INTO THE WOODS – The Blu Review

“I was raised to be charming, not sincere.”

When Michael Haffner reviewed Disney’s INTO THE WOODS here at We Are Movie Geeks, he wrote “.….INTO THE WOODS soars when it focuses on the music and character development. The multiple stories occasionally slow down the film, and the fact that some aren’t entirely given a clear resolution speak to how overstuffed it often feels.” (read all of Michael’s review HERE).

Unfamiliar with the stage version, I recognized INTO THE WOODS’ flaws but enjoyed it for the most part. It performed well at the BO but wasn’t well-received by critics last Christmas. Perhaps most disappointed were people waiting for a more typical Disney story with perfect adorable characters expressing themselves through singing. It’s not a movie for the whole family like we all are used to from the studio. I was looking for more from Johnny Depp, but I was pleased by the baker and his wife and their strong bond, and was shocked by her demise. When INTO THE WOODS reached it’s usual ‘happy’ ending it was just half time. The second half changes every fairy tale mentioned in the movie (Little Red, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella). And the reason for that just seems to be: We got to do something new! In all fairness I have to say that the acting, the costumes and the songs are really very good. Though certainly an entertaining piece, with near-perfect theatrical performances and staging, INTO THE WOODS never quite felt like it finished its journey onto the screen.

INTO THE WOODS will be released on Blu-ray March 24th from Disney and We Are Movie Geeks has had a peek.

Image: INTO THE WOODS Blu-ray casts its dark, moon-cast nights with an expectedly consistent 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation with an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. There’s a beautifully balanced and adequately vibrant array of colors forest flora, and they stand out even considering the darkness behind and beyond. The exteriors are, by design, almost impenetrably dark, but the black levels are deep and in contrast while the few daylight scenes really dazzle not so much in how vibrant they appear, but in how natural all the shades are. Details and flesh tones are just as impressive.

Audio: INTO THE WOODS offers up a high quality Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. It finds a perfect middle ground between subtle and excess, slightly favoring the latter but not so much as to shatter eardrums or blow out speakers. The non-stop music proves nice and wide, yielding just the right touch of surround support. The listening audience will appreciate the detailed, pinpoint effects that play all over the woodland stage-like setting.

The INTO THE WOODS Blu-ray offers up a generous amount of extras:

• Deeper Into the Woods – Comprehensive, half hour featurette broken in to four parts: “From Stage to Screen,” “The Magic of the Woods,” “Designing the Woods” and “The Costumes of the Woods.”
• Audio Commentary: – Producer John DeLuca joins Director/producer Rob Marshall to discuss all aspects of the film in this chatty, informative commentary.
• Strep Sings Sondheim: “She’ll Be Back” – Rob Marshall introduces a deleted song sung by Meryl Streep titled “She’ll Be Back”
• There’s Something About the Woods – A 13-minute featurette featuring members of the cast and crew who discuss the role of the forest in INTO THE WOODS, and what it represents to the themes of the musical.
• The Cast as Good as Gold – is a 10-minute look at the casting process.

If you enjoyed INTO THE WOODS at the theaters, you will not be disappointed with the Blu-ray release.