I went to Into the Woods today. I am pretty sure I liked it. I thought that most of the staging was good to excellent, the cast was universally excellent, and the sound was luscious. There were a couple of choices that made me go "huh?" ( like the way we had to watch Red get eaten during I Know Things Now and Rapunzel living, plus the loss of Agony reprise) but most of my quibbles were not due to choices so much as stage to screen adaptation issues I'm not sure they could have done anything about. Like age issues - the play has adults playing the children, so both the adult and child themes work from them. Can't really do that in a movie. And some of the wink and nod humor from the play only works because of the low budget, so I don't think the movie could be as funny. It had to take itself a bit too seriously for the darker themes work, while a play is more able to do both.

In sum, though, I am glad it exists. And considering the reverie with which I hold the source material, I think that says something. Also, one of the stepsister from Ella Enchanted played the stepsister in this too, which is awesome.

I think I'm most sad about the loss of the Agony reprise.

It wouldn't have made sense with the time compression they did, but I do have to wonder why they bothered with that in the first place.

Yeah, I wasn't wild about that either. I think they were concerned that people would think the movie was over, if they did anything like the Act 1 finale, but surely there was a way to get around that without going straight into wedding-whoops-giant.

I can forgive the loss of Agony (reprise), but I can't forgive the miscasting of The Wolf or the loss of Children Will Listen (not actually cut, but turning it into background music is almost worse).

I was sad to lose No More, mostly because I loves that baker but I actually didn't mind Children Will Listen. I thought that theme came across beautifully without it.

It sounds like they've cut out my favorite songs. I'm not entirely sure I need to go see it now.

Calli, I'm having the same reaction you are.

I never got the Into the Woods love. I never have listened to the music, so I'm finding myself reluctant to see it.

I really do think it is worth it, though perfect it is not. I am significantly more satisfied than I was with Les Miz and Sweeney Todd, and I thought those were both worth it too.