Into The Woods Movie Trailer

First off, I just wanna say, wow! That really exceeded my expectations! I haven't seen the musical, but I did look it up & have listened to the whole album with the original Broadway cast just to get a bit of context of what's going to happen, & I'm honestly surprised Disney is the company to adapt this musical onto the big screen as it does contain pretty dark & adult moments & Sondheim himself has said that most of it is going to be kept in. Considering most of the cast has had previous experience with Broadway/musical related projects, I have high hopes that they'll be good in their roles, especially with Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp & Daniel Huttlestone. I've heard good things about Emily Blunt & James Corden's singing, but I'm just gonna wait & see for them. I do like the connections with the characters with all of them saying 'I wish' along with Meryl Streep's witch character at the end kickstarting the plot & making the movie a huge fairy tale crossover. It doesn't actually go into what happens in the plot, but I like that it establishes the premise of a fairy tale crossover & that the characters will be connected together in the film. Anyway, I also have to say that the movie looks absolutely gorgeous with the fairy tale setting with the cinematography, costume design, production design & even the CGI is put to good use & it doesn't really look overused like other big budget fairy tale films out there. Another note I wanna add is I like that the Johnny Depp wolf character is being hidden & I want it to be kept that way so it can be a surprise for when it comes out as I feel like he's really overused nowadays with the advertising in his movies. I mean, it doesn't say he's the main character, which he isn't, but I like that just showing his arm is a taster of what's to come in the film. And considering it has the producer of Wicked & the director of the Chicago movie under it's belt along with the same person that wrote the original script doing the screenplay & Stephen Sondheim himself, I have very high hopes for this movie!

The Sound of Music Live

Now, I know that this was in fact shown live on NBC bacj in December last year but here in the UK it aired during Easter Sunday and I was bored so I decided to watch it. I know this review is long overdue since Easter was months ago, but I had studying & exams I had to focus on & save this for the summer. Not only that, but after hearing about the pretty mediocre reviews about it & the fact that Carrie Underwood of all people would be playing Maria, I thought I'd give it a chance. So how did it turn out for me? Well...

This small screen version of The Sound of Music follows the format of the Broadway show rather than the 1965 film starring Julie Andrews, including the songs either being cut or rearranged to different scenes. I don't really think I need to discuss the plot as pretty much everyone has seen it & there isn't necesarily anything wrong with it, except for the fact it's 3 hours long (not including advert breaks) like a Broadway show except on television & can feel like forever to watch! Now I'll talk about the big elephant in the room when it comes to this Sound of Music adaptation, and it's Carrie Underwood's acting! Here, it's just god awful! I personally didn't think it was right of the casting director to thrust her into such an iconic role, only for her to botch it up! She just had that permanant doe eyed look throughout trying to look emotional, when she really wasn't expressing any emotion whatsoever! Heck, even the real life von Trapp family didn't like her casting choice and would rather have had Anne Hathaway playing Maria (which I agree with by the way!) So how's Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as Captain von Trapp if you may ask? Wouldn't you know it, he's also wooden and doesn't put much emotion in! I saw no chemistry between him & Underwood just kept on doing that same face I mentioned before & honestly, I just didn't care about their romance because of it. It doesn't really help his accent is very inconsistent & his singing voice isn't strong enough for the role. Now, what I'm trying to say is the story itself is not bad, but the bland acting just waters it down & makes me feel bored when watching it! Well, at least the kids are pretty good.

 

So after all this negativity, is there actually anything good to say? Well...it looks good! Despite the pretty bland acting, which is a huge flaw in this case, I have to say that the set designs and costumes look pretty good for a television production. The sets all look immaculate from the chapel, to the foyer, and even the mountains at the beginning. Also, the costumes look really detailed & manage to make it feel like a Sound of Music show, but also making it it's own thing & not copying the 1965 film. But there's one costume that bothers me, and it's this number on the Baroness:

Also, I have to say that the acting from the Broadway actors is pretty solid, like Audra McDonald as Mother Abbess (she's probably the best one in the whole special actually), Laura Benanti as Baroness Elsa & even Christian Borle as Max. But despite that, the acting from the main two just drags it all down. Moreover, the fact that it was live can lead to some problems, in particular the sound editing. The main issue is that the orchestra is so loud, you can hardly hear the actors singing & sometimes, there are random sounds in the background which really make the viewing experience distracting.

