History YMMV / IntoTheWoods

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: ''Into the Woods'' was notable at the time for being one of the first mainstream works to deconstruct fairy tales. Things such as PrinceCharming being revealed as a cheating {{Jerkass}}, the WickedWitch being more complicated than outright evil, and becoming a princess proving unfulfilling were extremely new and fresh at the time. A generation used to the FracturedFairyTale formula of ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'' and even Disney doing their own revisionist fairy tales like ''{{WesternAnimation/Frozen 2013}}'' might find ''Into the Woods'' passé (although the music itself is still held in high regard). Notably when the film adaptation came along in 2014, the tone became significantly less cynical and satirical.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
** The Witch comes across as much more evil in the 2014 movie adaptation, to the point where Rapunzel seems like just another one of her victims than anything else. While at the same time one could also look at The Witch's actions towards Rapunzel as an old woman desperately wants appreciation but doesn't quite know how to express it properly.
** The Baker's Wife is much nicer and considerate in the 2014 movie adaptation. Her willingness to justify doing morally questionable things for a good cause is mostly downplayed in favor of her desire for motherhood.

** Rapunzel being The Baker's Sister is ''NEVER'' touched upon, outside The Baker asking about her briefly at the start of the play. One would assume that since it was a major plot point for the Witch's character, it would also be something that The Baker would ask further questions about. Especially since, to break the curse, The Baker's Wife stole some of Rapunzel's hair. It also doesn't help that The Baker actually witnesses Rapunzel's death, and yet we only focus on the Witch's reaction. Had The Baker's relationship with Rapunzel been explored, it could have helped add to an already great character; instead, it all feels like a wasted opportunity. The fact that she and Cinderella are sisters-in-law is also never touched upon; it would be sweet to see them interact considering they have similar back-stories. This gets worse in the 2014 movie version, where Rapunzel survives and the Baker actually does implore about her whereabouts to the Witch.[[note]]It is possible that they do reconcile after the events of the story, given that the Baker's the narrator in the movie and knows Rapunzel is his sister then. This implies that they could have met up eventually (as Cinderella would probably know a bit about her brother-in-law's wife and help him put two and two together)[[/note]]

** Cinderella’s Prince is an adulterous douche, but he’s also a [[EnsembleDarkhorse huge fan favorite]] for doing every little thing as [[LargeHam grandiosely as possible,]] and getting some of the show’s greatest comedic moments. The fact that underneath all the laughs and [[LargeHam ham]] there’s actually pathos helps. As does his doubling as The Wolf.

** Cinderella's Father. In the original production, her father seems to have selfishly abandoned her to his wife and stepdaughters (and quick to change when his real daughter gets to marry the prince), whereas the revival plays him as being "not all there," implying he simply does not realize Cinderella's situation. The 2014 movie version avoids this issue by killing him off. Cinderella's Mother-In-The-Grave gets this, too. The original plays her as a StageMom whereas both the revival and the movie version plays her lines empathetically.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Could be argued that this is first subverted, then played straight - even LampShaded at at the end of Act I, where everyone mostly gets what they wanted but didn't actually to more than get lucky in many places; then, in Act II, they earn their results (even though the results are pretty sober).

** Are the Princes well-meaning guys with bad impulse control, spoiled by a life that has offered them no challenges at all, or sleazy, manipulative bastards who take advantage of any opportunity to get laid? [[TakeAThirdOption Or some combination of the two?]] The script leaves them open to played in both ways, including anywhere on the spectrum between them. This is especially the case for Cinderella's Prince, who gets more screen time and has more impact on the story than his brother; he's very quick to jump on the Baker's Wife, but he ''does'' genuinely seem to care about Cinderella, and his final scene in the show shows that he has at least enough self-awareness to admit he's a bit of a dick even if he still justifies everything he does.

* DracoInLeatherPants: There is a certain segment of the show's fans who tend to see the Witch as someone who can do no wrong in Act 2. She ''does'' have some valid points about the rest of the protagonists and their petty squabbling, but said fanbase tends to overlook the fact that the Witch herself is still guilty of a lot. Particularly with her treatment of Rapunzel and how [[spoiler:she destroyed her life]]. And then during her GriefSong, she still refuses to take culpability, essentially blaming Rapunzel for [[spoiler:her own insanity and death]], saying "No matter what you say, children won't listen". Yet, if you go to the comments section for any of her songs, there will be comments completely agreeing with her and even saying she isn't a villain at all.

