Movie Review: Barbie in The Nutcracker

A personnel childhood classic

The Nutcracker is a timeless tale of a young girl going on an adventure with a nutcracker to stop the evil mouse king, it helps that it is accompanied by a wonderful score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky had also scored other iconic ballets such as Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty. With The Nutcracker being so old, of course it's in the public domain, meaning that anyone is allowed to not only use the music, but create their own interpretation of the story. Today I'll be looking back on my favorite adaptation of The Nutcracker; Barbie in The Nutcracker. The movie was released back in 2001, and was at the first CGI Barbie movie, and it shows. Despite remembering this movie fondly, i'll do my best to not judge the movie with rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia.

The movie starts with Barbie, and her younger sister, Kelly practicing their ballet routine for the upcoming performance of The Nutcracker that the two will be in. Kelly tries to get it right, but feels discouraged as ballet is quite difficult. Barbie comforts her, and says that she should be brave, and willing to try like Clara from the ballet. She then proceeds to start telling the story which brings us into the actual movie. We are quickly introduced to Clara, her stern grandfather, and her pesky younger brother, Tommy. Clara is quickly shown to be a thoughtful young woman, as we start with her daydreaming. Her grandfather scolds her as she gets back to decorating the Christmas tree, putting up a ornament of a ballerina onto the tree saying that her mother had gotten her that the first time she was taken to a ballet. Clara's adventurous aunt then comes around telling the young girl of all the places she had been to this year. Clara's grandfather tries to stop her aunt from filling Clara's head with such ideas as he is a old sexist boomer who believes Clara should stay where she is. After the grandfather leaves, Clara's aunt secretly tells her that she'll try to convince her grandfather to let Clara go with her on her next adventure. In the meantime though Clara, and Tommy are given gifts from the aunt. For Tommy it is two toy soldiers, and for Clara it is our titular Nutcracker. Her aunt explains that even though he isn't the best looking, on the inside is the heart of a prince. Tommy being the little brat he is though attempts to steal The Nutcracker from Clara causing it to break.

After fixing up the nutcracker by using a ribbon as a sling, Clara ends up falling asleep. Later on that night, the clock strikes midnight causing the room to come alive with magic. Though not all of it is good magic as an army of mice march out of the mouse hole. Luckily some of the magic reaches Nutcracker, and he comes alive, immediately springing into action. Clara is woken up, and looks around wondering if perhaps this is simply a dream. The Nutcracker tells her though that it is not, as the Mouse King (Voiced by Tim Curry, who is most famously known for his role as the Sweet Transvestite, from Transsexual, Transylvania in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Perfect casting for a children's movie!) emerges from the hole. Nutcracker and the Mouse King get into a sword fight. Clara tries to help only for the Mouse King to then shrink her down into the size of a doll. She retreats up a garland, watching the fight from a distance. Seeing The Nutcracker in danger she kicks off her shoe, causing it to somehow knock out the king. The mice retreat, taking their king with them. Once they are safe, Nutcracker, and Clara regroup as Nutcracker explains that the only way to get her back to her original size, she must go with him to find the mysterious Sugarplum Princess, who will also be the key in stopping the Mouse King. Clara is reluctant at first, wondering how she would even get home. The wooden owl that sits on top of the clock then comes to life to give Clara a locket that will take her home once she opens it. The owl also tells the two where they can find the Sugarplum Princess. With a idea of where to go, the duo head off into the mouse hole.

Clara, and Nutcracker are swept into a magical portal that lands them inside an icy cavern. At first they think they are trapped, but soon a snow fairy comes by to try, and play with them. The fairy ends up hurting her wing, which Clara fixes up. To show their gratitude the snow fairies not only dance for them, but also open up an exit to the cave. I'd be lying if I said this part wasn't nice to watch; for the early 2000s the choreography is stunning, and the music of course makes it all the more better. The two leave the cave, and Clara takes in the beauty of the Nutcracker's home world, Parthenia, before going forward on their quest. Though what they weren't aware of was the Mouse King's right hand bat, Pimm, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, and heads back to the palace to warn the king. The two soon make it to a deserted, and destroyed gingerbread kingdom, the only thing left is a horse tied to a carriage. Suddenly they are attacked by two young children with snowballs. Clara is able to get them to stop attacking though as she gives the little girl her doll, which Clara found on the ground. The two children then explain that they had gone berry picking, and upon arriving back the village was destroyed. They also express their dislike for Prince Eric who had abandoned them, and he's the reason why the Mouse King was able to take the throne. Since there is nothing else for them in the village, the children decide to join Clara, and Nutcracker on their search for the Sugarplum Princess. They take the horse as well, whose name is Marzipan. 

