I must confess I went into Disney’s latest blockbuster a total novice to the yuletide classic, having never seen the ballet production on which it is based or any of the countless screen adaptations that have followed. Combining the characters of Petipa’s classic ballet and the plotline of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s short story ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’, a young woman receives a locked egg from her deceased mother and sets out to retrieve the key, only to stumble upon a mysterious parallel world. The film is practically perfect for a family outing at the cinema on a winter evening. It features some of Hollywood’s biggest names including Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren in supporting roles, and rising star Mackenzie Foy takes centre stage as the plucky heroine Clara.
The overall viewing experience felt like the moment when you crack open a beautifully decorated Easter egg expecting it to be packed with sweets, only to be disappointed that the inside is just a hollow egg. The film is lovely to look at and the costumes are stunning, but the set design risks being a bit cotton candy and cartoonish at times. On a positive note, the film wastes no time in progressing with the story, and the premise will be entertaining for younger audiences in the midst of Disney princess idolisation. Mackenzie Foy does a decent enough job taking us on her magical journey to fulfil her destiny as ruler of the Four Realms. At eighteen-years-old she is ideal casting for the smart and inventive Clara, however her youth has gone against her here as she doesn’t quite have the screen presence to carry a film just yet. Keira Knightley is also weirdly miscast as Sugar Plum, adopting a screechy pitch that’s unbearable to listen to for the hour and a half running time. But it’s refreshing to see the corset queen go against type in a role that’s not as sweet as she appears. For me the most likeable character in the film is the mouse who steals Clara’s key, as he is simply adorable even if he is a CGI creation.
The narrative upholds Disney convention by recycling elements of iconic children’s stories we know well. ‘The Four Realms’ is effectively a retelling of the ‘girl discovers a magical land and finds herself’ premise seen in ‘Alice and Wonderland’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and so on. For a film that follows this template, the heroine’s character arc is somewhat disjointed and doesn’t make any logical sense. Clara shares a tense relationship with her father, as she initially doesn’t understand just how deeply he is grieving for the loss of her beloved mother. Come the end, Clara is overjoyed to return home and embrace her father without so much as a mention of him between finding the magical world and her exit. I felt that a more intricate focus on Clara’s maturity would have delivered a richer experience with more to admire than the ravishing visuals. On the positive side, I thought that the wise Drosselmeyer’s statement ‘some locks are harder to pick than others’ had some emotional weight and was a lovely, subtle touch. Princess-style transformation comes with the territory, as Clara realises her true destiny to resolve the land’s tensions almost in tandem with her being whisked off and beautified into the people’s princess by her Sugar Plum fairy godmother.
The age certificate is a PG, which typically constitutes one or two scenes that may be unsuitable for young children. But strangely enough there are some moments that would be the stuff of nightmares for grown adults. Clara enters Mother Ginger’s tent only to be jumped and swung around by a bunch of creepy clown minions. For a moment I thought I was watching an adaptation of an eerie Angela Carter fairy tale than a family adventure. If adults squirm at the sinister parts, no doubt children will be hiding behind their popcorn cartons until the nightmare is over. If you think the kids will enjoy it, take caution. For a film based on a classic ballet production, there is only one actual dance sequence discounting the credits which was disappointing. The film’s problems aside, I did enjoy it and I’m now feeling the festive spirit. In a nutcracker shell, I would have liked more substance than a forgettable spectacle of candy floss and princess frocks.
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