Right. First off, let me just say that Disney should never have considered this as a theatrical film under their banner. I'm still marveling at how The Hunchback of Notre Dame managed to get a Disney green-light. The truth is, the on stage 1980s musical which this movie is based on, is in fact meant to be dark and twisted. It's Grimm's fairy tales. In the original Cinderella, she didn't have a fairy godmother, she prayed at her mother's grave. The sisters DID cut their toes off to fit the slipper, and the birds DID peck out their eyes.
Little Red Riding Hood as a whole is an allegory for staying away from strangers. In the story the wolf is supposed to be portrayed as a pedophile or a man of ill-intent. Therefore, Johnny Depp's portrayal was accurate-it's MEANT to make you feel uncomfortable. In the stage play, the wolf has a penis on his costume. Jack did kill the giant but it was to prevent it from slaying the other villagers. An act of Utilitarianism. The Baker's wife is NOT shown being "banged against the tree by Cinderella's prince," as one reviewer here put it. There is kissing on the neck, however in the original her being "banged" against a tree is EXACTLY what happens. It's a a metaphor for adulterous behavior. In fact it's not even metaphorical, they straight up say it in the play.
Act 1 of the play pulls out all these fairy tale characters bumping into each other and helping each other out, so each can get a happy ending. The Bakers get their child, The Witch gets her youth, Red gets all the bread she wants, Rapunzel sees the outside world, Cinderella gets married to the Prince and Jack and his mother become rich. Everyone gets what they want. Except they don't. In Act 2, everything goes to S**t. The bean that Cinders threw away grows into another stalk to which the wife of the giant climbs down swearing vengeance on Jack, the giant destroys everything, leaving Red homeless and killing her mother and Granny and leaving the whole kingdom in ruins. Not to mention Rapunzel's fear of the outside world grows stronger as everything is too new. In the play she is crushed to death by Giant but in the film she just says bye to her mother The Witch and rides away with her prince. This messes up The Witch's story arc in Act 2. Oh! And Jack's mother is also supposed to be clobbered to death by a guard. But in the movie the guard shoves her lightly and she hits her head on log-kind of lazy don't you think?
It's such a dark film too, not just the subject matter but the lighting, so you sometimes have to strain to see what's really going on. However the redeeming features are the actors as they all bring something to their characters and the singing. My God! Meryl Streep is phenomenal in this! As is James Corden, Emily Blunt, as well as young Lila and Jamie who both did a terrific job. But as far as adaptations go, I admire them for trying to pull it off but it just DOES NOT work as a Disney family film. Into the Woods should have been rated PG-13 or an R. It has symbolic meanings and scenes of Child Abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, Adultery, Murder, Treason, Death as well as the world's most bittersweet ending. I'll admit I hated this film at first- but on a second viewing, it's really good! Not great, but the songs and acting are fantastic. It doesn't deserve too much crap, however it doesn't deserve a Disney logo underneath. Tim Burton or maybe even Steven Spielberg could have been able to pull this off, but as for a Disney film, I don't think it works.
Just say the title, "Into the Woods," it instantly fills you with fear and dread and this unsafe feeling. It's worth a watch once or twice maybe and the actors need awards for their efforts but it shouldn't have been advertised as a family flick.
Little Red Riding Hood as a whole is an allegory for staying away from strangers. In the story the wolf is supposed to be portrayed as a pedophile or a man of ill-intent. Therefore, Johnny Depp's portrayal was accurate-it's MEANT to make you feel uncomfortable. In the stage play, the wolf has a penis on his costume. Jack did kill the giant but it was to prevent it from slaying the other villagers. An act of Utilitarianism. The Baker's wife is NOT shown being "banged against the tree by Cinderella's prince," as one reviewer here put it. There is kissing on the neck, however in the original her being "banged" against a tree is EXACTLY what happens. It's a a metaphor for adulterous behavior. In fact it's not even metaphorical, they straight up say it in the play.
Act 1 of the play pulls out all these fairy tale characters bumping into each other and helping each other out, so each can get a happy ending. The Bakers get their child, The Witch gets her youth, Red gets all the bread she wants, Rapunzel sees the outside world, Cinderella gets married to the Prince and Jack and his mother become rich. Everyone gets what they want. Except they don't. In Act 2, everything goes to S**t. The bean that Cinders threw away grows into another stalk to which the wife of the giant climbs down swearing vengeance on Jack, the giant destroys everything, leaving Red homeless and killing her mother and Granny and leaving the whole kingdom in ruins. Not to mention Rapunzel's fear of the outside world grows stronger as everything is too new. In the play she is crushed to death by Giant but in the film she just says bye to her mother The Witch and rides away with her prince. This messes up The Witch's story arc in Act 2. Oh! And Jack's mother is also supposed to be clobbered to death by a guard. But in the movie the guard shoves her lightly and she hits her head on log-kind of lazy don't you think?
It's such a dark film too, not just the subject matter but the lighting, so you sometimes have to strain to see what's really going on. However the redeeming features are the actors as they all bring something to their characters and the singing. My God! Meryl Streep is phenomenal in this! As is James Corden, Emily Blunt, as well as young Lila and Jamie who both did a terrific job. But as far as adaptations go, I admire them for trying to pull it off but it just DOES NOT work as a Disney family film. Into the Woods should have been rated PG-13 or an R. It has symbolic meanings and scenes of Child Abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, Adultery, Murder, Treason, Death as well as the world's most bittersweet ending. I'll admit I hated this film at first- but on a second viewing, it's really good! Not great, but the songs and acting are fantastic. It doesn't deserve too much crap, however it doesn't deserve a Disney logo underneath. Tim Burton or maybe even Steven Spielberg could have been able to pull this off, but as for a Disney film, I don't think it works.
Just say the title, "Into the Woods," it instantly fills you with fear and dread and this unsafe feeling. It's worth a watch once or twice maybe and the actors need awards for their efforts but it shouldn't have been advertised as a family flick.