 

Overall, the only word to describe The Sound of Music Live is pointless. Yes, the production design looks amazing and some of the acting is good, but there's no denying that the 1965 movie is still a beloved classic even to this day! Was there really a big enough crowd asking for this? If anything, it made me appreciate the movie version, and yes, if I had to recommend this, I would say skip this & watch the movie! It's much more heartwarming, the performances from all the actors are very solid & the visuals are gorgeous as well as more innovative. This on the other hand just feels lifeless & hollow, and next time, they should consider getting an actress as Maria with professional Broadway experience instead of getting a pop singer to gain ratings!
Overall: **

Frozen Soundtrack Review

Now, I know I haven't seen any musicals or musical movies since I haven't had the time to recently, but for Christmas I got the soundtrack for Disney's newest animated musical film Frozen. The reason why I'm reviewing it here is not only because it's written by the husband-wife Broadway composers Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez, AKA the people who wrote the music for Avenue Q & Book of Mormon, but also because the movie itself is very much structured like a musical with the arrangements of the songs and how they're organised in the film. So I'm going to break down each song and write my thoughts about them, as well as the score. I got the deluxe edition which has demos and deleted songs, but I'm not going to go into them because 1) I haven't listened to them yet and 2) I'd rather focus on the songs used in the movie. So, without further ado, let's take a look into the music for Frozen! By the way, I'm not going to write about the score because I want to treat this review as if I'm reviewing a Broadway album, so only the songs themselves will be reviewed!

Frozen Heart: Used as the opening song for the film, it really helps set the dramatic tone for the rest of the movie, and I love the Norwegian feel it has with the instruments used and the melody sounding very traditional. Taking place with ice harvesters collecting ice with a young Kristoff, the lyrics very subtly foreshadow the events of the movie involving Elsa's ice magic and a major conflict, which I won't say for spoilers, which I love most about it! It also manages to subtly foreshadow the thematic elements, predominantly Elsa's internal conflict with love and fear, with even some fans believing it also describes the villain (not gonna say for spoilers again). Also, it reminds me in a way of Les Mis with the Working Song at the beginning, also in the visuals which by the way, are just beautiful to look at! It also has a very entrancing feeling to it as it begins the movie and the directors have said it's a tribute to the Roustabouts song from Disney's Dumbo, which I really can see with this!

Do You Want To Build a Snowman?: This song is just so adorably tragic, I can't help but call it that! Showing Anna and Elsa throughout the years since childhood with Anna wanting to rebuild their relationship after a tragic accident, I love how the visuals shows both girls' perspectives instead of just Anna's (only Anna sings this) with her feeling more lonely as Elsa constantly rejects her, while Elsa grows more frightened of her powers which are getting stronger and doesn't want to hurt her sister. Also, the singing is excellent from Katie Lopez (Young Anna's singing voice & also Robert & Kristen's daughter), Agatha Lee Monn (Pre-Teen Anna & co director Jennifer Lee's daughter) and Kristen Bell, especially the latter after um...watch the clip to see what I mean! I also love how it sounds like a Broadway song with the orchestra in the background and the interludes inbetween each part of Anna's life. Overall, I love this song, but it's not my favourite in the movie.

For The First Time In Forever: This is the Disney Princess I Want song in the movie and I absolutely love it! Reminding me of The Little Mermaid with the giant orchestra and beautiful melody, it really manges to look and sound like something for a musical! It shows adult Anna on Elsa's coronation day and being excited of the thought of not being alone and potentially finding true love. It also manages to become a duet by the end, showing Elsa (now Idina Menzel) dreading the coronation because she doesn't want her powers to be exposed, and has to hide her emotions in order for them to not be triggered. Kristen Bell really shines, and I never actually thought she could sing this well when I first saw the movie, having a very sweet voice which would perfectly fit a Disney Princess, and she surprisingly manages to complement Idina's more mature singing voice. The lyrics are also fun (the 'I wanna stuff some chocolate in my face' line is hilarious) but a few like 'totally bizarre' or 'don't know if I'm elated or gassy' I found to be a bit weird for a song like this. But then again, it shows off Anna's eccentric side and that's one of the reasons I love her character! The visuals are also very fun and pretty (try to notice the Rapunzel cameo in the clip) to look at, especially when Anna is outside of the kingdom for the first time, when the song reaches to an amazing climax. Overall, such a brilliant song and I can't help but replay it!

Love Is An Open Door: Although I feel like I should dislike this song, I surprisingly don't! With an upbeat tone parodying other Disney songs where the protagonists fall in love over one musical number, the silliness of it all attracts me into it, and it's clear the composers knew it was supposed to be like that. The visuals also help, being similar to So This Is Love from Cinderella except really overblown without it being too painfully obvious it's supposed to be a parody. Also, the lyrics can be considered quite subtle on Hans' part with what he's really singing about and his true intentions of being with Anna (you'll understand if you've already seen the movie) The singing is also excellent from Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana, surprisingly complementing each other in harmony, with their performances also helping with the overall fun feeling to the song. Just consider this the guilty pleasure for me in the soundtrack!

