Into The Woods

When it comes to navigating how to be both a family-friendly holiday crowdpleaser and a faithful adaptation of a tricky but profound musical, Into the Woods is mostly golden.

A disclaimer: Despite a dizzying and delightful first half, the film ultimately devolves into a very grim fairy tale.

With the exception of Meryl Streep (as the Witch) and James Corden (as the Baker), the cast is bland, and the bombastic orchestrations tend to steamroll the nuances of Sondheim's score.

If you go down to the woods today... you'll find A-listers dressed like 'Game of Thrones' extras belting out showtunes.

The movie is a watchable, tuneful contraption.

Marshall's film captures enough of the emotions that course through this sneaky fairy tale about childish things like love, sex, grief, insecurity, abandonment, and forbearance.

It's not, in any easily describable way at least, a terrible movie. It's just a woefully forgettable one, staged with all the depth and flair of a halfhearted community theater production.

Arguably, it could have been shorter, darker and potentially more rousing. But that might have ruined the fun.

From its lengthy but rapid-fire opening musical number to Jack's soaring "Giants In The Sky," the project glows with talent, top to bottom.

As long as it is sending itself up, it is fine, but once the director takes it too seriously, it starts unwinding. Still, the musical numbers and sheer spectacle and size of the production keep it together.

Unless you religiously know the musical front to back, there probably aren't many glaring omissions to diminish your enjoyment.

That said, it's an enjoyable ride, with Blunt providing warmth and wit and Corden his usual bumbling charm. But it's Streep that lingers after the credits roll, with a portrayal of a cursed woman that has real pathos.