The Nutcracker and the Four Realms review

Disney continues it's live action reimagining of it's classic stories with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Following the story of the Stahlbaum family after the passing of their mother the 3 children and their father struggle to come to grips with the loss and the impact it's had on their family as a whole. Much like Alice In Wonderland this movie follows a young curious girl with an appetite for adventure. And that girl is named Clara who is played by Mackenzie Foy. The story revolves around her and her struggles with losing her mother. When Christmas approaches her and her family go to a ball to keep up appearances and it is from here where the movie really begins. After being left an egg with no way to open it by her late mother Clara goes to ask her godfather about the problem but even he is dumbfounded by it. As everyone at the ball is presented with gifts Clara mysteriously stumbles into another world. One that is visually stunning and this is where she learns of her destiny and who she is really meant to me. It's a simple set up honestly and it works perfectly fine.

The performances on the other hand are not perfectly fine for the most part. Mackenzie Foy is delightful as the lead role and carries the movie in a really charming way. But it's Keira Knightley who is the worst offender here. With a voice that is ear piercingly annoying and just an over the top way of talking her performance feels so cringe worth at times. The rest of the cast do an okay job including Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren but they don't really go out of their way to make this a movie to remember. As for the pacing it is all over the place. For instance one moment young Clara is brought into the land of the Four Realms but not long after she is charging into battle as it's protector almost. It's entirely jumbled up throughout which is a shame because this is one of the best looking movies of the year. From the costumes to the designs of the Four Realms it really is so pretty to look at.

With a stand out performance from Mackenzie Foy and some breathtaking visuals The Nutcracker and the Four Realms isn't all that bad on paper but when you break it down it is a dis jointed mess at times with no real pacing at all which hurts the characters and the impacts they end up making. As for some comedy scenes there is some which are in true Disney fashion over the top and funny but it doesn't help the overall narrative which as I said feels so dis jointed and rushed, this is proper style over substance which isn't what a movie should be aiming for at all. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is okay but you could be going to see a whole lot better.

★★