{Movie} Review: Into the Woods

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?





Today, I'm featuring the following movie:

Title: Into the Woods
Director: Rob Marshall
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt & Chris Pine
Release date: December 25, 2014
Based on: Into the Woods by James Lapine

A witch tasks a childless baker and his wife with procuring magical items from classic fairy tales to reverse the curse put on their family tree.

Into the Woods is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format that follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel-all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.

So, Katie and I had a girls' day on Saturday and took advantage of it by seeing a movie that we knew there was no way on earth her daddy would want to see, not once he discovered that it was a musical. I know a lot of people who unfortunately feel that way, about musicals and foreign films alike, so I miss out on a lot. But I knew Katie would appreciate this film because of its roots in her favorite Disney films and because she just loves singing.

And she actually ended up enjoying the movie a lot more than I did. Don't get me wrong. Cinematically, it was gorgeous to behold. It was so visually stunning, and I guess, audibly, just as gorgeous. But it was rather long and drawn out for my tastes and ended boring me there toward the end.

I found nothing lacking in the acting or the vocal performances. Yes, some actors and actresses were stronger than others, as is the case in any film, but I don't think any one performance can be blamed for my lack of enthusiasm for the movie. I've never seen the original musical that this movie was based on, for which I am very glad considering the changes they made to this adaptation and how they seem to have enraged some because of their omission.

But I love a good retelling. I especially love a story like this that combines several tales into one. And this story is so well done, so auspicious in nature that I was absolutely positive I would love it. I adored Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect, and Meryl Streep is a goddess among women. And I just knew that Chris Pine would play the perfect douche-arific prince to Anna Kendrick's Cinderella. But the pacing kept me from finding this movie as endearing as I'd hoped.

One thing I've noticed I appreciate more and more these days, though, is stories where the young maiden doesn't require saving by a prince or any other male character. That these girls determines their own course of action, their own future, makes me like these modern-day heroines more and more. If only there had been more of those when I was growing up; damsels-in-distress are so last decade. :)

My favorite scene, in case you were wondering, is the one depicted below, where the prince and the "other" prince sing "Agony" on the falls. The whole theater was cracking up during this song and I think even Katie gave way to how ridiculous that whole scenario was. But it was funny and entertaining and really, what more can you ask for?

GIF it to me straight:

I *really* wanted to like this more, and it's agonizing that I didn't. :(

Were you a fan of the original? Have you seen the movie? How do you think it fares as an adaptation?

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Labels: cinderella, disney, fairy tales, into the woods, little red riding hood, movie mondays, movie reviews, movies, rapunzel, retellings, reviews

Short Story Sunday #2: Glitches & The Queen's Army by Marissa Meyer

Short stories are awesome.  They give us in-depth insight into characters, providing anecdotal proof of why some characters are they way they are.  They entertain by creating a certain mood or focusing on a singular effect...some instance in a previous body of work (or one to follow) that might have been glossed over or ignored completely in a longer novel. 

And so, every Sunday for the foreseeable future, I would like to highlight short stories and novellas set in worlds I've already come to love and learn a little more about some of the secondary characters in my favorite novels.  I'll be underscoring some of my favorite aspects of these short works of fiction, in addition to offering up a mini review of each work.

In light of the fact that I didn't create a SSS post last week and the fact that the short stories I read for this week were around 20 pages long and from the same author and encompass the same series, I'm combining them in one post:

Title: Glitches
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles, book #0.5 (prequel)
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: December 5, 2011
Source: free edition (read for free online at Tor.com)
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In “Glitches,” a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch...

Short and sweet, this prequel story shows us Cinder's introduction to her new family and not only her reaction but their reaction to her.  I think it was pretty evident in Cinder that Adri was not happy with Cinder's addition to her family, but Glitches presents a little more background as to why.

I thought it was rather endearing to see how Cinder was acclimating not only to her new role in a family that mostly objected to her presence but also to her new status as a cyborg.  She can't remember the accident or much of anything of her life before coming to New Beijing, but it's obvious to her how very different she is now.  I loved Cinder's character in the first full-length novel in this series, and it hurts my heart to see how her  situation in that novel came about.

Rating:  

Title: The Queen's Army
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: Lunar Chronicles, book #1.5
Publisher: Tor
Publication Date: November 21, 2012
Source: free edition (read for free online at Tor.com)
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

It is time. The boy must leave his family to serve in the Queen’s army. To be chosen is an honor. To decline is impossible. The boy is modified. He is trained for several years, and learns to fight to the death. He proves to the Queen -- and to himself -- that he is capable of evil. He is just the kind of soldier the Queen wants: the alpha of his pack.

