Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Into the Woods Blu-ray Movie Review

"I was raised to be charming, not sincere..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown March 19, 2015

Into the Woods offers a lively, energetic string of happily-ever-afters long before it hits its stride, joyously subverting expectation and fairy tale convention in broad, fiendishly clever strokes that are as surprising as they are hilarious. And, like the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine stage musical from which director Rob Marshall's big screen sing-along has been faithfully adapted, it's this subversion of the familiar and nostalgic that makes the story, characters and songs so memorable. Fans will be delighted to learn reports of the Disney-fication of the play have been greatly exaggerated. There are some nips and tucks here and there, and a slight softening of several racier moments, but nothing of real consequence. By and large, Marshall's adaptation hews closely to Sondheim and Lapine's musical; so closely that the measure of its success or failure really comes down to filmmaking fundamentals. Casting. Performances. Editing. The sights and sounds. And while the results struck me as rather hit-or-miss, many viewers will be swept away by most everything Marshall delivers, stopping only to ask why there aren't more scenes, more songs, more characters, more of the little touches that have kept the original musical alive in the imaginations of audiences for twenty-eight years.

Into the Woods wastes little time, introducing its main characters quickly and succinctly with a series of opening numbers that convey a tremendous amount of information without sacrificing the momentum of its cast's unmistakable enthusiasm. There's the kindly Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt), simple peasants who long to have a baby but discover they're cursed to remain childless; a Witch (Meryl Streep) of ill-repute, desperate to break her own curse and restore her beauty; the Witch's adopted daughter Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy), trapped in a tower with little knowledge of the outside world; the insecure Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), forced to flee her Prince Charming (Chris Pine) night after night for fear he'll uncover the truth of her humble identity; Cinderella's evil stepmother (Christine Baranski) and stepsisters (Tammy Blanchard and Lucy Punch), who enjoy torturing the would-be princess; Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), a precocious, opportunistic young girl being hunted by a ravenous Wolf (Johnny Depp); and Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) and his Mother (Tracey Ullman), a family so poor the boy is forced to sell his prize cow.

There are others... so many others, among them another handsome Prince (Billy Magnussen) with an eye for Rapunzel, Little Red's Grandmother (Annette Crosbie), a smarmy Steward (Richard Glover) loyal to Pine's Prince Charming, the Baker's dead father (Simon Russell Beale), and a giant (Frances de la Tour) that eventually wreaks considerable havoc on the forest and in the lives of everyone with a crumbling happy ending. (Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, sources of infidelity for Cinderella and Rapunzel's princes, have unfortunately been written out. If Disney struck anywhere, that's the cut that was most likely demanded.) But the filled-to-the-brim stable of amusingly flawed characters rarely becomes overwhelming, and the balancing act Marshall and screenwriter James Lapine employ is a deceptively breezy 120-minute crowd pleaser. As the fairy tale mainstays cross paths, a twisted labyrinth of motivations, desires and hopes presents itself, and the fun begins.

The cast is (mostly) brilliant, with Streep and Pine hamming it up for the camera, which turns out to be a very, very good thing. Streep works, hustles and earns her Oscar nomination (or at least justifies her inclusion in the race), and via a part better suited to her comedic talents and, more crucially, the tone and tenor of her singing voice than as Donna Carmichael in Mama Mia! Pine, meanwhile, is the undisputed star of the show, stealing every scene and song he's in; no small feat when sharing the screen with Kendrick and Blunt, both of whom deliver terrific and terrifically funny performances. Corden is a sweet, bumbling source of joy as well, though it's rather downhill when it comes to the rest of the actors. Crawford and Huttlestone, bright eyed and bushy tailed, are quite impressive, despite lacking the level of screen presence boasted by their more seasoned Hollywood co-stars. But others -- primarily Baranski, Blanchard and Punch, but, to an extent, Ullman and Depp too -- aggressively chew on scenery with their mouths open, their teeth clacking together, and their tongues wagging, all to the thunderous applause of no one. (Except my wife, who fervently defended Ullman's take on Jack's mother. She laughed. I sighed.) I'd throw in Mauzy, were her performance anything but flat and forgettable. She sleepwalks past the likes of Tangled in pursuit of... zzzzz.

