less left me wistful as a 21 year old son, thinking. Thinking so hard on the continuing theme of what it means to be a parent and a child. It's one of the most rare movies (especially musical films) that leaves me with this feeling and no other musical film of the 21st century so far has left me with that.
As for the film itself, it is a beautiful piece of art that Rob Marshall's direction which was finely paced (even in Act II) and it shows that now he is not afraid that this IS a musical from beginning to end, no fancy-pants concept, no flashy visuals, no nothing. It proves that he was never at any moment in his whole career, a "one-trick pony", seriously. The art direction was splendid for it's intimacy and at times, vastness; Dennis Gassner , who did work on SKYFALL, had so much to live up to and he did a great job combining the real locations with the sets that were built with such consistency that could be a problem with some, but for me it was done well with the 50 million dollar budget that it had. Coleen Atwood's costumes were really something to look at (even Johnny Depp's 1940's wolf outfit), the standouts being Cinderella's ball gown and both the Witch's costumes before and after the transformation. There are two unsung hero's in this film: Dion Beebe and Jonathan Tunick for their cinematography and orchestrations respectfully, if Marshall and Beebe are not the director and cinematographer for a film adaptation of FOLLIES, then I think a crime has been comitted. Dion's work here was not only the best of his career, but it should be recongnized as some of the best cinematography for a musical since the olden days of musical film in general. The long shots and intricate camera work which is serviced greatly by Wyatt Smith who's editing was timed very well and paced gracefully compared to Marshall's previous films. As for Tunick, he outdid himself with the new orchestrations for INTO THE WOODS, lush and used well by the sound designers to an advantage, this makes me wish so badly that it could be nominated for Oscars too. Just imagine what he'd do for FOLLIES, it would be magical and powerful if he did that to what he did here.
The cast, as expected was nothing short of amazing. There is not a single miscast or sour note in this ensemble. First let's talk about what everyone has already: Meryl Streep. She is a tour-de-force, she played The Witch so differently than her contemporaries, Peters, Waddingham, Murphy, McKenzie, Williams etc. that her interpretation is not only the best since Peters, but I was shocked with how she made me forget Peter's really good version from the original production in 1987. Funny, wicked, cynical, slightly crazy, smart and desperate, Streep pulled out the stops and gave us the best performance out of any of them; her singing was amaze-balls! After the horribly dismal MAMMA MIA! which gave her nothing to do with her voice, she is not only better treated but she showed us all that her voice is a powerful one. Don't believe me? Then check out "The Last Midnight" not only the top highlight of the entire film but it is the big reason why she SHOULD win the Oscar over Patricia Arquette, direction, visually and performed with such perfection that is shows why Sondheim wanted Streep to play her and Streep proved the haters wrong, so very, very WRONG. She was the best playing such an interesting character.
James Corden and Emily Blunt were amazing together. Their chemistry was so perfect that if you were told that they were not a real life married couple, I think you would laugh at them; they feel into their roles that they both pulled a Daniel Day-Lewis on us. For Corden to play The Baker was something that could've easily been played so blandly and here comes Corden that gives us a warm, stand-offish, funny and quirky performance that was the best since Chip Zien's wonderful performance in the original. His scene with his dead father during the "No More" scene was heart-punching that it almost made me teary-eyed and his warm singing was a bonus. Blunt is so spell-binding that her acting and singing helped her very much. Her voice is truly lovely and sweet that it makes me wonder why Blunt had never did a musical before in her career, her "It Takes Two" and "Moment's in the Woods" was portrayed wonderfully and thankfully justifies the material.
Chris Pine as The Prince was a highlight on his own terms. He was charming, smarmy and hilarious that the scenery was chewed quite so much when he was around and his singing voice surprised me in a very good way that he should play Joe Gillis in Andrew Lloyd Webber's SUNSET BOULEVARD. His "Agony" with Billy Magnussen, who's singing voice was great, who plays his on screen brother was the song that did earn the biggest laughs of the theater where I saw it with a nearly full audience. His last scene with Cinderella was perfect and his ending was in a way bittersweet to his character.
