(spoiler free)
Arriving just in time for the transition into the Christmas season, ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ is the latest big budget production from Disney. The film is based on the short story ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ by E. T. A. Hoffmann and Marius Petipa’s ballet ‘The Nutcracker’, but could this big screen adaptation of the hugely popular ballet be able to mimic its limitless success?
The popularity of this narrative speaks for itself, with the original short story now being over two hundred years old whilst still very much remaining a part of popular culture. However, this somewhat comes at a cost as the story doesn’t seem all that original. It may garner comparisons to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’ as it feels like a hybrid between those stories sharing similar narrative content. Although while it may feel slightly by the numbers it is executed well and it hits the right emotional and dramatic notes throughout. At times the pacing looks like it might become a problem but this is always remedied by the collection of visually appealing and exciting action sequences littered throughout the film. These sequences are fun, at times a little frightening but always fantastic to watch helping to create a lively and spirited story for all the family to enjoy.
As a whole the cast are serviceable but on occasion some of performances do come across as a tad wooden. Lead actress Mackenzie Foy is good but could have done with slightly more charisma which would have helped drive the story forward evoking more enthusiasm from the audience. It’s Keira Knightly who stands out as the sickly sweet Sugar Plum Fairy though, her campy take on the character is as much fun for the audience as it clearly was for the actress to play! Performances aside though, the appearance of the cast and the world they inhabit is truly magical. The creativity and attention to detail is wonderful really achieving a visual spectacle for audiences to witness and feel a part of, vitally contributing to the enchanting nature of the story. Furthermore, the visual effects employed for the aforementioned action sequences ensure none of these spellbinding scenes lose any sense of wonder. One more contributing factor for this is the inclusion of the iconic Nutcracker music, naturally weaved throughout the story only further adding to the otherworldly awe created.
It’s safe to say that ‘The Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ won’t become a Christmas classic anytime soon but it’s perfectly enjoyable in the moment. Its fairly standard and familiar story is consistently complimented by its animated action sequences which are amusing to no end. A memorable performance from Keira Knightly will keep audiences engaged where other cast members might have struggled to do so. The design of the titular four realms and the characters which call them home adds an impressive final touch to the finished product delivering a fine festive treat for families as the Christmas celebrations commence for another year.
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 7/10
Question: What is your favourite Keira Knightly film performance?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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