After endless film, as well as stage adaptations, in this version of The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, Disney reworks the tale to breath new life into it. The most beloved chapter of The Nutcracker is the ballet and in one of the films most charming moments, the ballet is woven masterfully into the story.
Our heroine is Clara (Mackenzie Foy) who has just lost her mother and is grieving over her loss. At the Christmas Eve party thrown by her Godfather Drosselmeyer (Morgan Freeman), Clara was gifted a special metal egg from her late mother. The egg requires a key to open it and our adventure begins.
Clara is thrust into the Four Realms, a Narnia-like world, where three of the realms are at war with the fourth realm, the mysterious Land of Amusement led by Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren).
Along the way, Clara meets a nutcracker named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight) who brings her to the regents of the other three realms. These regents believe that Clara will be the key to ending the war and putting a stop to Mother Ginger.
Mackenzie Foy brings the perfect balance of innocence and emotional complexity to Clara. Helen Mirren brings a wonderful sass to her role as Mother Ginger but Keira Knightly as Sugar Plum owns this movie. She brings a sugary sweetness to her emotional stance on what has happened to the Four Realms and where it should head into the future.
In the end this is a film about good vs. evil and about believing in yourself. These are all valuable teaching lessons to your children in a time where we are starting to lose faith in one another.
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