Speaking of Cinderella, Anna Kendrick was enchanting. Her voice is something I never thought I'd live to hear with her portrayal of "On The Steps of the Palace" was easily top 3 for me with her soprano voice being a pleasant surprise and a highlight. The staging by Marshall and John DeLuca was magical with the fire embers around her as time slows down dramatically for her to make a decision was an inspired choice.
Lilla Crawford and Daniel Huttlestone as Little Red and Jack was perfect casting and they are both age perfect as Marshall did want the roles to be played by young actors (fun fact: a young Elijah Wood was Jack in the 1994 reading when INTO THE WOODS was supposed to have been a movie). Crawford's singing voice is bursting with so much energy and power that I was so thankful that Crawford's sassy, sweet and calm performance was here other than Sophia Grace, who was supposed to be Little Red during production but was dropped out for being "too young", that would've been Gerard Butler bad. Huttlestone has improved since LES MISERABLES, his singing was more clear and while the accent has been a problem with others, it wasn't for me. Their performances of "I Know Things Now" and "Giants in the Sky" are really good and while the concept of the former was a minor quibble for being strange as all get out for me(seriously what is up with the dark colored curtain look?), the latter was shot and staged magnificently.
Both Billy and MacKenzie Mauzy, who plays Rapunzel, were wonderful for the little they were given with in the end (now to be fair I think the cutting up of Act II is still justified, especially when I have seen it for myself). His portrayal as The Prince's Brother was now meant to be the polar opposite of his brother which I think was a welcome change and I feel that Rapunzel's change of fate was more or less a wise decision and I felt The Witch's pain during "Witch's Lament". Mauzy had a slight moment of madness when she was all alone in that little island in a swamp that legitimately tragic me out in a delightful way.
Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother was great, it was very refreshing to see her in a musical and her voice was very good. Funny and a bit overbearing, Ullman played to role in a way that you feel her frustration and annoyance with Jack that I don't think I've felt before for this character. Though her death was rather glanced over which was an minor issue that bothered me for a moment but something that I quickly let go as soon as The Baker told Jack that she didn't make it. I don't think any other actress could play this role the way Ullman did (same goes for Streep).
Johnny Depp's 5 minute role as The Wolf was not as average as I thought it was going to be. His singing is still the same as it was in SWEENEY TODD but his creepy way of playing it was perfect enough for what the role is called for. The moment where he shows Little Red the candy in his fur coat during "Hello Little Girl" was pure stranger danger that it was scary in a Child Catcher sense. The whole song was shot and edited perfectly to with Depp's howling as a perfect ending to it. So happy that Disney was taking a risk by letting this song stay in the film.
As for the other actors, Christine Baranski couldn't be more at home with her as The Stepmother; with her wicked, playful and comical acting and singing that it was too good to be true. Tammy Blanchard and Lucy Punch did very well for the smaller roles as The Stepsisters though Punch's vocals threw me off for a bit. Comic relief done right, thanks to James Lapine's faithful and well paced screenplay.
Francis De La Tour's small performance as The Giantess was really neat and to see her body through the trees was a delightful change from the stage show that made me happy and made a few kids excited and spooked at the same time. Everyone else from Joanna Riding to Simon Russell Beale did good to support and move the story along, yes while the cutting of "No More" did make fans quite sad, the dialogue during the scene was perfect and the score of the song was beautiful along with Corden's performance during it did make my heart sink and hit me closer to home.
In the end, this is the affect the movie had on me from the entire final act, it left me thinking and wistful about the things other people went through, how we move on from the pain of the past and that we are not alone in this.
Rob Marshall...Stephen Sondheim.....James Lapine. You have all done my heart proud in a time where musicals are still suffering in Hollywood (ANNIE comes to mind) and that major audiences does not care for the genre anymore by creating a musical film that destroys all the other musical films from the past 15 years, even the good ones...
So that is why, after much thinking about, I shall give this movie..
9.5 out of 10. The best rating I could give for a movie with such love and passion to it.
