In this musical fantasy, a witch saddles the responsibility of procurement of magical items to a childless couple in other to reverse a curse the family tree.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