Let It Go: Easily my favourite song in the whole movie. This is probably one of the more unorthodox musical numbers to come from Disney as it's more about what a character is becoming rather than what they want, and is never portrayed as a villain's song. Showcasing the best visuals in the film, it shows Elsa finally embracing her powers after living in fear for several years, as well as lamenting on being alone and not being able to hide her powers from her sister and having to conceal her emotions. She decides to build an ice palace and fully becomes the Snow Queen, letting go of her powers and finally being free of the rules and obligations of being queen. Idina Menzel's voice is incredible, both showing Elsa's vulnerable and rebellious sides as the song progresses, reminding me heavily of Defying Gravity from Wicked in a good way, and not just because of Menzel, but also in lyrics and melody! I found it also to be a very empowering song about independence, being both uplifting and sad at the same time. The visuals of the song will just make your jaw drop, especially when Elsa builds her ice palace, let's her hair down and makes her Snow Queen dress as the music gets bigger and louder by the end. Overall, this is probably one of the best Disney songs ever written, and is just on my replay button all the time, I love it so much!

Reindeer(s) are Better Than People: Although the song is rather funny in itself, I don't really consider this a proper musical number, which is a huge shame because this is the only time Jonathan Groff gets to sing in the movie! He has an amazing voice like in Spring Awakening or Glee, and I found that the team wasted an opportunity to show off his talent! Also, it did nothing to progress the plot at all and only lasts for just under a minute! However, it's technically not a bad song in itself and Jonathan's singing is great, and can actually be very funny doing Sven's reindeer voice. Overall, this song doesn't have any replay value when listening to the soundtrack, unless you're a massive fan of Jonathan Groff (you have to listen to him doing a duet version of Kristoff & Sven singing Baby It's Cold Outside, it's hilarious!)

In Summer: This song is considered the I Want song for Olaf the snowman, who wants to experience summer despite, well, being made of snow. Although people may think of this as stupid, I consider him to be more naive. It is rather fun with the happy tone and Josh Gad's performance being hilarious, but the problem I have is it stops the film and doesn't really progress the plot. However, you could make an argument it's kind of helping develop Olaf's character and shows his comedic side with how naive he is. The visuals also look great being very colourful, despite the anachronism stew (well, Aladdin did that and it worked) and it almost has a ragtime feel to it both in the score and when Olaf is dancing with the seagull. The visual gags are also funny, showing Olaf in a mind of his own during summer, completely oblivious to the fact that he'd melt and he's never experienced heat in his short life. So even though I may not like it as much as the other songs, I can't say that it's bad, in fact, for what it is, it's a pretty good effort.

For The First Time In Forever Reprise: This reprise is just as good, if not better than the first version. Anna and Elsa have reunited, even though Elsa wants to be alone to avoid hurting her sister again and has only just discovered the kingdom is stuck in an eternal winter after she fled. As the song progresses, as Elsa becomes more agitated and frightened and Anna becomes more persuasive and optimistic, it becomes a full blown counter-argument duet between the two, with Idina & Kristen's vocals complementing each other very well, with Idina's powerhouse voice and Kristen's sweet voice contrasting each other. I love the melody for it, having that magical feeling when Elsa's magic starts become uncontrollable again and how the major and minors try to outdo each other by the end, also representing Anna and Elsa trying to get each other to understand their perspectives of the situation. This song also manages to show off Idina's powerhouse voice like Let It Go does when Elsa has finally had enough and accidentally hurts Anna again when her powers go out of control. Overall, I love this song as much as the first version.

Fixer Upper: As the final song in the movie, it's not actually the grande finale as there isn't one. It is treated like a full blown Broadway number, even down to the way it's choreographed! It's about Kristoff's troll family telling Anna about his shortcomings and saying they should get together, despite her being engaged to Hans. It also throws in some subtle lyrics involving true love and Anna's situation with her sister, despite it mostly being about Kristoff, being very funny and clever. The song also has a very gospel feeling to it, the kind the composers are familiar with from their past works, as well as sound pop-ish, the kind a Broadway musical would have. Maia Wilson, who happened to be in Book of Mormon as well as Josh Gad, has excellent vocals as Bulda, and it also has an array of Broadway singers, including Annaleigh Askford from Wicked and Legally Blonde. The only issue I have with it, despite it's very fun atmosphere, I don't like that the trolls are forcing Anna and Kristoff together up to the point they want them to get married despite knowing each other for roughly a day and ignoring the fact she's already engaged. Despite that, it's a very enjoyable song and one for Broadway fans.

Overall, this is an amazing soundtrack from Robert and Kristen, with a modern Broadway feeling to it while making it timeless to fit with Disney. It's clear they took advantage of the Broadway talent they got for the film, except for one, and they give out incredible performances, especially Idina Menzel as Elsa during Let It Go, who gives out one of her best performances since Elphaba from Wicked. They manage to make them similar to the Disney Renaissance while keeping it fresh for a more contemporary audience without using too much of teeny bop tone like Tangled did (I don't really like the songs from Tangled, but I may review the soundtrack one day). Yes, a couple stop the film, but at least they're memorable like the rest of the songs and that could just be considered nitpicking from me. Just go out and buy/download it because musical theatre fans, children and Disney fans will most definitely enjoy this soundtrack from the House of Mouse!

Overall score: *****