When the film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS was announced, everyone was holding excitement for it because it had taken them 20 years to get it to the screen; since there was a reading in 1994 with a different team of writers who changed the dark piece into a light hearted affair. Then after years of development hell and casting that never happened, a new reading took place in 2012 which was a sign that a film was being developed; which in fact, it was. Rob Marshall was announced as the director and the screenwriter was none other than the man who wrote the book for the stage version in 1987, James Lapine. But when Disney announced Marshall and the studio's involvement, every fan was naturally worried with the studio cutting the dark elements of the piece out.
But on December 26th 2014, something happened on the screen... It not only was a very faithful adaptation of Sondheim's brilliant musical, but it defeated and destroyed LES MISERABLES as my favorite musical film of the 2000's-present, not only for now, but it can rank up there with THE SOUND OF MUSIC, CABARET and THE KING AND I as my personal favorites. The ending more or less left me wistful as a 21 year old son, thinking. Thinking so hard on the continuing theme of what it means to be a parent and a child. It's one of the most rare movies (especially musical films) that leaves me with this feeling and no other musical film of the 21st century so far has left me with that.
As for the film itself, it is a beautiful piece of art that Rob Marshall's direction which was finely paced (even in Act II) and it shows that now he is not afraid that this IS a musical from beginning to end, no fancy-pants concept, no flashy visuals, no nothing. It proves that he was never at any moment in his whole career, a "one-trick pony", seriously. The art direction was splendid for it's intimacy and at times, vastness; Dennis Gassner , who did work on SKYFALL, had so much to live up to and he did a great job combining the real locations with the sets that were built with such consistency that could be a problem with some, but for me it was done well with the 50 million dollar budget that it had. Coleen Atwood's costumes were really something to look at (even Johnny Depp's 1940's wolf outfit), the standouts being Cinderella's ball gown and both the Witch's costumes before and after the transformation. There are two unsung hero's in this film: Dion Beebe and Jonathan Tunick for their cinematography and orchestrations respectfully, if Marshall and Beebe are not the director and cinematographer for a film adaptation of FOLLIES, then I think a crime has been comitted. Dion's work here was not only the best of his career, but it should be recongnized as some of the best cinematography for a musical since the olden days of musical film in general. The long shots and intricate camera work which is serviced greatly by Wyatt Smith who's editing was timed very well and paced gracefully compared to Marshall's previous films. As for Tunick, he outdid himself with the new orchestrations for INTO THE WOODS, lush and used well by the sound designers to an advantage, this makes me wish so badly that it could be nominated for Oscars too. Just imagine what he'd do for FOLLIES, it would be magical and powerful if he did that to what he did here.
The cast, as expected was nothing short of amazing. There is not a single miscast or sour note in this ensemble. First let's talk about what everyone has already: Meryl Streep. She is a tour-de-force, she played The Witch so differently than her contemporaries, Peters, Waddingham, Murphy, McKenzie, Williams etc. that her interpretation is not only the best since Peters, but I was shocked with how she made me forget Peter's really good version from the original production in 1987. Funny, wicked, cynical, slightly crazy, smart and desperate, Streep pulled out the stops and gave us the best performance out of any of them; her singing was amaze-balls! After the horribly dismal MAMMA MIA! which gave her nothing to do with her voice, she is not only better treated but she showed us all that her voice is a powerful one. Don't believe me? Then check out "The Last Midnight" not only the top highlight of the entire film but it is the big reason why she SHOULD win the Oscar over Patricia Arquette, direction, visually and performed with such perfection that is shows why Sondheim wanted Streep to play her and Streep proved the haters wrong, so very, very WRONG. She was the best playing such an interesting character.
James Corden and Emily Blunt were amazing together. Their chemistry was so perfect that if you were told that they were not a real life married couple, I think you would laugh at them; they feel into their roles that they both pulled a Daniel Day-Lewis on us. For Corden to play The Baker was something that could've easily been played so blandly and here comes Corden that gives us a warm, stand-offish, funny and quirky performance that was the best since Chip Zien's wonderful performance in the original. His scene with his dead father during the "No More" scene was heart-punching that it almost made me teary-eyed and his warm singing was a bonus. Blunt is so spell-binding that her acting and singing helped her very much. Her voice is truly lovely and sweet that it makes me wonder why Blunt had never did a musical before in her career, her "It Takes Two" and "Moment's in the Woods" was portrayed wonderfully and thankfully justifies the material.