Bigger problems abound, though. Where Lapine and Sondheim's stage musical grows stronger in its third act, the film struggles. De la Tour's giantess, while appropriately large and looming, is merely penciled in; the pacing and plotting become convoluted; and Lapine's now-famous reversals of his characters' happy endings aren't as defining or entertaining here. More a chore, or perhaps a necessity, Marshall suddenly resorts to running through the motions, cobbling together a functional movie ending rather than one that fully delivers on the promises, winks, musical frivolity and layered themes of the first two acts. It isn't bad. Let's not go that far. Just underwhelming. Fortunately, Corden, Kendrick, Blunt, Streep and Pine -- the real saviors of Marshall's Into the Woods -- prevail, whether in death, redemption or exiting stage-left. Even when the film wanders down its dimmer paths, it's the performances, combined with the brightness of Lapine and Sondheim's story and song writing, that keeps Into the Woods walking in the light. It isn't a perfect screen musical, but it's far from the neutered adaptation early rumors suggested.

Into the Woods Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Disney's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is disarming, with swaths of natural color, lovely skintones, subdued primaries, and the deep, ominous shadows of Marshall's dark, foreboding forest. From moonlit pathways to overcast skies, from Red's cloak to Rapunzel's locks, from the earthy, mossy hues of the woods to the streaks of dazzling light that swirl around the Witch as Streep weaves her spells, cinematographer Dion Beebe's palette is unhindered and striking. Moreover, detail is exquisitely refined. Edges are crisp and clean, without any sign of ringing or aliasing. Textures are wonderfully resolved, though not so sharp that they look anything less than natural. And delineation is excellent, revealing and concealing as much or as little of the forest as Marshall requires. There also isn't any macroblocking, banding or noise to speak of, and no real distractions of note (other than perhaps the shaky FX work utilized in the giantess sequences). Bottom line, Into the Woods is backed by a beautiful presentation.

Into the Woods Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Likewise, Into the Woods' DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track offers nothing but satisfaction. Voices, whether speaking, whispering, shouting or singing, are clear, intelligible and carefully prioritized in the mix. Compared to dialogue, lyrics are unsurprisingly "floaty" -- per Hollywood's typical handling of screen musical lip-syncing and sound design -- but it hardly matters, particularly when the immersive qualities of the soundfield and the fullness of each song is showcased with such polish and precision. LFE output is strong and supportive, with suitably gigantic thooms and earth-quaking booms, and rear speaker activity is involving and enveloping, drawing listeners into the world of the woods, down its leafy paths, and through its wind-rustled trees. Directional effects are playful and convincing too, pans are smooth and transparent, and dynamics are excellent. All told, there's no disappointment to be had.

Into the Woods Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary: Director/producer Rob Marshall and producer John DeLuca unpack the adaptation, evolution and production of the film, from the inspiration to create a big screen musical, casting and performances, developing the language of the movie through song, editing and cinematography, visual effects, choreographing the musical numbers, and much, much more.
• Strep Sings Sondheim: "She'll Be Back" (HD, 5 minutes): Marshall introduces "She'll Be Back," a deleted song Sondheim wrote for Streep that was meant to follow Rapunzel's decision to leave the Witch once and for all.
• There's Something About the Woods (HD, 13 minutes): Key members of the cast and crew discuss the role of the forest in the musical, what it represents, and the themes, character arcs, and environments it allowed the filmmakers to explore throughout Into the Woods.
• The Cast as Good as Gold (HD, 10 minutes): Marshall and the cast provide an overview of the casting process, embracing rehearsals, creating a company of actors, and developing chemistry between the players.
• Deeper Into the Woods (HD, 30 minutes): A four-part production documentary. Segments include "From Stage to Screen," "The Magic of the Woods," "Designing the Woods" and "The Costumes of the Woods."
• Music & Lyrics (HD, 54 minutes): Two "Music & Lyrics" options are available: watching the entire film with on- screen lyrics or viewing the individual songs (with or without karaoke-style lyrics). Songs include "Prologue: Into the Woods," "Hello, Little Girl," "I Know Things Now," "A Very Nice Prince," "Giants in the Sky," "Agony," "It Takes Two," "Stay with Me," "On the Steps of the Palace," "Witch's Lament," "Any Moment," "Moments in the Woods," "Your Fault," "Last Midnight," "No One is Alone," "You Are Not Alone/Children Will Listen," and "Finale."
• Trailers and Previews (HD): The Diamond Edition release of Aladdin, among others.

Into the Woods Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Into the Woods has the star power, the performances and enough faith in the whimsy and wry dark humor of the original musical to deliver an adaptation fans can embrace. There are problems -- a few miscastings, wobbly pacing, and a third act that drags and dilutes what precedes it -- but only those that taint, rather than spoil the experience. Disney's Blu-ray release is much stronger, with an excellent video presentation, engaging DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, and a full complement of high quality supplements. Newcomers may want to stick with renting the movie first, but fans of the film won't be disappointed with their purchase.