The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Clara discovers a strange land full of magic and colours and finds out that she is to become its queen. But first she must stop the Gingerbread Woman, who wants to destroy the whole realm. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is by all accounts a mediocre fairy tale that has a functional but hackneyed story, often unnecessarily overwrought and almost cheesy visuals, and actors who can't act properly underneath all that makeup and weird costumes. You can see the money in it, but that's about it. It's an average fairy tale that doesn't offend, but it's nowhere near the top of the league. (01/11/2018)

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is really not a bad Christmas movie, but I'd recommend it to families who still have children who are quite young because the adults will be bored. While the cast is charming (Foy, Freeman, Mirren), it's hard to understand why Sugar Plum, the regent of the Land of the Sweets, would be skinnier than Misty Copeland, the professional ballerina at American Ballet theater. Yes, only because she is played by Keira Knightley. (29/12/2019)

The younger the viewer, the better the Nutcracker will be for them. It's a fairy tale for children's eyes first and foremost; there's always something to look at, there's always something going on, kids won't get bored. Adults may be captivated by the nice magical atmosphere, the lavish sets (by which I don't mean the flashy digital effects), some of the actors (Keira Knightley is great in the third act of the film and her "Hello, Boys!" amused me greatly), a fantastic James Newton Howard score referencing Tchaikovsky, and a nice ballet number. I liked Burton's Alice and especially Raimi's Oz better, though. (31/07/2019)

A classic from the pen of the romantic E.T.A. Hoffman, a film that offers a colourful array of characters and beautiful locations that make your eyes water, but even so, from a purely audiovisual point of view, I have almost no complaints. Story-wise, however, the film lapses somewhat heavily to the point of falling flat on its face. I understand that this is primarily a film for younger audiences, but even in these waters it can be taken in a different and slightly less predictable direction. Personally, I was most impressed by the sequences involving the Gingerbread Woman, her creepy abode and the band of clowns. Keira Knightley looked like she was into something different than cotton candy, but that’s probably the way her character should have been. Mackenzie Foy, best known through the Twilight series, thankfully had a more rewarding role compared. On the surface, the film is as appealing as that mysterious egg with the top hat opening, but on the content, aside from a few bright spurts, it's pretty empty. (04/11/2018)