Chris Pine as The Prince was a highlight on his own terms. He was charming, smarmy and hilarious that the scenery was chewed quite so much when he was around and his singing voice surprised me in a very good way that he should play Joe Gillis in Andrew Lloyd Webber's SUNSET BOULEVARD. His "Agony" with Billy Magnussen, who's singing voice was great, who plays his on screen brother was the song that did earn the biggest laughs of the theater where I saw it with a nearly full audience. His last scene with Cinderella was perfect and his ending was in a way bittersweet to his character.
Speaking of Cinderella, Anna Kendrick was enchanting. Her voice is something I never thought I'd live to hear with her portrayal of "On The Steps of the Palace" was easily top 3 for me with her soprano voice being a pleasant surprise and a highlight. The staging by Marshall and John DeLuca was magical with the fire embers around her as time slows down dramatically for her to make a decision was an inspired choice.
Lilla Crawford and Daniel Huttlestone as Little Red and Jack was perfect casting and they are both age perfect as Marshall did want the roles to be played by young actors (fun fact: a young Elijah Wood was Jack in the 1994 reading when INTO THE WOODS was supposed to have been a movie). Crawford's singing voice is bursting with so much energy and power that I was so thankful that Crawford's sassy, sweet and calm performance was here other than Sophia Grace, who was supposed to be Little Red during production but was dropped out for being "too young", that would've been Gerard Butler bad. Huttlestone has improved since LES MISERABLES, his singing was more clear and while the accent has been a problem with others, it wasn't for me. Their performances of "I Know Things Now" and "Giants in the Sky" are really good and while the concept of the former was a minor quibble for being strange as all get out for me(seriously what is up with the dark colored curtain look?), the latter was shot and staged magnificently.
Both Billy and MacKenzie Mauzy, who plays Rapunzel, were wonderful for the little they were given with in the end (now to be fair I think the cutting up of Act II is still justified, especially when I have seen it for myself). His portrayal as The Prince's Brother was now meant to be the polar opposite of his brother which I think was a welcome change and I feel that Rapunzel's change of fate was more or less a wise decision and I felt The Witch's pain during "Witch's Lament". Mauzy had a slight moment of madness when she was all alone in that little island in a swamp that legitimately tragic me out in a delightful way.
Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother was great, it was very refreshing to see her in a musical and her voice was very good. Funny and a bit overbearing, Ullman played to role in a way that you feel her frustration and annoyance with Jack that I don't think I've felt before for this character. Though her death was rather glanced over which was an minor issue that bothered me for a moment but something that I quickly let go as soon as The Baker told Jack that she didn't make it. I don't think any other actress could play this role the way Ullman did (same goes for Streep).
Johnny Depp's 5 minute role as The Wolf was not as average as I thought it was going to be. His singing is still the same as it was in SWEENEY TODD but his creepy way of playing it was perfect enough for what the role is called for. The moment where he shows Little Red the candy in his fur coat during "Hello Little Girl" was pure stranger danger that it was scary in a Child Catcher sense. The whole song was shot and edited perfectly to with Depp's howling as a perfect ending to it. So happy that Disney was taking a risk by letting this song stay in the film.
As for the other actors, Christine Baranski couldn't be more at home with her as The Stepmother; with her wicked, playful and comical acting and singing that it was too good to be true. Tammy Blanchard and Lucy Punch did very well for the smaller roles as The Stepsisters though Punch's vocals threw me off for a bit. Comic relief done right, thanks to James Lapine's faithful and well paced screenplay.
