Nutcracker and the Four Realms Review!

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is directed by Lasse Hallstrom who infrequently makes films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), and Chocolat (2000), and Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009).  It was co-directed by Joe Johnston who directed many visual effects films like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), The Rocketeer (1991), and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011).  The film is of course based on ballet usually performed during Christmas choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.  It is the score that is most memorable for me not having seen the ballet.  It sneaks into the movie’s score by James Newton Howard.  

The ballet was based on Alexandre Dumas’ The Nutcracker (1844) which was in turn based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” (1816). Before the opening night at the El Capitan theater was a performance by Los Angeles Ballet with a Pas De Deux danced by Bianca Bulle & Eris Nezha.  It is of course very beautiful, I don’t understand it, but feel that it is something missing like a part of my soul.  The performance and the ballet sequences in this film make it worth watching as well as the sumptuous visuals, the production design is by Guy Hendrix Dyas, and incredible costumes by Jenny Beavan, but the pacing is very slow.  Anything that introduces ballet is a good thing.  The story is by Ashleigh Powell and this is her first movie.  

The film shifts from the Disney castle logo to a city in winter, it is Christmas Eve, an owl flies (which would be a good 3D-effect).  The owl tries to snatch up a mouse that scurries in the attic of the Stahlbaum house.  The mouse nibbles at some cheese bait and Clara Stahlbaum (Mackenzie Foy) activates her Rube Goldberg-type trap that drops on the mouse. Foy provides the voice of The Little Girl in The Little Price (2015), she was also in The Conjuring (2013), and Interstellar (2014).  Her brother, Fritz (Tom Sweet) is impressed by her clever engineering feat.  A servant opens the attic door which frees the mouse and they are called by their father, Mr. Stahlbaum played by Matthew Macfayden. He mentions that he wants his children to be ready for the Christmas Eve ball.  His older daughter, Louise (Ellie Bamber), combs Clara’s hair.  Their father has gifts for them from their mother who has passed away; toy soldiers for Fritz, dresses for Louise, and a decorative egg with no key to open for Clara.  She has an inquisitive mind, misses her mother of course, but seems lonely and sad, even though Clara lives a life of privilege.  Mr. Stahlbaum says he only wants a dance with his daughters at the ball.  At the ball, Clara slips away to check on the workshop of her godfather watched over by his owl.  

Bianca Bulle and Eris Nezha from the Los Angeles Ballet, El Capitan theater, photo by the author.  

Clara sees her godfather, Drosselmeyer with a distinctive eyepatch, played by Morgan Freeman.  He of course is known for Dolphin Tale (2011), playing Lucius Fox in Batman Begins (2005), and The Shawshank Redemption (1994).  Drosselmeyer had a nephew who looks like the Nutcracker Prince in the ballet.  He says Clara has potential like her mother.  The movie is about her connection to her mother and her own identity, but I found it strange that Louise and Fritz are left out.  Clara’s father is angry that she went missing since he wanted the dance with her and Clara angrily tells him that he is being selfish.  Drosselmeyer announces the gifts for the children, they follow ribbons leading all over the house and outside, looks like fun!  

Fritz shows Clara his gift a nutcracker soldier toy, all interesting to see the living counterparts, still Clara follows her ribbon up stairs past red wallpaper with owl and mice images. It leads to a dark hall and then through a a tunnel of a fallen tree. She emerges from the roots of the tree to a winter wonderland, The Land of Christmas Trees.  It reminded me of Chronicles of Narnia, but that story was in another season so it was wondrous while this film stuns with it’s visuals.  Clara follows the ribbon to a tree that seems to be lit by fairies.  She finds inside a key, but this is taken by a mouse.  The chasing of the mouse makes me think of the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland.  

Clara eventually comes across a bridge since the mouse crossed a river covered by ice.  Next to the bridge is the booth with the Nutcracker Prince, played by Jayden Fowora-Knight, he was earlier in Ready Player One this year.  He is a loyal character, brave, and believes in Clara whom he says is a princess.  The Nutcracker Prince introduces himself as Captain Phillip Hoffman, his name is new to the story, and a nod to the writer of the Nutcracker story.  Clara orders him to help find the mouse.  Phillip has his horse, Jingles, and rides to the spooky Fourth Realm.  The mouse has help from his fellow mice that combine into a massive Mouse King.  He is portrayed by Lil Buck, who is an incredible dancer, he has an end credit dancing scene.  

The towering form of Mother Ginger as a porcelain doll taller than trees chases them from the Fourth Realm.  Phillip brings them to a castle with waterfalls pouring at it’s side, this completely beautiful, they are stopped by guards. There are two soldier named Harlequin, played by comedian Jack Whitehall, Cavalier, Omid Djalili, who also had a comic role in The Mummy (1999).  Once Clara is identified, they are led in.  Clara sees Hawthorne (Eugenio Derbez) who rules the Realm of Flowers, his Victorian-era hair looks like a bouquet of flowers, and Shiver (Richard E. Grant), ruler of the Land of Snowflakes, with a mess of snowflakes for hair and hanging from his chin in an icicle beard.  Nice parts, but they are really cameo roles.  

The ruler of the Land of Sweets is the Sugar Plum Fairy played by Keira Knightley.  I thought her high pitched voice would be grating through the entire movie, but it is easy on the ears.  Her pink hair is spun like cotton candy and her purple dress has a mass of ruffles.  She flies at times with iridescent wings. Knightley of course is known for the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Pride & Prejudice (2005), and Atonement (2007).  She informs Clara that Mother Ginger is dangerous and wants to take over the Four Realms.  The Sugar Plum Fairy shows Clara the machine built by her mother that transformed the toys of the Four Realms into people.  

It just needs the key taken by Mother Ginger.  Clara also sees the story of the Four Realms with a performance that starts with the conductor, played by Gustavo Dudamel, reflecting his scene in Fantasia (1940).  I loved it!  Then, comes the Ballerina Princess played by Misty Copeland, principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre. I would urge moviegoers to see this film for this sequence and the other at the end credits. She dances with Sergei Polunin as the Sweets Cavalier.  Clara leads the soldiers with Captain Phillip to the Fourth Realm.  

They are confronted by the clown-like Polichinelles who unfold from each other like Russian nesting dolls.  Clara sneaks into the Mother Ginger automaton to find the key.  She sees Mother Ginger played by Helen Mirren.  Mother Ginger has red hair and a face with some cracks.  One of Mirren's early roles was as Morgana in Excalibur (1981), won an Academy Award for The Queen (2006), and she was in this year’s Winchester.  Clara has to save the Four Realms like her mother, Marie, played in a flashback by Anna Madeley. This is a film with beautiful visuals and ballet scenes in this holiday fantasy!   

Four Mice out of Five! 

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