Into The Woods

                Hello everyone and welcome to the end of 2014!  I bet you are just dying to see which movies I actually loved, but that’s going to be announced tomorrow!  Yes, I am actually capable of liking something which might seem off.  I know, I know, most of the time I’m a really negative critic but I’m not completely stone hearted.  So, one last review before we head off into the brand new year!

                Let’s talk about “Into The Woods”.

                First off, this is one of those films I actually really enjoyed.  It wasn’t perfect by any means since I did get bored a few times but the acting was spot on.  I have to say, I think Chris Pine was the stand out character for me.  He’s part is smaller than most of the others, but when he’s on screen, he just steals the scene.  There is one point where he has a duet and it’s both amazing and comical.  If you've seen the movie now, you know what I’m talking about.  The melodrama in the one song is so cheesy that you can’t help but laugh.

                Now, I saw this with Fry and my Other Mother.  Yes, on occasion, Other Mother joins us because she is totally awesome.  She also has excellent taste in books.  We were all impressed with the casting because all of the actors could sing.  Some of them weren't exactly great (Chris Pine, even though he gets an A for effort, is not the best singer) while others genuinely surprised me.  I knew Anna Kendrick could sing since I've seen “Pitch Perfect” but in this…where has she been hiding this voice?  She’s absolutely amazing!  This woman has more range than I thought and if she dabbled in music, I’d buy her album.

                Same thing goes for Meryl Streep.  Bravo, madam, bravo.  I was a fair weather fan of hers before this and now, I’m totally Team Meryl.  She gave us an outstanding performance as the witch and I would absolutely see this movie again, buy the soundtrack and own this movie on DVD.  I’m not saying this because I adore this musical that much but I would love to see the behind the scenes action.  It would be even better to see the rehearsals.  I would also like to see the stage version of this because I’ve heard it’s also quite good.  However, I’ve also heard it’s quite…adult.

                No matter what, it’s definitely with the price of a ticket.  It’s thoroughly enjoyable and there are some really good moments of humor mixed in.  I’ll admit, there are some things that left me a little confused but when I look at the film as a whole, I can overlook them.  Obviously the music is the main attraction and for me, that’s a perk.  A lot of the time, the music can be an issue since some actors try to sing but can’t.  In this case, everyone did really well.  It’s a crazy ride but it’s worth it.

                The songs fit every mood and my favorite ones by far are “On The Steps of the Palace” and “Hello, Little Girl”.  Both songs have been stuck in my head since leaving the theater.  And honestly, I knew Johnny Depp could sing but his performance in “Into The Woods” was incredible.  He oozed a strange raw passion, which is actually kind of creepy when you see what his part of the story is.  I was highly uncomfortable while watching it.  Not exactly a spoiler alert, but if you know the story of Little red Riding Hood, you know what happens to the Big Bad Wolf.

                Oh! I cannot write a review about this and ignore the true breakout star, Lilla Crawford.  I looked her up and I do believe she has done some work on Broadway.  This girl is about 13 or 14 but her talent is mind blowing.  I am envious of this chick’s voice.  She has a powerful, steady voice and she could easily beat the rest of the cast in the talent department.  I really, really liked her and I think she will do great things in the future.  If she’s not on film, I think her Broadway career is sealed.  Seriously, she can do anything with her talent.

                I will admit, there are a lot of things wrong with this film.  There are characters brought in with no introduction, some plot lines are just abandoned without explanation and some back stories don’t seem to add up.  I still can’t hate it though.  It was a great fantasy romp through fairy tales and the music is rather catchy.  Even though it won’t be my favorite film of the year, but I would really encourage everyone to see this at least one because it is worth seeing. 

                There is some dark humor and moments that could be scary so I don’t recommend this one for the kiddies.  Leave them at home for this.  The witch and the wolf might frighten them because the wolf made me uncomfortable.  Again, when you see it, you’ll understand why.  The plot might be stupid and the continuity might be off but it’s just a good, fun movie that’ll take your mind off things for a while.  I really hated the final act because it felt so forced and tacked on.

                The previews do show a boy chopping down a beanstalk, which is important to the story and that’s also why I don’t like the ending.  It could have ended sooner and left out that final part and I would have been fine with it.  And the absolute ending didn't leave me wholly satisfied either.  Normally, I’m not a fan of epilogues, but I wanted that final resolution here.

                Overall, I’d say matinee.  I didn't hate this movie but I’m not absolutely gushing over it either.  I did enjoy it, I do want the soundtrack and eventually the movie itself because I do believe I will want to watch this over and over.  Having seen it, I can also see why Meryl Streep was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance.  I seriously cannot say enough about her in the movie.  She was amazing and commands attention when she’s on screen.  True, she’s done another musical before but let’s be honest here.  “Mamma Mia” was not the best place to showcase her talents.  The music wasn't as good as it was in “Into The Woods”.

                Well, this is going to be a short one since I still have my “Top 14 of 14” to write.  I recommend “Into The Woods” as a great fantasy movie with some outstanding music in it. 

                I’m TheCinemaChick and I’m a little teapot.