I would be fine if we never encountered the Lunar queen again in this series, but I know that's not going to happen.  Having the ability to compel others to bend to one's will makes a person a very worthy adversary, and so I know we have much more of Levana's presence to tolerate.  Though, I do hope she gets her comeuppance, especially now that I know the full extent of the atrocities she is willing to commit.

I did like the introduction to Z in this short story, and I hope that his character is featured prominently in the upcoming Scarlet.  Possibly as Wolf?  Scarlet is a retelling of Red Riding Hood, so it would make sense.  And after reading this short story, it seems totally possible that Z becomes known as Wolf, who is described in the synopsis of Scarlet as "a street fighter" who "clearly has a few dark secrets of his own".

I can't wait until February to find out!

Rating:  

Meyer's writing is phenomenal.  She conveys emotion so beautifully and she has captured my heart with Cinder's story, as well as Z's.  If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend you check out these free short stories (which can also be purchased from ebook retailers for $0.99 each, if you prefer to read on an ereader).  And if you have read Cinder and you've read these short stories and you're itching for more in this series, you can download the first five chapters of Scarlet RIGHT NOW for free!!!  Just choose your favorite ebook retailer from the drop-down menu and you're good to go.

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Labels: cinderella, favorites, lunar chronicles, marissa meyer, must-read, red riding hood, retellings, sci-fi, short story sunday, tor teen

Audiobook Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title:  Cinder
Author:  Marissa Meyer
Narrator:  Rebecca Soler
Series:  1st book in the Lunar Chronicles
Publisher:  Macmillan Audio
Publication Date:  January 3, 2012
Source:  purchased audiobook
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I feared the rave reviews for this novel.  I had more than a few misgivings because even though so many people loved -- I mean, shout-it-from-the-rooftops-LOVED it -- it is still a retelling, and I don't always have the best of luck with those.  Usually, the ones that don't stray too far from the original story are a safer bet for me, so you can see why a retelling of Cinderella involving a cyborg living in Beijing might be a source of some trepidation for me.

But if it hadn't been for that damn cyborg foot, I might have completely forgotten this story was a retelling.  It was one of the best science fiction pieces I've had the pleasure of reading...er, well, listening to.  And I can't believe it took me this long to get to it.  Seriously...I let nine months pass since Cinder's release before I even seriously considered giving it a try.  I will not be making that mistake with the sequel!

Cinder made this book.  She is the title character, obviously, but had she not been the mechanically-inclined, self-deprecating, naïve, hopeful cyborg girl that she was, this book would not have been nearly as fun to read.  Cinder is strong but ultimately vulnerable, and both of those characteristics make Cinder my most favorite kind of heroine:  the one who makes sacrifices and tough decisions to protect those she cares about instead of cowering in fear and letting some boy take charge.

Though the boy in this story wasn't all bad.  Sure, Prince Kai is a little untrusting, but given his background, I think it's a little justifiable.  Of course, he's handsome, and of course, he's the object of every girls' fantasy.  But his father's empire, his legacy, is far more important to Prince Kai than his own love life.  I loved that this story didn't jump right to insta-love...Cinder and Kai are friends first, despite their social positions, and it really bodes well for the story.

The disease that plagues the citizenry of New Beijing affects everyone -- tearing families apart -- with no cure in sight.  Its effects are far-reaching, as are its implications.  Is it possible that there are lunar people already on Earth, looking to escape their tyrannical queen?  The very same queen who wants to rule Earth, or at least as much of it as she can lay claim to?  I love where this story is going, and even though the major plot twist was foreshadowed very early on in the novel, I think it was done so ingeniously and has really paved the way for a great series.

I know I say this a lot when it comes to sequels, but I really CANNOT wait for Scarlet.  I plan to get the audio again since the narration on Cinder was so awesome.  This was my first experience with Rebecca Soler as a narrator, but it surely won't be my last if she always does such a fantastic job.  I seriously have zero complaints about this story or the audio represenation of it.  But if you're still not sure if this novel is for you, I suggest you read this prequel story, courtesy of Tor.

Rating: 

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Labels: audiobooks, cinderella, favorites, lunar chronicles, macmillan, marissa meyer, must-read, retellings, reviews, sci-fi