Disney’s newest remake, “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” visually pleases viewers with outstanding camera work but fails to emotionally impact the audience.
“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” follows young Clara Stahlbaum as she searches for a special key to unlock a Christmas gift from her late mother. Clara ends up entering a parallel fairytale world that her mother created and ruled, only to find out that she must use the key to save the kingdom and four realms from starting a war.
Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston directed the Disney live-action remake and Ashleigh Powell and Simon Beaufoy wrote it. Mackenzie Foy stars as Clara, the young heroine, alongside her co-star Jaden Fowora-Knight as the Nutcracker. Actors Keira Knightley and Morgan Freeman also appear as the characters Sugar Plum and Drosselmeyer, respectfully.
The new adaptation of the “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” makes the film seem as though it is barely the same story as the classic ballet. The movie adds new conflicts to the story; however, many of these challenges change the original plot and are not as impactful as intended, which inevitably confuses viewers.
Despite this, “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” keeps spirited and lively sets that captivate viewers throughout the film. Using vibrant colors, breathtaking scenery and enchanting special effects, each scene successfully manages to deliver eye-catching visuals that thoroughly entertain viewers.
Foy also redeems the movie with her flawless acting, fulfilling her emotional scenes in the film. However, some of the other actors, such as Knightley, are too cheesy in their acting and seem forced and unnatural in their delivery of lines, making the movie seem overall disorganized and childish.
“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” contains original songs from the ballet, giving the film a familiar feeling in the background of all the new, flashy aspects included in the adaptation. The film includes songs such as “Danses caracteristiques” and “Winter Daydreams,” which sound majestic and flow well with the overall tone of the movie.
The film targets a younger audience and contains the classic, yet unoriginal, good versus evil theme. The worn-out life lesson at the resolution of the plot brings the characters together for an unrealistic happy ending, underwhelming adult viewers but entertaining children.
“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” provides a mediocre storyline, as it unfortunately gets caught up in the visual components of the plot. Its unoriginal theme and amateur acting make this Christmas film forgettable and fails to give viewers the holiday cheer they originally expected.
Released Nov. 2, “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is rated PG and is now playing in theaters worldwide.
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