I can't say if the book was better, but the play was.
Everything that carried over from the original script was fine. The musical numbers are often clever, propelling the story and developing the characters. The characters themselves were believable in their circumstances. By using characters from popular fairy tales, they already had a history with the audience. This made it easier to integrate so many key characters while avoiding mass confusion.
The acting was tolerable. The kids were better than than the adults, in my opinion. They kept up their pluck and poise throughout the many trials the story threw at them. The adults often appeared to be putting to much effort into it. They would throw themselves around without any real purpose. (In the scene with the brothers singing "Agony," this becomes comical.) I don't know if this was the fault of the director or the actors, but based on the performance of the children I assume it was a combination.
As the film progressed, the musical numbers became redundant and lost their charm. Some of this was due to technical quality.The sound synchronization was off (which could have been due to the player, but in some parts it seemed too far to be owed to that). The soundtrack was occasionally wrong for the scene. I do not mean it was German or anything, but it would be echoey in the wrong places. Many lines sounded forced, as if they had to be repeated over and over and had lost any meaning to the character. There were some continuity issues, as well, such as with the lentils.
The symbolism was fun, and there were many messages sprinkled through the tale. Whether these messages were good or not would depend on your family.
This was a better play for many reasons. First, when it's a play you expect for the sound to not always be in sync with the set. It will sound the same in the castle as in the forest because it's a stage. It does that. Second, the songs do not lose their charm as quickly because they are directed at the audience, and not a camera or another character. When a play breaks the fourth wall is much more fun, in this instance, than when the actors in the movie do. Third, the play allows the characters to take themselves a bit less seriously when it comes to professionalism (they come, they watch, they go home, and there is always next time). At the same time, they must know their parts that much better. Also, playing through the events in chronological order lent to their ability to stay in character and progress emotionally. When you are shooting a film out of sequence, which is how things are typically done, this is difficult.
This was not a bad movie. I was disappointed in some of what I saw. If you have the chance to see the play, whether by a reputable company or a local college, I recommend that. See it twice. However, the story is still engaging in video form.
