Into the Woods

Based on cautionary fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, James Lapine's adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's insightful, slyly comedic Broadway musical is enchanting. The plot revolves around a humble baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) who together yearn for a child. Unfortunately, a witch (Oscar nominee Meryl Streep) has placed a curse on the family, and the only way it can be broken is for the couple to find particular items required by the witch, including Red Riding Hood's cape and Jack's (of Beanstalk fame) cow. Directed by Rob Marshall, the first half of Into the Woods is a playful farce, while the second is more serious, exploring what happens after “happily ever after.” In looking at moral decisions, the relationship between parents and children, and the responsibilities we have for one another, the heroes and heroines in these fractured fairy tales aren't always what they seem. Dazzled by Prince Charming (Chris Pine), Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) deliberately leaves her slipper behind, but then turns indecisive when he finds her. The encounter between bratty, shoplifting Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) and the lecherous Wolf (Johnny Depp) is fraught with double-entendres, while Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy) faces a dilemma when she's rescued by a Prince (Billy Magnussen). And it's not surprising that Cinderella's wicked stepmother and stepsisters bear a startling resemblance to the Kardashians. Full of glorious songs, including “Children Will Listen,” “Last Midnight,” “Stay With Me,” and “No One Is Alone,” this is highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include "The Magic of the Woods" making-of featurette (8 min.) and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is an audio commentary by director Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca, the production featurettes "There's Something About the Woods" (14 min.), "The Cast as Good as Gold" (10 min.), "From Stage to Screen" (9 min.), "Designing the Woods" (7 min.), and "The Costumes " (7 min.), the exclusive additional song "She'll Be Back" with an intro by Marshall (5 min.), a "Music & Lyrics" viewing option, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package (on the Blu-ray release) for this fine musical.] (S. Granger)