The Nutcracker
My absolutely favorite part of the holidays are when I can see The Nutcracker ballet any way I can. Whether that be a Fathom Event screening, a live performance or even a recording via Amazon I love this ballet so much. As such, I have watched many different versions of the ballet/story including one interesting Lifetime movie. Below are my thoughts on my two favorite adaptations of the ballet.
Barbie in the Nutcracker
Not gonna lie, Barbie movies are a big guilty pleasure for me. Not all of them as they tend to stray towards cheap kid movie a few too many times but, some of them. One of the first ones I ever was was Barbie in the Nutcracker. The story opens with Barbie and Kelly practicing for a performance of The Nutcracker. Kelly is having difficulties learning the steps and Barbie starts telling the story of The Nutcracker. I forgot that the early movies began with Barbie telling Kelly the stories as a way of tying everything together.
Barbie (as Clara) travels through the lands of Ice, Flowers, Gingerbread Village, Peppermint Forest and the land of Sweets looking for the Sugar Plum Princess. With the Nutcracker who is clearly not the missing Prince. All the while, they are chased by the Mouse King who is voiced by Tim Curry. The cast is fine and the story is decent.
The major downside is the really obviously cheap CGI animation. However, the film gets a pass as it was made roughly 15-20 years ago. There weren't many options for such animation without spending a lot of money. However, all of the dancing is modeled after real ballerinas dancing the steps. Even with all the negatives, this film still has one of my favorite "it was all a dream" endings ever. If fact, this type of a dream ending is the best and the only one that works.
Rating: 3.9/5
Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale
After learning that Jerry Mouse is an avid fan of the Nutcracker ballet, a question remains: How does one make a Nutcracker adaptation without an evil Mouse King? Simple. Make it the King of the Cats and introduce him with a slightly awkward musical number. Tom Cat stumbles upon the magic kingdom built from Jerry's wish to dance and classic Tom and Jerry shenanigans ensue. The only difference being an excellent score provided by Tchaikovsky. This is a very fun adaptation as it is both quick and witty. There's a Winnie the Pooh reference as well as a visit by Santa I mean the Toymaker. One of my favorite things to watch during the holidays.
Rating: 4.7/5
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