In a storybook village, a childless Baker and his Wife (Corden and Blunt) head into the woods to break the curse cast by the Witch (Streep) next door. They need a cape, cow, slipper and lock of hair. Also in the woods: Red (Crawford) is followed by a slimy wolf (Depp) on her way to granny's house; Jack (Huttlestone) is under orders from his mother (Ullman) to sell their cow; Cinderella (Kendrick) is sneaking to the festival to meet the Prince (Pine); and Rapunzel (Mauzy) is defying her mother by talking to another prince (Magnussen).

Watching these familiar stories become increasingly entangled is hilarious fun, especially as the songs use snappy wordplay to playfully reveal the characters' inner yearnings as they head for their own "happily ever after". But this is only Act I, and what follows is darker and much more dangerous as reality rears its head. This challenges each character to confront their expectations while provoking the audience to see that even when life fails to live up to our dreams, we still have a valid life to live.

While Streep gets the meatiest numbers and has a great time storming through every scene, the film's heart belongs to Kendrick and Blunt, who add some genuinely emotive longing to roles that turn out to be surprisingly complex. Corden provides terrific support, while Pine steals the show with a riotously comical performance. The film's show-stopper Agony is a uproarious duet between posturing princes Pine and Magnussen. Thankfully, the least interesting (and yuckiest) character, Depp's Wolf, is barely here.

While Marshall never quite musters up much momentum in the story, the central shift from giddy comedy to darkly amusing reality has a real kick to it. Some pretty awful things happen in this later section, as well as some honest twists and turns that restore a sense of realism even in such a fantastical place. We probably don't need reminding that the world isn't a fairy tale, but it never hurts to remember that we're not alone.

themes, violence, innuendo

29.Nov.14