Several films have tried to translate "The Nutcracker" to the big screen, some as straightforward adaptations of the ballet and others as interpretations of the original book by E. T. A. Hoffman. The original text is dense, dark, and does not lend itself to a straight cinematic retelling. The ballet, meanwhile, uses only the scaffolding of Hoffman's plot, usually dispensing with the narrative by the end of the first act and bringing out a series of showpieces in the second. As a result, it too is not a prime candidate for a scripted interpretation. Still, it's such a beloved Christmas staple that the lure to adapt it has proven irresistible.
Of the retellings I've seen, "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" is the best, but I say that cautiously. As with the ballet, it uses only the base elements of the original book, mingling in some elements of the ballet, although with some interesting subversions. (Kids who love the ballet will be excited at the presence of the Sugarplum Fairy and Mother Ginger, but to see them at war is certainly unexpected.) However, if the writers discarded the character names and the Christmas Eve party that bookends the film, you could easily take this for another Narnia or Alice in Wonderland sequel. The plot elements line up so closely with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland that it's hard not to see the Sugarplum Fairy as a spin on Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen. The story becomes more depressingly derivative as it progresses, so by the time the villain's Grand Scheme is revealed and two sides go to war, you sigh in resignation and strap in for the upcoming CGI-fest.
Still, this movie has some terrific qualities. All the acting is strong and sincere. I like Morgan Freeman as an avuncular, rather than terrifying, Drosselmeyer. Keira Knightley is gleeful and she lights up every scene she's in. Mackenzie Foy is a steady, likeable presence in a movie where she's on screen for at least 90 percent of the running time. Additionally, the sets, costumes, and CGI are well-done. You can tell a lot of thought went into making this film, especially in little background touches. The Christmas Party scenes are particularly well done, making clear why visiting Drosselmeyer's would be a thrill for a child.
James Newton Howard deserves acclaim for his soundtrack. It's no easy task to adapt one of the world's best-known classical ballet scores, at least not without seeming disrespectful. (If you want an example, check out the atrocious Nutcracker 3-D from 2010.) The music fits in seamlessly, especially when at one point the score dips in and out of an actual ballet, focusing on dancers and then on the fairy-land audience.
Of the retellings I've seen, "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" is the best, but I say that cautiously. As with the ballet, it uses only the base elements of the original book, mingling in some elements of the ballet, although with some interesting subversions. (Kids who love the ballet will be excited at the presence of the Sugarplum Fairy and Mother Ginger, but to see them at war is certainly unexpected.) However, if the writers discarded the character names and the Christmas Eve party that bookends the film, you could easily take this for another Narnia or Alice in Wonderland sequel. The plot elements line up so closely with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland that it's hard not to see the Sugarplum Fairy as a spin on Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen. The story becomes more depressingly derivative as it progresses, so by the time the villain's Grand Scheme is revealed and two sides go to war, you sigh in resignation and strap in for the upcoming CGI-fest.
Still, this movie has some terrific qualities. All the acting is strong and sincere. I like Morgan Freeman as an avuncular, rather than terrifying, Drosselmeyer. Keira Knightley is gleeful and she lights up every scene she's in. Mackenzie Foy is a steady, likeable presence in a movie where she's on screen for at least 90 percent of the running time. Additionally, the sets, costumes, and CGI are well-done. You can tell a lot of thought went into making this film, especially in little background touches. The Christmas Party scenes are particularly well done, making clear why visiting Drosselmeyer's would be a thrill for a child.
James Newton Howard deserves acclaim for his soundtrack. It's no easy task to adapt one of the world's best-known classical ballet scores, at least not without seeming disrespectful. (If you want an example, check out the atrocious Nutcracker 3-D from 2010.) The music fits in seamlessly, especially when at one point the score dips in and out of an actual ballet, focusing on dancers and then on the fairy-land audience.