Francis De La Tour's small performance as The Giantess was really neat and to see her body through the trees was a delightful change from the stage show that made me happy and made a few kids excited and spooked at the same time. Everyone else from Joanna Riding to Simon Russell Beale did good to support and move the story along, yes while the cutting of "No More" did make fans quite sad, the dialogue during the scene was perfect and the score of the song was beautiful along with Corden's performance during it did make my heart sink and hit me closer to home.
In the end, this is the affect the movie had on me from the entire final act, it left me thinking and wistful about the things other people went through, how we move on from the pain of the past and that we are not alone in this.
Rob Marshall...Stephen Sondheim.....James Lapine. You have all done my heart proud in a time where musicals are still suffering in Hollywood (ANNIE comes to mind) and that major audiences does not care for the genre anymore by creating a musical film that destroys all the other musical films from the past 15 years, even the good ones...
So that is why, after much thinking about, I shall give this movie..
9.5 out of 10. The best rating I could give for a movie with such love and passion to it.
Disney, Pixar, Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Cinema fan
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Disney Duster
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
I love your review, it's great, and I am so glad that you, liking this show so much, enjoyed it as much as you did. I think you gave it a perfect score, because this film was really, really almost perfect but just felt like it needed a little more, and a little fixing. I agree on so much of what you said. Meryl Streep was so stupendous and emotionally great in this film. James Corden turned out to be emotionally great in the end, too. For me, the stand-out costumes were indeed Cinderella's ballgown and both of the Witch's, but also the stepfamily's for me. Still not okay with Rapunzel's non-death, but we have differing opinions. I wish I knew how you, personally, think the "Witch's Lament" makes sense with the non-death..
P.S. I bet you know me on Broadway World, too?
P.S. I bet you know me on Broadway World, too?
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Musical Master
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
You're MagicalMusical correct? If you are then it's so nice to see other BroadwayWorld board members here.Disney Duster wrote:I love your review, it's great, and I am so glad that you, liking this show so much, enjoyed it as much as you did. I think you gave it a perfect score, because this film was really, really almost perfect but just felt like it needed a little more, and a little fixing. I agree on so much of what you said. Meryl Streep was so stupendous and emotionally great in this film. James Corden turned out to be emotionally great in the end, too. For me, the stand-out costumes were indeed Cinderella's ballgown and both of the Witch's, but also the stepfamily's for me. Still not okay with Rapunzel's non-death, but we have differing opinions. I wish I knew how you, personally, think the "Witch's Lament" makes sense with the non-death..
P.S. I bet you know me on Broadway World, too?
If you want to know why I think Rapunzel's non-death works here is because The Witch is going through the pain of knowing that her daughter is alive but filled with hate to the point the she would never want to see The Witch ever again for the bad things she did to her and the "Lament" still works dramatically. I guess this could be one of those things that is interesting both ways in my opinion.
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Disney Duster
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Yea I'm MagicalMusical! I wish I could put a space in my name like yours, maybe I can ask the mods over at BroadwayWorld.
However, what I mean was, look at the lyrics of "Witch's Lament", how children refuse to listen and learn, but Rapunzel refusing to listen and learn turns out to be what she should do because it gets her a happy ending. So that's what I find wrong, you get that? Or do you have something that explains that, too? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that.
However, what I mean was, look at the lyrics of "Witch's Lament", how children refuse to listen and learn, but Rapunzel refusing to listen and learn turns out to be what she should do because it gets her a happy ending. So that's what I find wrong, you get that? Or do you have something that explains that, too? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that.
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Musical Master
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Maybe, just maybe when The Witch says: "But there's a giant!", and then we hear the haunting music that starts the "Witch's Lament" I was like; "Well, Rapunzel and her Prince are together, but they might be both killed by the giant who might be in they're path later off-screen". I don't know, I saw this scene to be both happy and tragic.Disney Duster wrote:Yea I'm MagicalMusical! I wish I could put a space in my name like yours, maybe I can ask the mods over at BroadwayWorld.
However, what I mean was, look at the lyrics of "Witch's Lament", how children refuse to listen and learn, but Rapunzel refusing to listen and learn turns out to be what she should do because it gets her a happy ending. So that's what I find wrong, you get that? Or do you have something that explains that, too? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that.
