David Pierdomenico
There’s been some big news at Disney recently. They’ve decided that they’re going to greenlight a big budget version of the classic children’s story “If You a Give a Mouse a Cookie”. Complete with an A-list cast, large scale battle scenes, and minimal references to the source material, this new blockbuster should be out by next Christmas. Of course none of this is actually true. Because a film like that would be ludicrous…right? Well maybe not, since apparently Disney decided that what the classic Nutcracker story needed was politics and war. So let’s dive into The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
A New Christmas Classic…Sort of?
The film opens on Christmas Eve in 19th Century London as a family attempts to celebrate the holiday while still grieving the recent loss of their mother. Our main character Clara (Mackenzie Foy) is an inventor who suffers from middle child syndrome. She doesn’t like dancing, or parties, and feels like she doesn’t quite belong. If this sounds familiar, it’s because she has a very similar characterization to Emma Watson’s Belle in last year’s Beauty and the Beast. At the party, she avoids socializing to hang out with Drosselmeyer (Morgan Freeman). He’s an old friend of her mother’s, as well as Clara’s godfather.
Next, she stumbles into a small portal which takes her to Wonderland, sorry meant to say Narnia, sorry again, the Land of the Four Realms. She quickly discovers that the realms of Snowflakes, Flowers, and Sweets are at war with the Fourth Realm, which is ruled by Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren). Clara discovers that she is in fact a princess (because why not?), and she is guided through the world by Sugar Plum (Keira Knightley) who rules over the Realm of Sweets.
Odd Acting Choices
By far, the most memorable component of the film is Keira Knightley’s incredibly bizarre performance. She’s almost unrecognizable with makeup, and a much higher pitched voice than we’re used to hearing from her. It’s clear that since her character oversees the Realm of Sweets, she was going for a childlike innocence. Unfortunately it only comes off as annoying. Plus, she has a few suggestive comments that really come out of nowhere and don’t fit in with the tone of the rest of the film. Despite all this however, it would seem unfair to criticize Knightley for it. Most brilliant performances are ones that take risks, and sometimes a risk can backfire, which is the case here. It’s admirable that she was willing to commit to this performance, it just turned out to not be a good one.
Not Entirely Unredeemable
The plot may be rushed and foolish, the characters may be underdeveloped, and the film itself may be trying way too hard to be like other former “epics”, but not every aspect is terrible. To be fair, the film has stunning production design and brilliant overall visuals. It was shot on 65mm film rather than digital to give it an organic and elegant look. The costumes and Realms themselves are creatively designed, almost like Candyland but in picture form. There’s also a scene at the palace where Clara is treated to a ballet reminiscent of the original Nutcracker stage performance. Honestly, it’s more entertaining than the rest of the film itself. It’s a shame that with such beautiful visuals, the writing couldn’t be up to par as well.
The biggest problem with the film is it all feels very rushed and at times, downright dull. While it’s difficult to take the war subplot seriously, especially with names like Sugar Plum, Mother Ginger, Snowflakes, Sweets, and Flowers, Nutcracker and the Four Realms is far from the worst or most ridiculous thing Disney’s ever put out. Rather its crime is its inability to leave any real lasting impression. It’s not a terrible film, but it’s nowhere near great either. It’s the very definition of the word “meh”. Only further evidence that not every classic short story needs to be remade into an epic fantasy action/adventure film.
