Into the Woods

MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, fantasy action and peril, and some suggestive material.
Run Time: 124 Minutes
My Rating: 5/5
So last night we decided to continue our Christmas tradition (seeing a movie Christmas night), by watching Walt Disney Pictures' Into the Woods based on the Broadway musical by the great Stephen Sondheim (West Side Story).  The film is led by an amazing cast with Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada), Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect), Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), Chris Pine (Star Trek), and Johnny Depp (The Lone Ranger).  The film was directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago).  The film follows the story of the Baker and his wife who due to a curse cast upon their household by a witch, are left childless.  When one day the witch gives the baker and his wife a deal that if they can gather the 4 items that she needs for her spell, in return she would remove the curse of baroness from their home.  Along the way they run into Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Jack (Jack and the Beanstalk).
I thought the movie was great.  I was entertained throughout the entire film.  For one thing the casting was amazing.  There were a lot of amazing actors and actresses in the film and I was totally surprised by their great musical talents.  There are many stars in the film that have already received awards-praise for their performances including Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt, however, I personally believe that the talents of Chris Pine and Anna Kendrick should be recognized more fully than they have been.  They are amazing in the film and their voices are spectacular.  I knew Anna Kendrick has an amazing voice from her work in Pitch Perfect, but I had no idea that Chris Pine had such a great voice.  It was such a pleasant surprise in the film.
Though I thought the movie was great and knew what I was getting into when I went into the film, I heard after the film that many people thought that seems way too long.  That can definitely be the case for those that don't know what to expect, so I will tell you this right now.  About 2/3 of the way through the film, the movie seems to end with everyone living happily ever after, however something happens and the movie continues for another 45 minutes or so.  However, this feels likes you just started watching a whole other movie which makes the film seem longer than it actually is.  So just be prepared for that.
Overall, I thought the film was great.  I personally want to see it again.  I think Disney did a great job once again.  This film definitely isn't for everyone since it is a musical, but if you think that you can get past that, then I definitely recommend that you take time to go see it.