INTO THE WOODS (2014)
directed by Rob Marshall
[director filmography: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), Nine (2009), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Chicago (2002)]
written by James Lapine [based on his musical]
starring Meryl Streep [the one and only], Anna Kendrick [Pitch Perfect (2012), 50/50 (2011), Up in the Air (2009)], Emily Blunt [The Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Looper (2012), The Devil Wears Prada (2006)], Chris Pine [Star Trek (2009) & Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)], Johnny Depp [yea, yea], Christine Baranski [TV Series "The Good Wife" & "The Big Bang Theory", Mamma Mia (2008)]
ENJOYMENT: *1/2 (out of 5)
"Unenjoyable, on the verge of terrible"
This is a musical. From beginning to end, just about every word spoken in this film is sung. There. I thought I would get this out of the way for those of you who don't like musicals. Usually, I don't like dumping films into this category, because as a rule they're not my favorite types of films either but some great films happen to be musicals. I loved Chicago and West Side Story and I'm a big fan of Mamma Mia. So there are exceptions to the rule, but Into the Woods is not one of them. From the trailer, I was entranced and so excited to see this film. Then, Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt both got nominated for Golden Globes for their performances and I read from one critic that Chris Pine had never been better. And I really like Anna Kendrick. And Rob Marshall also directed Chicago! So, going in my hopes were high. However, after the opening song, which was actually excellent and well choreographed, things went way downhill for me. From there, it never got any better and Into the Woods--a Disney film released on Christmas Day that should have been at least enjoyable--ended up being a pretty bad experience.
There was a simple enough storyline with a seemingly straightforward structure, but then it just never ended. It kept going about 40 minutes after I wanted (prayed) that it would end. And there was never another song that I really liked. There were some big-shot cameos, with Johnny Depp playing a wolf who was modeling his performance on Jerry Sandusky and didn't even look like a freaking wolf. Meryl Streep was good enough, but I started to get sick of her at some point in the movie and I don't think that has ever happened. Chris Pine was embarrassingly bad. Anna Kendrick and Emily Blunt were good enough, but they couldn't save this movie. The film looked cheap, with very simplistic sets and forest scenes that looked as if they just wandered into some random woodlands and started filming. The cinematography was terrible and didn't make this movie look like a fantasy film--it sorta looked like a musical on stage. Honestly, I hadn't seen a film that I wanted to walk out of for years, but this was one of them. Despite this, critics seemed to like Into the Woods well enough and some of the main performances have been recognized. However, I know a lot of people who said they didn't like this movie, and some (including my mom) who did, so maybe it's just a controversial film that some will love and others will freaking hate. I am the latter. Case in point: while I was so happy for it to be over, when the credits came on someone in the audience started to applaud. As I left the theater, I saw the people who were still clapping and they were wiping away tears. Maybe I had to see the play. Maybe I had to be a diehard musical lover and Disney enthusiast or Grimm's Fairy Tale reader. It just so happens that I'm not any of those things, and Into the Wild is one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time.
There was a simple enough storyline with a seemingly straightforward structure, but then it just never ended. It kept going about 40 minutes after I wanted (prayed) that it would end. And there was never another song that I really liked. There were some big-shot cameos, with Johnny Depp playing a wolf who was modeling his performance on Jerry Sandusky and didn't even look like a freaking wolf. Meryl Streep was good enough, but I started to get sick of her at some point in the movie and I don't think that has ever happened. Chris Pine was embarrassingly bad. Anna Kendrick and Emily Blunt were good enough, but they couldn't save this movie. The film looked cheap, with very simplistic sets and forest scenes that looked as if they just wandered into some random woodlands and started filming. The cinematography was terrible and didn't make this movie look like a fantasy film--it sorta looked like a musical on stage. Honestly, I hadn't seen a film that I wanted to walk out of for years, but this was one of them. Despite this, critics seemed to like Into the Woods well enough and some of the main performances have been recognized. However, I know a lot of people who said they didn't like this movie, and some (including my mom) who did, so maybe it's just a controversial film that some will love and others will freaking hate. I am the latter. Case in point: while I was so happy for it to be over, when the credits came on someone in the audience started to applaud. As I left the theater, I saw the people who were still clapping and they were wiping away tears. Maybe I had to see the play. Maybe I had to be a diehard musical lover and Disney enthusiast or Grimm's Fairy Tale reader. It just so happens that I'm not any of those things, and Into the Wild is one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time.
OSCAR PREDICTIONS: Despite my disagreement with this, Meryl Streep is beloved by the Academy. She's won three Oscars for acting (more than any other actress) and has been nominated 18 times (also more than any other actress--or actor!). This will be number 19 and it'll be for Best Supporting Actress. Into the Woods will likely be nominated for technical awards like costume design, makeup and art direction. It will not win for acting.
Other ratings: IMDB (7.2/10), Rotten Tomatoes (71%)
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