Written by Tom Moore
Disney is at it again with another live-action adaptation of an iconic tale. However, unlike more recent adaptations, this film isn’t actually based on a classic Disney tale. Instead, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a mix of inspirations taking ideas E.T.A Hoffman’s short story and the original ballet by Marius Petipa.
This adaptation actually had a chance to impress audiences like never before. This is a Disney family film with no Disney animated classic to compare it to. It was coming fresh for audiences who were lacking any preconceived notions about the film. Add in a dash of that Disney magic to the classic tale, and it sure seemed like a surefire hit and With audiences coming in with a fresh mindset and Disney crafting a new look on a classic tale, it seemed like a surefire success.
Well, unfortunately, other than the look of the film’s world it doesn’t seem like much care was put into The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. The film’s four realms are interesting and each comes with a unique look to them. The real problem is that the story is mostly stuck in the fourth realm with audiences only getting a glimpse at the other realms. It was truly disappointing to see world-building done like this and the story suffers from a similar lack of scope.
The plot of the film follows the journey of Clara (MacKenzie Foy), a young girl distraught over her mother’s death, who discovers she’s the princess of these four realms. This is a pretty typical story and it hits on every beat that a Disney live action family film has thrown at us before. Honestly, as a joke, I even started to guess lines before characters would say them, and was shocked to see how dead-on accurate I ended up being. Worst of all, literally anyone could guess the film’s big twist. I even figured out the big problem Clara was trying to solve throughout the film — 20 minutes before she did.
Other characters follow suit and are bland and completely predictable. Most of the cast (which features major talent like Helen Mirren, Kiera Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Morgan Freeman, and Richard E. Grant) is either completely underdeveloped, underused or given lines that are totally cartoon-y and weird. None of the performances are necessarily bad, it’s just that their lines never feel like they fit their character’s. Even Misty Copeland’s excellent ballet performance is short-lived and constantly cut away from for just boring exposition, while her other performance was relegated to the credits.
Now, all of this may come off as a little strong to some. On the surface it seems like it’s a kids movie geared to cash in on early Christmas vibes. But it’s actually tough to say who this film is even targeted for. Oddly, it’s not a colorful film and trades in mystical magic for gloomy machinery. It’s almost like they took a page from DC movies where characters have a much darker look for some reason.
Richard E. Grant’s Shiver, for example, looks more like an evil icicle than the magical leader of the snowflake realm. A lot of focus is also brought to Mirren’s Mother Ginger, whose army of mice and clowns resemble more horror imagery than anything anyone would expect in a Disney film. The film also constantly tries to root itself in some kind of reality which is totally unnecessary considering the fact that the film is in a magical kingdom.
I am an advocate for having more horror elements and creepy imagery in children’s stories. However, the film never commits to this as it always seems to undercut these moments. For example, a whimsical score doesn’t fir the scene of mice coming together to form a giant mouse-person or expressionless tin soldiers trying to hunt Clara down.
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms seems like it was conceived to earn a little money before Christmas as opposed to actually put out something original. It falls back on typical family film story tropes. If you’re looking for a fun Christmas movie to see with your kids to get them in the holiday spirit, The Grinch comes out in just a week. I think the only way to effectively describe The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is that it’s as hollow as a tin soldier.
Rating: 4/10
