Streep, Blunt, Kendrick and Pine all on song in Rob Marshall’s dizzying, dazzling musical Into the Woods
THE man who mastered the musical with Chicago is back with a fractured fairytale film and a cast to die for, including Meryl Streep and Anna Kendrick
Leigh Paatsch
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Into the Woods (PG)
Director: Rob Marshall (Chicago)
Starring: Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep, Anna Kendrick, Johnny Depp, James Corden.
Rating: 4 stars
The more you get lost, the more you will find
Should you go out Into the Woods today, don’t be counting on seeing any teddy bears. And there certainly won’t be a picnic at any point.
However, if you are in the market for a gleefully escapist movie musical, then this melodiously mischievous mashup of many a fairy tale will prove mighty hard to resist.
The original stage show by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine might be over two decades old now, but it hits the big screen in fresh and fighting fit form due to the inspired direction of musical specialist Rob Marshall (Nine, Chicago).
A brilliant cast uniformly committed to sing with a zing only further heightens the dazzling appeal of the Into the Woods experience.
Dragging the madcap plotting of the movie into the realm of the explicable is a pointless exercise. All that is required here to truly enjoy the show on offer is a willingness to jump from one familiar bedtime yarn to the next at short notice.
Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) is very much to the fore, as is Prince Charming (a very amusing Chris Pine).
Little Red Riding Hood (impressive young newcomer Lilla Crawford) is once again a damsel set to be distressed.
However, the Wolf that will be cause of much of her woe is not as big or bad as you might expect (primarily because he is played by Johnny Depp, in arguably his most vibrant and accessible display in quite some time).
That beanstalk guy Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) has a key part to play in proceedings, as does the legendarily long-haired Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy).
A trio of less famous characters arguably own the best scenes (and songs) of Into the Woods: a kindly baker (James Corden), his world-weary wife (Emily Blunt), and the wicked witch (Meryl Streep) who has cursed the couple to a lifetime of childless misery.
Along with the ever-delightful Kendrick (who has another hit musical in the offing later this year with Pitch Perfect 2), Streep (employing a different style to her Mamma Mia! warblings) and Blunt (utilising a strikingly vivid singing voice) are the vocal standouts of the ensemble.
Only one asterisk must be applied when recommending Into the Woods: the PG-rating is slightly inappropriate in certain scenes, which give off a decidedly adult vibe some younger viewers hopefully won’t pick up.
Originally published as Streep, Blunt, Kendrick and Pine all on song in Rob Marshall’s dizzying, dazzling musical Into the Woods
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