The Nutcracker and the Four Realms cracked my nuts into lifeless, hairless and tasteless chunks. There. An image of my nuts, now in your mind. You're welcome. What is there to say about this, except the fact that it's yet another missed opportunity from the "House of Mouse"? It's just 'Alice in Wonderland' with some sugar, snow and snarling mice. Everything from the predictable plot to the exaggerated performances. A complete lifeless mimicry that unfortunately will leave you bored. Clara travels through a corridor and into a magical world comprising of four realms that are at war (for literally no apparent reason), where she must stand against the fourth realm and unite the kingdom. There's slightly more to it, but the gist is a girl travelling to a world discovering herself to which she eventually travels back and lives happily ever after. A whimsical fairytale? Sure. Tchaikovsky's extravagant ballet? Certainly not. I will say that the production value, costume design and use of the original composition were of high quality, and will indefinitely garner some awards in the makeup department. Alas, all that world building...for nothing. The short runtime was not nearly adequate enough to craft an imaginative visual delight and develop an engaging plot with relatable characters. The latter was coated with sugared frosting, with nothing substantial really happening. Yet again, style over substance. Foy manages to hold her own against a more experienced cast, but let's talk about a performance that really was truly something special. Keira Knightley. A high-pitched insufferably irritating "king of the castle" sugar plum fairy. Good on her for going all in, but oh dear lord it was as if someone cracked her own nuts! Mirren was underused. Freeman was miscast. And Fowora-Knight was more wooden than a toy soldier. I'm honestly not too sure what happened here. The production issues were evident, and I suspect hindered any chance of success. This could've been a suitably entertaining film to get families into the holiday spirit. The only spirit it got me into was vodka. Atleast there is some ballet!