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Joshua Clinard
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
There is a great interview with James Lapine over at buzzfeed, and it really makes some of the changes make more sense. I agree with most all of the changes. The one change I didn't like was that it wasn't clear that the witch lost her powers.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/b ... .nkWEMoQx5
http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/b ... .nkWEMoQx5
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blackcauldron85
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Disney Duster
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Wow Musical Master, that's a great explanation! I forget if she said "But there's a giant!", but if she did, it fits perfectly with the lyrics! Finally a good explanation! Thank you! I did think, "well, maybe she says it because a giant might kill them", but only you really made so much sense out of it for me!
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Lady Cluck
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
I loved it! About as good a screen adaptation as you could hope for. Meryl Streep, Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick, and Emily Blunt were especially great. It's hard to pick a favorite but Meryl really shined as the witch, more than I expected. Everyone else was great too (I even thought Johnny Depp was fine), and I loved the set design, costuming, etc as well. And even though some songs were cut, they didn't tone down the fact that it was a musical at all. There was a song every few minutes or so. Great job from Disney.
CLUCK-
disneyprincess11
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
I'm making plans on seeing it tomorrow or Tuesday. Hopefully, it works out
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Lady Cluck
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
I do wish "Ever After" or especially "So Happy" made it into the movie to give the unhappily ever after theme extra impact. The second half was very rushed. I understand why, but I personally wouldn't have minded the film being longer.
It was entertaining, well-acted, and looked great, but lacked some of the emotional depth and dark humor of the stage production. But still VERY good considering most expected a trainwreck when it was announced Disney would be producing it.
It was entertaining, well-acted, and looked great, but lacked some of the emotional depth and dark humor of the stage production. But still VERY good considering most expected a trainwreck when it was announced Disney would be producing it.
CLUCKRe: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
i saw this movie last week.
i liked the movie much more than the musical, which i didn't like that much.
best in the cast was probably chris pine (a true surprise) or lila crawford, everyone else delivered their parts perfectly, except for the boy playing jack. he has a good voice, but he is not a fit for the lyrics. he can't annunciate most of his lines. i honestly hate it because it ruins all the songs that he's in. he just can't quickly pronounce words.
as with the musical, the movie starts out good and stays good until it painfully dies. a slow.. painful... death... which is the main reason why the general public didn't like it. Disney should have ended the movie with the happy ever after and then released the rest of the ending as an extended edition.
i liked the movie much more than the musical, which i didn't like that much.
best in the cast was probably chris pine (a true surprise) or lila crawford, everyone else delivered their parts perfectly, except for the boy playing jack. he has a good voice, but he is not a fit for the lyrics. he can't annunciate most of his lines. i honestly hate it because it ruins all the songs that he's in. he just can't quickly pronounce words.
as with the musical, the movie starts out good and stays good until it painfully dies. a slow.. painful... death... which is the main reason why the general public didn't like it. Disney should have ended the movie with the happy ever after and then released the rest of the ending as an extended edition.
"In every age, Family is king,
and the bravest journeys, are never taken alone."
-Brave.
and the bravest journeys, are never taken alone."
-Brave.
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Lady Cluck
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
taei wrote:as with the musical, the movie starts out good and stays good until it painfully dies. a slow.. painful... death... which is the main reason why the general public didn't like it. Disney should have ended the movie with the happy ever after and then released the rest of the ending as an extended edition.
good lord... CLUCK-
RyGuy
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
I'm with Lady Cluck on this one . . .Lady Cluck wrote:taei wrote:as with the musical, the movie starts out good and stays good until it painfully dies. a slow.. painful... death... which is the main reason why the general public didn't like it. Disney should have ended the movie with the happy ever after and then released the rest of the ending as an extended edition.
I'm also puzzled as to the basis for your claim that "the general public didn't like it." It's currently number 2 at the box office. And it has a 60% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes (which in my mind, means more of the general public liked it than didn't like it).
