| violence |
There are multiple acts of thievery, murder/manslaughter, accidental death, poking human eyes out, amputation, kidnapping, elder abuse, and child neglect.
The film is very dark and, at times, violent. It should be noted, though, that most of the violence is macabre and largely played for laughs.
Jack's mother, while not outright abusive, does tend to slap her child around during the prologue. Jack seems to be brain-addled, and we're slightly led to wonder if the mother's "abuse" is to blame.
After Cinderella accidentally ties her hair too tightly, one of her stepsisters slaps her, after which both stepsisters burst into hysterical laughter. This is not a very violent scene, it might upset some viewers as it is not done in a comedic way like most other violence.
Red Riding Hood is seemingly stalked and (later) eaten by The Wolf. Later, the Wolf is cut open with a knife (off-screen) and Red Riding Hood and her grandmother walk out, unscathed, but severely grossed out. Later in the film, emboldened by surviving her experience, Red becomes (for lack of a better word) trigger-happy, brandishing a knife and threatening to cut Jack open if he comes any closer. This is done for laughs and is not scary.
When the Prince is out looking for Cinderella via the slipper, he stops by Cinderella's house. There, the Evil Stepmother cuts off sections of the two stepsisters' feet so the shoe would fit. It is again played for comic effect, but you see the Stepmother making a strained cutting motion and the stepsisters crying out in agony. Later, when they are both passed off as the right girl, they are wincing walking in the slipper, and the slipper drips blood.
When Cinderella is discovered as the girl for the Prince, as they ride off together, a flock of birds swarm the evil stepsisters and blind them. They are later shown walking around with canes and sunglasses.
The latter half contains violence not played for comic relief. A giant attacks the land and ravages buildings and forests. During a heated debate, Jack's mother is knocked on the head and dies. This is not very violent and kids might think she is just going to sleep.
Later, after her tryst with the Prince, the Baker's Wife, in an attempt to outrun the impending giant, falls off a steep cliff and dies, though no violence is shown.
The Witch and Rapunzel have another heated shouting match. This is more real-feeling as it is not done through song.
In the final battle between the fairy tale characters and the giant, there is some minor violence as they conquer the giant. Her eyes are pecked out by birds as she is stuck in a tar pit and she is brought smashing to the ground.
It's also worth mentioning that the Witch's transformations (there are two, plus one mostly played-out offscreen) are very intense and they move her in violent ways. |
| frightening |
Many scenes are emotionally and visually intense.
The Witch, as a character, is intense, prone to randomly screamed lines, manic and sometimes violent outbursts, and thinly veiled threats.
The Witch and Rapunzel verbally spar in several intense fights.
The Wolf, while not too scary, is menacing. He eats Little Red, which can upset smaller viewers. After this occurs though, it is described by Red in a much more cheerful way.
The overall tone is very emotional and there are several tearjerker scenes, as well as several chill-inducing intense scenes. Character deaths are very well felt, and they really make you sad.
The scenes involving the Witch's transformations are visually intense. The "Your Fault/Last Midnight" sequence is very well-realized, full of popping visuals, stunning vocal performances, and real intensity. Specifically, the climax of the scene is visually fascinating (she throws away the beans, reactivating her mother's curse and causes her to vanish/turn into a tar pit. Her fate is very ambiguous, but some see it as suicide).
The scene containing "No One Is Alone" is emotionally charged. |
