The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Directed by: Lasse Hallstrom & Joe Johnston
Grade: C
How does one get to live in a realm of sweets? Do I need a passport? A visa? Because I would be all over that. Get to wear over the top dresses, have cotton candy hair and probably live in an actual gingerbread house. Life goals.
So in The Nutcracker vaguely annoying Clara (Mackenzie Foy) travels to her late mothers kingdom and must save it from Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren) she gets help in this from the Sugarplum Fairy (Keira Knightley) and an awesome Nutcracker called Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight.)
Unfortunately all those people completely outshine Foy whose purpose seems to be: 1. look pretty 2. wonder around like your in an actual ballet and 3. take all the movie to learn a lesson thats pretty much spelled out for you.
Also there’s a bit with her father where I thought to myself, “Oh, it’s nice to see Clive Owen. I haven’t in a while!” And it wasn’t until IMBD told me I still haven’t cause her father was played by Matthew MacFadyen… so good job on that me!
Anyway Nutcracker is something I’m going to come down the middle on. Ultimately it’s kind of pointless but very pretty too look at. Knightley and Mirren seem to be having fun. And I’m not familiar with the story so I totally didn’t see the twist coming. It also just feels very early for a Christmas movie. (Says the girl whose probably going to see The Grinch this weekend!)
They do get a bit of ballet in there which was a nice touch. And seriously Clara’s way of walking and running got on my nerves for some reason but perhaps they were all told to move in a certain way that resembled dancing?
Needless to say I am not overly fond of Clara.
Strangely nothing about the soundtrack or the music stood out to me at all in this one.
Recommend: No, not in theaters anyway. Though this is one that if you happen to catch it streaming or on television some future Christmas time it’s a harmless way to spend an hour and a half.