The raging musical, “Into the Woods”, hit theaters December 25th and became a world wide phenomenon. The combination of classic childhood fairy tales enchants and excites with mystery, adventure, and of course, catastrophe. “Into the Woods” is a musical with the melody and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.

The story opens with a baker and his childless wife who receive a visit from the witch (Meryl Streep) next door, who admits she put a spell on the house years before when the baker’s father was owner of the cottage. The couple fears the worst until the witch offers up an exception. The baker and his wife must find four items before midnight in three days time, and the curse will be lifted.

Sounds easy right? Well, a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold are not ordinary items, and, as the story goes on, they seem almost impossible to find in the woods. The baker and his wife set out to reverse the spell and throughout their journey stumble upon Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Jack (Daniel Huttlestone), Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy). The childless couple along with these characters come together, deliver the four items to the witch, have a baby and live happily ever after… well, almost.

Along with other Walt Disney Pictures, “Into the Woods” has it’s fair share of grief and heartache. With princesses and evil stepmothers comes jealousy and revenge, all of which appear in the film.

Bring together royalty, envy, mistreatment and happily ever after, you’ve got yourself a fairy tale. Compile all of the classic fairy tales of your childhood and you’ve got “Into the Woods”.

This family friendly film has something for everyone, even grandpa, and will be sure to lift your spirits while sweeping you away to the kingdom and the woods for an exciting adventure, even if it’s only for two hours.