Into the Woods Media Review 13

Into the Woods is a film based on the eponymous musical by Stephen Sondheim. It incorporates his masterful songwriting and retelling of the Grimm fairytales into a feature film with a slew of A+ actors. This film is absolutely incredible in terms of plot; it is an epic, teaching morals not often found in children's stories. I think adults will enjoy this movie much more than children, but the excellent effects and beautiful colors will probably keep them entertained. The sound design is spot-on, and as a musical, is fairly conventional. The themes, such as placing blame, feminism and chivalry, competition, and suffering, make this film stand out. It is intended to subtly teach us that our dreams will never be as amazing as they seem, and that blame and suffering are parts of life for everyone. My favorite song is at the ending of the film: As the remaining characters return to their lives they sing, "Be careful what stories you tell–children will listen," criticizing both traditional fables (or moral teachings) and the parents who took their kids to see this film. 8/10 for what it is