Our New York editor wrote a review from the perspective of someone very familiar with the play; mine comes from someone who's never seen it. As a mom who saw the film with three 11-year-old boys, though, I can tell you that Into the Woods fascinates and delights older kids. My crew were definitely not musical theater fans, and I hadn't prepared them for the fact that this is not only a musical; it's one of those über-musicals that is almost entirely sung. When the first breath of the movie made clear that this story is one long string of unabashedly singing mothers, I feared mutiny. It turns out I had no cause to fear. Into the Woods' story is so compelling and the world it creates so engrossing that the three boys were captivated from first moment to last.

I was also concerned, based upon bits and pieces I'd heard, that the story might be too dark or too adult, but this was not the case. Into the Woods combines a few different classic fairy tales and as such is somewhat dark; just sending the characters from Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel into the same dark patch of woods to relive their adventures is going to bring up issues like lost mothers, angry mothers, poverty, and solitude. All of this is handled with enough humor, though, to keep things upbeat and fun. The original play may have been very dark, but Disney's film is only moderately so. No, what makes this an older kids' film is not how dark or scary the story is; it's much more about how sophisticated it is.

I asked the kids, as I always do, what age they thought was right for this film, and they all agreed that anyone under the age of nine or ten would have a rough time tracking and keeping up with all of the interweaving plots. Although the characters and stories are familiar, they take very different turns from the versions we know, and they interrelate in unexpected ways. The music and lyrics drive the tales at a rip-roaring verbal pace that leaves little opportunity for whispered explanations. It's a tremendously fun ride to go along on, but it takes a child old enough to track multiple stories simultaneoulsy, in verbally rich song lyrics, and with the mental flexibility to accept that familiar characters are not going to behave as expected.

Mild spoilers: it should be noted that one or two characters to whom we become attached do die in the course of the film. They don't die on camera, so there are no visuals to worry about - just the shock of a protagonist lost. There is also a scene portraying some startling infidelity, though nothing more explicit than fully dressed kissing takes place on screen.

El Capitan, as usual, has a fine collection of the film's costumes on display, accompanied by several original sketches of the designs. The highlight in the lobby is Meryl Streep's dramatic gown. Even 'tween boys were wowed by it.

What El Capitan does not offer with this film is a stage show - particularly unusual over the holidays. There is the Disney organist, of course, but no other live entertainment. On the other hand, one of the trailers preceding the film is for the new Star Wars - and the audience response represents the first time I've ever seen spontaneous applause for a movie trailer. I guess El Capitan figured the trailer was exciting enough to take the place of the usual stage show!

Overall, I agree with the assessment of my 'tween pack that younger than 9 or 10 is probably too young for this film on lots of levels. But go right ahead and bring your 'tweens and teens without a second thought - and then sit back and enjoy a quirky, fun, musical treat for the whole family!

Read more of our parent film reviews.