The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Not necessarily bad, just pretty lame. 'The Nutcracker and the Four Realms' is a harmless and simple film, fine I guess for the festive period. As a whole, though, it isn't good - despite neat effects and a couple of big names. Keira Knightley (Sugar Plum), Helen Mirren (Mother Ginger) and Morgan Freeman (Drosselmeyer) are familiar faces and are enjoyable on a base level, but their characters are rather forgettable. Mackenzie Foy (Clara) and Jayden Fowora-Knight (Philip) are decent together, while Jack Whitehall (Harlequin) and Omid Djalili (Cavalier) are smart casts - if underused. It's the plot that lets this down, it just all makes for underwhelming viewing - I, personally, never got into it. The beats of the story are quite predictable, especially the main twist. As noted though, the special effects are pleasant enough - as is the Xmas vibe it sets throughout. Very meh. You could watch worse, mind.

When "Clara" (Mackenzie Foy) follows a mysterious golden thread she finds herself in a magical kingdom that it turns out - from her new "Nutcracker" friend "Capt. Philip" (Jayden Fowora-Knight) - is ruled by her mother! This is confirmed by the great and the good at her castle, whereupon she must announce that her mother is no more. Does that make her queen? Well there are certainly a few flies in that particular ointment and it falls to the young girl and her brave military friend to thwart a plan to usurp the kingdom and restore peace and tranquility. This has had the full Disney treatment: it looks stunning, costumes and sets and visual effects all complemented well by a James Newton Howard score that draws occasionally on Tchaikovsky's original themes. Thing is, though, the rest of the narrative is all over the shop. The characterisations are muddled and derivative with Keira Knightley's seriously hammed-up "Sugar Plum" straight of the "Hunger Games" and Dame Helen Mirren's "Mother Ginger" featuring all too sparingly to rescue this rambling and disappointing story. The eagle-eyed amongst us might spot Richard E. Grant and about half way through, there is quite a charming ballet sequence but sadly the gist of this film is really lacking. Unfortunately, lots of style but little of substance here. Looks good, though.