This is Warmer Brothers' film version of composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous ballet, The Nutcracker, filmed at New York City.
It tells the story of Marie, who dreams about her Nutcracker Prince. They journey to the Enchanted Forest after defeating the Mouse King. There, the Sugar Plum Fairy honors Marie and the Prince's presence by hosting them a number of dances - Spanish Dance, Arab Dance, Chinese Dance, Russian Dance, Dance of the Clowns and Waltz of the Flowers. These sequences are probably the highlight of the entire Nutcracker Ballet.
The special and visual effects were great and the costumes were colorful. The film's coda was brilliantly done, with the neat carriage in midair and all the dancers coming out to dance in one extravaganza number.
Tchaikovsky's music is rich and beautifully performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra. While the adapted story line was interesting, the film in general starts off really slow, with too much focus on the children and their greedy personalities. The female lead, the girl named Marie, was a little too much in the zone - trying to act too prim, proper, and theatrical. The overall acting didn't do it for me - a little too overzealous and artificial.
If I have to compare, I would choose MGM's 1986 Nutcracker: The Motion Picture over this one.
Grade C+
It tells the story of Marie, who dreams about her Nutcracker Prince. They journey to the Enchanted Forest after defeating the Mouse King. There, the Sugar Plum Fairy honors Marie and the Prince's presence by hosting them a number of dances - Spanish Dance, Arab Dance, Chinese Dance, Russian Dance, Dance of the Clowns and Waltz of the Flowers. These sequences are probably the highlight of the entire Nutcracker Ballet.
The special and visual effects were great and the costumes were colorful. The film's coda was brilliantly done, with the neat carriage in midair and all the dancers coming out to dance in one extravaganza number.
Tchaikovsky's music is rich and beautifully performed by the New York City Ballet Orchestra. While the adapted story line was interesting, the film in general starts off really slow, with too much focus on the children and their greedy personalities. The female lead, the girl named Marie, was a little too much in the zone - trying to act too prim, proper, and theatrical. The overall acting didn't do it for me - a little too overzealous and artificial.
If I have to compare, I would choose MGM's 1986 Nutcracker: The Motion Picture over this one.
Grade C+