Went to the movies yesterday with the kids to see Into the Woods. I remember the hullabaloo that was everywhere when this masterpiece came out on Broadway all those years ago with Bernadette Peters as the Lead. I admit the story is an impressive work. The music is deeply woven and intertwined. The fractured fairytales within crisscross well and the humor provided by the princes definitely had the entire theater laughing at their need not only to outdo each other but the exaggerated manner in which they did so. The story did in fact have a great deal of darkness in it. There were several occasions when my 10 year old sat clutching my hand either in fear or anticipation of what would happen next, but with my hand safely within her grasp she was content to see the story through. My older children, like much of the theater laughed their way through the twists and turns, the slap stick humor and over the top situations. All 5 stories (The witch seeking to restore her youth and beauty; the baker and wife seeking to have a child; Cinderella wishing to escape her life of servitude; Little Red Ridinghoods trip through the woods; and Jacks transformation from daydreamer to action taker) were turned into one big commentary on morality, the choices people make to achieve their end goals, the repercussions therein, and whether they would accept responsibility for their actions or place the blame and consequences at someone elses feet. While well done in intricate detail (and for the most part enjoyable) I felt the speed at which the stories went; the rapid and incessant overlapping; was a bit too much for me all at one time. Granted, my current situation may have had something to do with these feelings and as I am aware of this I can say it was an enjoyable film to watch. But be aware if you bring little ones they will get scared from time to time and may end up in your lap, but with little to no residual effect. The rapid movement of the story lines and music transports them magically from one scene to another and they will love it just the same.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 13:27:27 +0000
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