Review of movie The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

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Rating:2/5

Clara Stahlbaum (Mackenzie Foy) is anything but a typical girl from the Victorian era. She is good with mechanical tools and loves to solve puzzles. On Christmas Eve, when her deceased mother leaves her an ornate egg that needs to be unlocked, she's baffled that it came without a key. So, she sets out to ask her godfather Drosselmeyer (Morgan Freeman) about this mysterious gift. Little does she know that he has powers of his own. He leads her to a fantasy world where the Land of Sweets, Land of Snowflakes, and Land of Flowers have banished Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren) for her treacherous actions. Clara is suddenly immersed into this world where she needs to find the key, but also restore peace and harmony across the Four Realms.

A princess who doesn’t know about her true status, toys that come to life, kingdoms at war with each other, and lavish, extravagant costumes; despite having all the makings of a classic fairy-tale, Disney’s ‘The Nutcracker And The Four Realms’ clearly falls into the ‘misfire’ category. Known predominantly to be a musical presentation, this rendition practically skips that approach altogether to focus on visual pageantry, a gimmick that soon outlasts its welcome. Despite all the eye-candy, the film is utterly dreary with little character to drive a predictable plot. 

Even though the cast boasts of multiple Academy Award winners Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren, they appear to be sleepwalking through a mundane script. Keira Knightley tries to infuse some enthusiasm into Sugar Plum but ends up being sickeningly sweet. Despite Mackenzie Foy’s best efforts to make Clara a spirited girl trying to find her place in the real, and fantasy world, she’s weighed down by groan-inducing dialogue that’s all exposition and little heart. As a result, these characters are as interesting as an army of toy tin soldiers, and you know there’s a major problem when the most charming creature is a CGI-rendered mouse. This grand mess seems to be a case of too many cooks; co-directors Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston fumble with a convoluted plot that’s riddled with glaring holes throughout. Devoid of any thrills and excitement, it’s doubtful that even the core younger audience will be engaged enough to sit through this one.