Rating: 
Summary: OUTSTANDING!!!
Review: "Into the Woods" is an outstanding film for anyone! It's a story that tells the stories of five well-know fairy-tales at once who all end up clashing together in each other's story. It is much like the movie "Shrek", with all the stories coming together into one, only it's MUCH better! Starring Bernadette Peters as the evil witch who... well, I don't want to give the story line away. However, I will say this: when I first saw the film, I couldn't stop laughing! Although it's mostly a story for children, there are a few jokes that only adults can understand, making "Into the Woods" a hilarious show for both the young and the old.
Rating:
Summary: An AMAZING musical.
Review: This DVD is a must in any collection, Not only is it a musical with great music, But it has heaps of Laughs and Drama aswell. I dont think I laughed so much in a musical before this it just makes fun of all our favorite musicals and twists everything around. Bernadette Peters is the highlight , Its worth the price just for her alone! in closing a must dvd!
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the purchase to have in your collection...
Review: I just finished my second viewing in three days. Sondhiem crafts wonderfuly characters and weaves them into a story with lessons on life, living and the true nature of happiness. My two and five year olds both sat through the entire (nearly 3 hour) performance twice with nary a wiggle! "Agony," sung in a duet by the two princes was my personal favorite, full of humor, emotion and strong vocals. The cast is phenomenal - listening to Sondhiem's choral craftsmanship is akin to watching a well-choreographed dance. The actors' timing is impeccable, the wording inspired and the result is a production I will watch over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: The best musical ever produced
Review: Having never seen the Broadway production, this DVD retains the magic and mystery that the men and women of this Tony-winning musical infuse into their performances. To capture the enchanting musical essence, the original cast recording on CD is better than the DVD, but the complex plot and mature themes can only be extracted by watching the whole show. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Children...and adults...will listen.
Review: I first saw Into the Woods on VHS when I was a child. Recently, I bought the DVD and saw it again. There's much more depth to this than the fairy-tale plot lets on. The first act follows well-known stories such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood, while adding a plot about the Baker and his Wife that ties the other fairy tales together. There is beautiful music by Stephen Sondheim in this act, with songs such as "On the Steps of the Palace" and "Giants in the Sky". This part ends, as usual, with "happy ever after" -- although, at the very end, Cinderella's haunting voice sings "I wish!" This wish is not quite fulfilled, and the second act -- the masterpiece of the movie -- shows what happens after "happily ever after." In the second act, major and minor characters alike die. Princes are revealed to be unfaithful and fickle -- as expressed best in the beautiful seduction scene of "Any Moment". Here, the standout actress Joanna Gleason, playing the Baker's Wife, truly shines as she is seduced by Cinderella's prince. The music shows Sondheim at his best -- Into the Woods was at the height of his career, and the lyrics are both clever and touching. Bernadette Peters also does a stellar performance as the Witch, who is revealed to be neither ugly or stonehearted. However, the main theme of this all is parenthood. The Witch is shone as a grieving mother, as she laments that "children won't listen." Much of the story is centered around children and parents, from the quest at the beginning for the Baker and his Wife to be able to have a child, to the Witch's song at the end about how "children will listen." Beautiful, sad, and dark, this is an adult story about children, self-discovery, loss, and the realization that "No One Is Alone".
Rating:
Summary: Even Better than I Thought it Would be
Review: I have wanted to see this video ever since I got the soundtrack, and it did not disappoint me. In fact, it was even better than I thought it would be. It was funny, sad, well acted, well sung, with great production values and an incredible cast. The Baker's Wife kicks ..., as does Cinderella, her Prince, and the rest of the amazing cast. But the Witch is my favorite, she got to be witchy yet funny and still be right about the selfish way everyone was behaving. Plus she'd played by Bernadette Peters, who just rocks. You will be throroughly entertained by this, no question about it.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: A MUST-HAVE for any Sondheim fan, or even ANY musical theater fan (they're one in the same anyways, right?). Bernadette Peters and Joanna Gleason are the stand-outs here as they are both incredible actresses who give incredible performances. Peters is absolutely hilarious. I've yet to see another actress top her in the Witch's role.
You can't be a TRUE actor until you've watched Gleason's "Moments in the Wood". You just can't. You don't know what acting IS until you've seen it.
"Into the Woods" is an amazing piece. And while there may have been or may be a better production, it's hard to imagine. God knows the revival doesn't compare...
Rating: 
Summary: Great musical but needs widescreen
Review: The other reviews are correct. Its wonderful. The first DVD you should get if you're starting a collection... EXCEPT the DVD is full screen and the majority of the wonderful sets and the action and the interplay of the characters is missing. Until they get a widescreen DVD version I'd give the VHS version a 5 star review. The DVD in fullscreen was disappointing after seeing the VHS widescreen version. The DVD sadly doesn't do it justice.
Rating:
Summary: Entertainment that goes further
Review: This musical is probably the best one I've ever seen. Not only was it sparkling with humor, action, and well-developed characters, it eased in many profound truths and speculations about the reality of life.
It makes you question the path you are on, and makes you more careful about what you really want (portraying the old proverb "Be careful what you wish for" in a very realistic manner). Stereotypes (stupid Jack, wicked witch, innocent Little Red Riding Hood) are dashed to pieces, as familiar fairy tale characters become more human and realistic.
It describes what happens when you go far away, how your lives are changed if you visit a foreign country or even travel a few yards into the unknown. It makes you question whether you accept responsibility for your actions, and shows you what happens when you don't.
For those who simply want to be entertained, there is a wealth of humor and the acting is amazing. The songs fit seamlessly into the action, and you almost forget that you're watching a musical--until it's over and you find yourself humming the various songs.
The messages are there if you look for them. If you don't want to find messages, it's still a great show. I recommend this video without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: Once upon a Time...
Review: "I wish more than anything, more than life..." sings the soprano Cinderella tying in Jack, the Baker and his wife. In the first segment of this brilliant musical the audience learns of each character longing for something: Cinderella: A prince, Jack: His cow, Milky White, Jack's mother: Her son to quit being so dependent on a cow (and to figure out Milky White is a GIRL), the Baker: A child, his wife: again, a child and maybe some more bread. It's simle just as the originals are. Other characters stroll in, including Rapunzel, her prince, Cinderella's prince, a witch, a wolf, Little Red Riding Hood and a hoord of fairy tale creatures. And, like the originals follow the tales fairly well just intertwining them. But, the funny thing, aside from the actually stories are the dysfunctional problems these people have! Cinderella: She's compulsive but regrets her decisions in the end; Jack: co-dependent on an animal and can't gain his man-hood; His mother: Can't let her son go; the Baker: Come on all guys want to keep their lineage no matter what! His wife: thinks a baby will keep her marriage together and ends up ruining it wih Conderella's prince; Rapunzel: Severe depression; the Witch: over-bearing mother who lives through her child. And on and on...
This musical is so funny and such great performances! Joanna Gleason really shines as the Baker's wife as a sort of sarcastic, take no guff girl with a romantic underside as she gets seduced (willingly) by the Prince and a soft side for her husband (Moments in the Woods). Bernadette Peters is great too (as usual) and I love how she talks to the audience. It's truly a great musical! "This is ridiculous, what am I doing here, I'm in the wrong story!"
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