Into the Woods (2014), PG, ★★★

The witch has returned.

Imagine your favorite Disney character or favorite fairy tale character living happily ever after. Would you think about them living in a palace with children and riches and fame? Would you think they are in some sort of paradise? Why do you think they would live happily? How would you know if they are living happily? The play has shown how these fairy characters lived but in a more connected way because well, all in all, it is fantasy and usually, dreams come true. Well, not in this case, even those Disney made some corporate decisions to dial down the dark themes a little and the sexual overtones a lot, it is still a splendid and well-acted musical especially in its first two-thirds of the movie.

The movie starts with all the characters singing what they want to do: Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) wants to go to king's festival, the Baker and his wife (James Corden and Emily Blunt) want to have children but she is infertile, the young Jack (Daniel Huddlestone) wishes for the cow to have milk, Jack's mother (Tracey Ullman) wishes for her life to be better and have more money, and we have Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) going to the Baker's shop wishing for some treats for her grandmother and then eating most of them and skipping around the store.

When someone knocks at the bakery's door, the Baker has run out of bread, but the patron knocking does not care and blows off the door. It is revealed to be the Witch (Meryl Streep) next door. She says to them that she promises that they will bear a child if they follow these list of instructions: if they want to have the curse reversed, they will have to bring some ingredients for a potion: a cow's milk, a red cape, yellow hair, and a gold slipper. The deadline is in three days at midnight when the blue moon appears, which occurs every 100 years, then, they can have a child.

By then, every character is appearing to have a dilemma: Cinderella cannot go to the ball because of her grandmother's comments saying that she is dirty, Red Riding Hood having a little façade with The Wolf (Johnny Depp), Jack having a situation with his beans, and then Cinderella running home from the ball from Prince Charming (Chris Pine) and loyalty. She explains to the Baker's Wife that she does not know what to feel and sends Prince Charming in the wrong direction. However, one midnight has passed which prompts the Witch to appear to urge the Baker's Wife that one midnight has passed.

Anna Kendrick as Cinderella. 

I felt I was with them on their journey into the woods and was curious and having fun simultaneously because it is refreshing what it would be like after their fairy tale endings. I did realize, however, it was based on the play and I read the manuscript of the play and it is more disturbing and more mature than this version. And, I think this would have been a "PG-13" film but Disney made the decision to dial it down to a children's film for a Christmas release. This is probably one of the darkest PG-rated movies I have seen dealing with death, loss, disturbing situations and some mature situations. I was shocked why they wanted to make the movie. I think the appropriate age for young viewers who want to see it would be around 9-10 and up. 5-6 years olds will have questions and will be frightened.

Meryl Streep, of course, is enchanting as The Witch when she is frightening and curious and also when the transformation is complete, sassy and funny. She sings actually better than the entire cast of the 2014 movie Annie. Actually, everybody does. Emily Blunt gives one of her best performances as a vulnerable person who is struggling to have a child and want to live happily ever after and wants to do everything she can to get those ingredients. Chris Pine is the standout as he chews the scenery in a fun way as a different kind of prince that is corny but wonderful. Anna Kendrick sings well, as witnessed in Pitch Perfect, but she seems lost and confused in this film. Johnny Depp is underused and has a brief 5-minute role underneath all of the wolf-like makeup. And, James Corden does a great job and having great chemistry with Blunt. The kids playing Red Riding Hood and Jack are too young and should have cast teenagers or younger adults because of their own dark themes.

The first two-thirds are fun and charming and a little dark when they all try to manifest themselves in little episodic moments on what they need to do to make their lives a whole better, even when the characters interconnect with a few characters helping the Baker and his wife reverse the curse. Most of the songs are sung fantastically and simply great listening to actors singing to the songs. No doubt, some viewers will retrieve the soundtrack after the film is over.

The movie takes a detour, however, during its final act when the curse is already reversed and a widow of a giant appears destroying the woods and palace and raising the stakes for its characters. It becomes depressing and unhappy and very eerie to see all those characters go through the motions and having to deal with a giant. And, somehow, I don't think it is well-executed enough, but the ending sort of is acceptable. But, all in all, this is a good musical, but not a great musical. It almost left me distant but left me refreshed seeing a good musical after seeing the awful Annie. Take a trip into Rob Marshall's, the director of Chicago and Nine, woods and then maybe, after, go to a store or purchase some songs digitally from the soundtrack.

***