On 14 November 2018, I spent a fair chunk of time at my local cinema watching two very different newly-released films. One of them was the Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which I have already reviewed here on Shuker In MovieLand. The other one, based (very) loosely upon a famous Christmas-themed story, was The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.
Directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a visually sumptuous family-friendly fantasy movie made by Disney that if there was justice in this world should definitely have won at the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony the Best Visual Effects and Best Costume Design Oscars (there isn't, because it didn't). Sadly, however, the film's plot is far less sparkling.
To be fair, it was billed as a sequel to, rather than an adaptation of, the original 19th-Century story 'The Nutcracker and the Mouse King' by E.T.A. Hoffmann. (This latter story was the inspiration for Tchaikovsky's classic ballet 'The Nutcracker', musical excerpts from which appear throughout this new film, and feature classical pianist Lang Lang.) Certainly, it bears only passing resemblance to these earlier versions.
Unfortunately, the story that replaces the original is one that, tragically, follows what in my opinion has become an only-too-familiar trend in Disney movies lately, being predictably PC to the point of absolute tedium at times. Set in Victorian London, it presents the perilous journey of a young but indomitably brave, practical girl named Ciara Stahlbaum (played by Mackenzie Foy) from a Christmas Eve party being held by her recently-widowed father Benjamin into an enchanted world constituting the Four Realms of the Nutcracker.
These realms are the Land of Sweets, the Land of Snowflakes, the Land of Flowers, and what is now a dark, frightening zone known simply as the Fourth Realm but which was once the bright and joyful Land of Amusements. Ciara confronts all manner of powerful, clever, and sometimes decidedly dangerous female characters plus a sundry selection of what for the most part are weak, foolish, bumbling male characters during her fervent search for a magical key.
This key will unlock a mysterious egg-shaped box given to Ciara on behalf of her late mother Marie by Ciara's inventor godfather Drosselmeyer earlier that same evening in our own world, and which he had originally created for Marie when she was young. The sights, scenes, and costumes in the Nutcracker Realms are sumptuous, colourful, and bewitching beyond all description, so I won't even attempt to do so – they have to be seen to be appreciated.
In short, prepare to be totally spellbound by the dazzling visual splendour of it all, while also trying desperately to hang onto the knowledge when watching it that men can actually be intelligent, assertive, and courageous too (as opposed to being almost invariably portrayed nowadays as hapless, hopeless, and helpless). Whatever happened to this demographic in the wonderful world of Disney, I wonder?
Mercifully, however, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms also contains a fair few familiar faces to keep the momentum rolling. In major roles, they include the likes of Keira Knightley as the sickly-sweet Sugar Plum Fairy, Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer, Helen Mirren as the ostensibly sinister Mother Ginger, and Jayden Fowora-Knight as Captain Philip Hoffman, the eponymous and valiant (hurrah!) nutcracker that comes to life and boldly accompanies Ciara during her journey.
Lesser but no less memorable roles are played by such stars as Richard E. Grant (as Shiver, the aptly-named regent of the Land of Snowflakes), British comedians Omid Djalili and Jack Whitehall as Cavalier and Harlequin (a pair of ineffectual guards at the Palace of the Four Realms), and Matthew Macfadyen as Ciara's father Benjamin.
Retaining one of the most famous characters from the original Hoffmann story's plot but giving it a notable twist in its tail (and no, I don't mean tale), among the varied incidents experienced by Ciara and nutcracker Captain Philip is a formidable encounter with the terrifying Mouse King, monarch of this fantasy world's multitude of murine minions. In addition, towards the end of the movie there is an even greater twist, which again I won’t reveal, other than to observe that sugarplums and ginger do not a pleasant mix make…
Lastly, a pleasant surprise at least for me was the song playing over the final credits – none other than 'Fall On Me', sung by Italian opera megastar Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo (click here to view its official music video, featuring clips from The Nutcracker and the Four Realms). I knew that this awesome song had been featured in some recent film, but I hadn't realised until viewing it that this was the one.
To enjoy a preview of the lavish, exquisite spectacle that awaits anyone planning to watch The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, and which is definitely an excellent choice for relaxed, uncomplicated viewing, especially at Christmas time, be sure to click here and here to access two official trailers for it on YouTube.
And to view a complete listing of all of my Shuker In MovieLand blog's other film reviews and articles (each one instantly accessible via a direct clickable link), please click HERE!
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