* ValuesDissonance:
** Given that the story of Little Red Riding Hood is generally accepted as being a cautionary tale about rape, it's becoming precarious in our post-Me-Too, hashtag-rape-culture society that the musical's ultimate statement on the matter is that it is up to potential victims to take responsibility for keeping themselves out of danger ("Don't be scared ... just be prepared") due to the reality that wishful thinking won't actually do anything to provide safety ("Do not put your faith in a cape and a hood; they will not protect you the way that they should").
** There's also the treatment of the Baker's Wife's 'infidelity' with Cinderella's Prince. It's treated as a consensual tryst, even though the prince seduces her and she doesn't say yes. Given the class and power imbalance between them (as well as the prince's established characterization as a womaniser), it's unlikely she would have been in a position to turn him down even if she wanted to. Cinderella indeed hears of the prince's actions and doesn't tell the Baker to spare his feelings so he won't know his wife cheated on him; with greater awareness of sexual politics, a modern viewer is less likely to find too much wrongdoing on the wife's part.

** Are the Princes well-meaning guys with bad impulse control, spoiled by a life that has offered them no challenges at all, or sleazy, manipulative bastards who take advantage of any opportunity to get laid? [[TakeAThirdOption Or some combination of the two?]] The script leaves them open to played in both ways, including anywhere on the spectrum between them. This is especially the case for Cinderella's Prince, who gets more screen time and has more impact on the story than his brother; he's very quick to jump on the Baker's Wife, but he ''does'' genuinely seem to care about Cinderella.

** While Joanna Gleeson and Robert Westenberg earned highly deserving Tony nominations, the rest of the highly acclaimed original cast went snubbed, noticeable in the cases of Chip Zien, Tom Aldridge, Kim Crosby, Ben Wright, and Danielle Ferland. Bernadette Peters was also ignored, though she had left the show early and the producers asked if they could put aside her campaign so they could clear the path to Gleeson winning their shared category. Peters have them her blessing, was snubbed, and Gleeson won.

** There's also the treatment of the Baker's Wife's 'infidelity' with Cinderella's Prince. It's treated as a consensual tryst, even though the prince seduces her and she doesn't say no. Given the class and power imbalance between them (as well as the prince's established characterization as a womaniser), it's unlikely she would have been in a position to turn him down even if she wanted to. Cinderella indeed hears of the prince's actions and doesn't tell the Baker to spare his feelings so he won't know his wife cheated on him; with greater awareness of sexual politics, a modern viewer is less likely to find too much wrongdoing on the wife's part.

** Cinderella's prince is in the woods in Act 2...not to slay the giant, as everyone assumes, but [[SkewedPriorities to pursue Sleeping Beauty]] and kiss any random woman that catches his eye, even if they're protesting like the Baker's wife. His own brother is actually looking for his wife while considering Snow White, and in the OBC tries to keep her from running under the giant's foot. Cinderella's prince keeps lying that he's going to do it, but isn't even there when the survivors first meet the Giantess. (Yes, this gets lampshaded by a lot of characters, including Cinderella when she hears from the birds that he kissed the Baker's wife and rolled in the hay with her.) Her prince could have gotten the same CharacterDevelopment that the others do if he had agreed to help with the climactic plan, to turn away from the challenge of finding a permanent chase in favor of actually acting like a king; it would also be a moral dilemma for Cinderella to work with him because as he puts it apologetically, "I was raised to be charming, not sincere." They could then figure out if their relationship si not saving. Instead, he and Cinderella have a (very mature) breakup where he apologizes for not being the man she thought he was, and she wishes him luck with his quest to find an unachievable girl. Cinderella doesn't tell anyone, instead of being focused on comforting Little Red about her family being dead and hiding her anguish about the betrayal.

%%Provide citation please* UnfortunateImplications: [[spoiler: The death of the Baker's Wife just after she [[DeathBySex commits adultery.]] Especially since the equally-married prince she commits it with gets off scot free.]]