Into The Woods-Kids Movie Review

Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy) all travel into the woods for one thing or another. Whether it be to sell a cow, going to grandmothers or visiting a mother’s grave… they are all headed into the woods. Into the Woods is a musical that  follows the lives all the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Each storyline is tied together by the Baker (James Corden) and his Wife (Emily Blunt), their dream of starting a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep)…who sends them into the woods!

Rating: 3 and 1/2 out of 5 buckets
Release Date: March 24, 2015
MPAA Rating: PG
Best Age Group: 10+
Sexual Content: Moderate
Violent/Disturbing Content: Excessive
Crude or Profane Language: None
Drug and Alcohol Content: None
Will Kids Like It? Yes

Talking Points:

The music is fun and entertaining with an all-star cast singing the tunes. However, the film is not the typical sweet Disney movie that we’re familiar with. The Princes cheat and the Wolves seduce little girls.

“Be Careful What You Wish For” is noted throughout the film. Cinderella dreams of meeting a handsome prince, though when she does, he’s not all that great.  In fact she even leaves her Prince as he fails to remain faithful.

Sexual Content: Moderate

• When Cinderella’s Prince (Chris Pine) meets the Baker’s Wife in the woods, they passionately kiss and he begins to seduce her.  The Prince is married and justifies the kiss by saying “Right and wrong don’t matter in the woods, only feelings.”
• The Wolf meets Little Red Riding Hood in the woods, he acts like a child molester when he makes inappropriate comments to her.
• Cinderella and her Prince passionately kiss, as does Rapunzel and her Prince.

Violent/Disturbing Content: Moderate

• Little Red and her grandmother are eaten by the Wolf, which we don’t see, however the Baker stabs his knife into the Wolf’s stomach.
• Several character’s die; one falls off a cliff, one is punched and hits her head on a s stump, and another is hit in the forehead by a rock.
• Cinderella’s stepsisters get their feet sliced by their mother…in hopes that the slipper will fit. The cutting is off camera, while we only see drops of blood.
• Jack is repeatedly slapped by his mother.
• The witch is evil and scary which may frighten young kids. She steals a little girl to raise as her own, and locks her away in a doorless tower.

Crude or Profane Language: None

Drug and Alcohol Content: None

Will Kids Like It? Yes

Overall this is an entertaining musical which may appeal to kids, however parents need to be aware of the somewhat dark storyline and moderate sexual content. This is not your typical Disney PG rated film.

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