Based on the German story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E. T. A. Hoffman, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is Disney’s latest attempt to put a fantastical spin on one of history’s most beloved fairy tales. The film is co-directed by Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston, both of whom carry a respectable resume of films including What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) and October Sky (1999). Unfortunately, I don’t think The Nutcracker and the Four Realms will be joining those films as a well-remembered classic. Despite a star-studded cast including Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman, the film falls short of what this Christmas tale truly deserves.
The film follows the story of Clara Stahlbaum (Foy) on Christmas Eve as she follows clues left by her deceased mother, Marie Stahlbaum (Anne Madeley), and godfather, Drosselmeyer (Freeman). From the beginning, two things are immediately obvious. Firstly, Clara has a knack for science and inventing. She shamelessly demonstrates her knowledge of physics throughout the film, and can easily fix broken trinkets (sometimes too easily to be believed). Secondly, Clara and her family are still grieving the loss of her mother, who was implied to be as clever and handy as Clara is. During a Christmas party, Clara travels into the Four Realms, a kingdom (unbeknownst to her at first) created by her mother in her childhood. When the citizens find out that she is Marie Stahlbaum’s daughter, she is swiftly recognized and instated as the kingdom’s (somewhat lost) princess. Along with Captain Phillip Hoffman (Jayden Fowora-Knight), known as the Nutcracker, Clara intends to save the Four Realms from the chaos that ensues following her mother’s death.
What this film lacks in originality and pacing, it makes up for in its dazzling costumes and set designs. Disney doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s (Knightley) floating skirts and cotton candy hair, or Mother Ginger’s (Mirren) haunting, run-down amusement park. However, no amount of bright colors or glitter can hide the fact that this film misses its mark by a long shot. The film’s attempt at recreating the innocence and wonder of this tale comes across more as cheap, flashy, and predictable. With the weak plot twists and Clara’s self-realized confidence, it’s not an amazing rendition of the “child travels to a magical land and saves it” trope. Additionally, the urgency at the end of the movie for Clara to save the Four Realms feels lazy and overdone. The movie takes an unusually careless path through the story, making it difficult to feel like you’re really being transported into a magical kingdom with lives on the line. The audience is also never really given a chance to get accustomed to the Four Realms, so from then and on, it’s difficult to believe the legitimacy of anything that is going on.
However, I will admit that this film wasn’t all disappointing. There are some quality bits of comedy and cuteness from some of the characters (and mice) that allow the audience to exhale in relief. The acting by the cast is well done, and one has to appreciate Clara’s character, which is truly a testament to promoting girls in STEM. Scored by James Newton Howard, the man behind The Dark Knight (2008) and The Hunger Games (2012), the soundtrack of this movie is magical and grand. Unfortunately, there’s not much to praise past that. The combination of Clara’s grief with this adventurous storyline is more awkward than motivating, and the dialogue between Clara and Phillip proves to be more confusing than playful. (Was Disney trying to work in a love story? It was a toss-up.) The audience was given too little time to admire what they wanted to (i.e. Misty Copeland’s dancing) and was forced to stare at exhausting, repeated shots (i.e. Clara’s amazed face at everything) instead. This film tries so hard to impress and amaze, but it ends up making the audience as dizzied as Mother Ginger’s tumbling clowns. Lacking depth and connection, this film is not unlike one of Sugar Plum’s sweets—a pop of candied amusement, but short-lived, easy to forget, and something that makes you sick if you have too much of it.
Score: 2/5