Into the Woods Official Movie Thread — Page 169

It's human nature to want Happily Ever After; fairy tales wouldn't exist if that wasn't the case. I've always thought the moral of ITW is that you can find happiness even if you don't end up getting what (you think) you want. And a lot of times, getting what you want doesn't make you happy.

That said, if anything sinks this movie it will be that after the kind of year 2014 has been (Ebola, Ferguson, very sad deaths of well-known people) the general moviegoing public might not want to go see a movie that emphasizes how lousy life is in the sort of yank-the-rug-out way that ITW does. Guess we'll see.

Updated On: 12/24/14 at 08:02 AM

@Sarahb22

And also it points out that no one is alone. No matter who you are and what you're going through.

Which is one of my favorite points. Because often people think that they're the only ones going through something or that because they're going through something they have no one who cares.

Everyone does end up getting something in Into The Woods, it's just not what they wished for. Or maybe it's not as they wished it.

Awesome review from the NY Post, with great pull quotes!
When can we expect the NY Times review?

"Awesome review from the NY Post, with great pull quotes!
When can we expect the NY Times review?"

That guy never does a good review for the best movies. Into The Woods must be awesome! Going early next morning. I remember the first teaser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIVPfnYXrYY
Then the feauturette
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFRm_rZIEXc
Then the full trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Byk9Is3TjY

I just hope the movie retains the original shows darkness, humor and wit. We're rutting for you Disney and Marshall! :)

A rave from the LA Times.

The trip 'Into the Woods' is spooky, thoughtful, delightful.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-into-woods-review-20141225-column.html

Updated On: 12/24/14 at 02:52 PM

http://www.markreviewsmovies.com/reviews/I/intothewoods.htm

Though this review has some reasonable points about story-halting numbers like "Giants in the Sky", this reviewer has some bizarre nitpicks:

"The woods are just trees / The trees are just wood," sings one of the fairy-tale characters before and after she and a group of other characters sing that they're going—you guessed it—into the woods.

The literalism of the lyrics makes a certain kind of sense for the stage. The woods behind a proscenium arch clearly are not real. They're pieces of set. The art of theater is representing reality through illusion. The art of cinema is presenting an illusion that appears to be reality. We don't really need to be told of what things the woods are made or, for that matter, of what material the things that make up the woods are made. In a play, we can forgive that sort of excessive description as a part of maintaining the illusion. In a movie, it's much more difficult to excuse."

I mean...REALLY?

Susan is a pretty good critic on her own terms. Now where in the world is The New York Times? I hope it's Dargis rather than Scott.. I can't stand the guy.

Here it is, the New York Times review by Stephen Holden, it's a "NYT Critics Pick" AND it's a rave.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/25/movies/into-the-woods-disneys-take-on-the-sondheim-lapine-classic.html?_r=0

Updated On: 12/24/14 at 05:50 PM

wow! Does Holden normally review major movies? I thought of him as more of a Cabaret critic.

Definitely has a lot of summarizing, but certainly reads as a very strong review.

Updated On: 12/24/14 at 06:24 PM

^Why not? It is entirely positive with nothing negative to say about it. It raves about the story, the cast, and the production design.

It has nice things to say but it sounds like more of a summary. It reminds me of Brantley's If/then review. Yes it's a nice positive review but it's not very enthusiastic.

He calls it "splendid," "witty," "touching," and makes it a Critic's Pick. What more do you want? A nice big "SPLOOSH" at the end of it? It's a rave or, at the very least, overwhelmingly positive.

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