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disneyprincess11
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Well, at least you knew it was based on a musical beforehand...taei wrote:as with the musical, the movie starts out good and stays good until it painfully dies. a slow.. painful... death... which is the main reason why the general public didn't like it. Disney should have ended the movie with the happy ever after and then released the rest of the ending as an extended edition.
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Lady Cluck
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Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
60% isn't that great for an audience score. Annie has 63% and having the misfortune of seeing it, I can say it's objectively a steaming pile of shit.
I assume a lot of people aren't getting what they expected out of Into the Woods based on the early marketing strategy. Or they also wanted the happily ever after ending, which would have undermined all the rich themes and the entire point of the production. Thank God Disney didn't whitewash it too much...
Sondheim musicals also aren't for people who want mindless entertainment, which is unfortunately what a lot of people want out of "family films."
I assume a lot of people aren't getting what they expected out of Into the Woods based on the early marketing strategy. Or they also wanted the happily ever after ending, which would have undermined all the rich themes and the entire point of the production. Thank God Disney didn't whitewash it too much...
Sondheim musicals also aren't for people who want mindless entertainment, which is unfortunately what a lot of people want out of "family films."
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RyGuy
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- Location: Orange County, California
Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Oh, I agree 60% isn't a great score.
Yeah, I'm not sure I'd classify this one as a family film, though my 5 year old is begging me to take her to see it, lol.
Yeah, I'm not sure I'd classify this one as a family film, though my 5 year old is begging me to take her to see it, lol.
Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Oh boy...
Let me clarify: I like the ending. I like the not so happy ending, however, I do think that there are so many unnecessary deaths and that could have been avoided and a lot of plot points that should have just stayed dead in the screenwriter's mind.
I loved the movie, everyone I went with hated it though lol
as for the audience thing..
It got a B cinema score... That is low for a family movie and I heard that a lot of people walked out of the movie in the last third because it either got too long or they're children got uncomfortable... heck.. when the adultery scene happened almost everyone in the theater gasped, along with "Hey little girl"...I personally was ok with both.
Let me clarify: I like the ending. I like the not so happy ending, however, I do think that there are so many unnecessary deaths and that could have been avoided and a lot of plot points that should have just stayed dead in the screenwriter's mind.
I loved the movie, everyone I went with hated it though lol
as for the audience thing..
It got a B cinema score... That is low for a family movie and I heard that a lot of people walked out of the movie in the last third because it either got too long or they're children got uncomfortable... heck.. when the adultery scene happened almost everyone in the theater gasped, along with "Hey little girl"...I personally was ok with both.
"In every age, Family is king,
and the bravest journeys, are never taken alone."
-Brave.
and the bravest journeys, are never taken alone."
-Brave.
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Lady Cluck
- Anniversary Edition
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- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 3:10 pm
- Location: New York
Re: Into the Woods (Disney-film)
Which deaths are unnecessary? I'd say they're all absolutely necessary to have the main themes make any sense. I'd argue that Rapunzel's death is necessary too but Disney skirted around that to avoid killing Rapunzel on screen. I wish they had the guts to follow through with that too though. I would have LOVED to have seen all the parents and kids crying about it, and it would have been a better film in general.
Completely changing the tone and message of the production is what people expected and feared Disney would do, and it would have been a travesty. Anyone complaining about that stuff just has issues with the source material they clearly knew nothing about, and it's not Disney's job to cater to them imo.
I do think that in the transition from stage to screen, it lost a little bit of the dark humor that added some levity to the final act, but completely changing plot points would have been a disaster and rendered the film a pointless mess. I guess that's what people want when it comes to a fairy tale mish mash - something dumb and simple like Shrek.
Completely changing the tone and message of the production is what people expected and feared Disney would do, and it would have been a travesty. Anyone complaining about that stuff just has issues with the source material they clearly knew nothing about, and it's not Disney's job to cater to them imo.
I do think that in the transition from stage to screen, it lost a little bit of the dark humor that added some levity to the final act, but completely changing plot points would have been a disaster and rendered the film a pointless mess. I guess that's what people want when it comes to a fairy tale mish mash - something dumb and simple like Shrek.
CLUCK