Shortly after leaving the village the group is ambushed by the Mouse King's army, and Marzipan runs away. They run into a forest where suddenly a ladder drops from a tree. The group climbs aboard, and avoid the army. Though up in the trees isn't any better. Clara, and Nutcracker are met with distrust from the villagers who had manged to escape, especially from Major Mint, and Captain Candy. Though Nutcracker reassures them that they are not with the Mouse King, and instead they were sent by Prince Eric to find the Sugarplum Princess. Major Mint is very skeptical, but Captain Candy believes Nutcracker as he was friends with the prince. Captain Candy then asks what became of the prince, Nutcracker replies that he was killed by the prince. After some hesitation, Major Mint agrees to help them on their quest, on the condition that he be the leader of course. Later that night Clara confronts Nutcracker seeing through his lie. She had already figured it out that he is Prince Eric. Eric explains that he feels he isn't worthy however as it indeed was his fault as to why the kingdom is in the shape it is. Clara reassures him though that he is worthy, though he doesn't exactly believe it himself. Meanwhile at the castle the Mouse King decides how he wants to punish the guards who had let Nutcracker, and Clara escape. With Pimm's help he decides to turn them into bookends. Afterwards he looks through a book trying to find information on the Sugarplum Princess, but only finding the following; "She is Kind, Smart, and Brave", keep this in mind for later folks. He also creates a rock giant with the intention of using it to completely destroy the Nutcracker.

The next day the group sets out on their journey (minus the gingerbread village children of course). First they have to cross a path of floating rocks, Major Mint gets across easily, but Captain Candy falls off, and would've fallen into the ravine below if not for Nutcracker. Though Captain Candy was saved, the supplies he was carrying fell below into the ravine. They soon make it to an abandoned port, and while Major Mint, and Captain Candy fix up one of the ships, Clara and Eric head off to find more supplies. Clara, and Eric come across a dried up grove, which Eric claims used to be full of life along with a well. Soon enough they find that the well had been covered up. Using his sword he uncovers the well, and with it releases the trapped Spring Fairies. One of the fairies tells him that the Mouse King had trapped them in the well after destroying the grove. Though with them free, they quickly get to work reviving the area, along with providing supplies for their journey with fresh apples. To be honest this always was one of my most favorite scenes from the movie. I just love how everything springs to life, as well as the dancing, and music in it. During this part, Clara, and Eric share a tender moment only for it to be quickly spoiled as over the hill comes the rock giant being guided by Pimm the bat. The duo quickly run away back to the port, the rock giant following after them.

Upon arriving back at the port, of course the rock giant had manged to follow them there as well, and destroys their ship. Nutcracker is willing to risk his life for them to escape, though that doesn't need to happen as the Snow Fairies return, freezing the ocean, thus creating safe passage across the sea. Marzipan also returns just in time for everyone to jump into her carriage. At first they think they are safe as the ice should break under the weight of the rock giant. Alas the Snow Fairies did their job a little too well, as the ice stays intact. Nutcracker then jumps out, and uses his sword to crack the ice causing the giant to fall through, and sink to the ocean floor. Pretty brutal man. Captain Candy also states that Nutcracker should be the leader of their group as Major Mint is pretty useless. Soon enough they reach the island, and see the Sugarplum Princesses' castle just up ahead. Clara stays behind for a short bit however, contemplating on whether or not she would want to go home. As it turns out however, it was all a trap, all the men get captured, and taken to the Mouse King's palace, and leaving Clara stranded on the island. Meanwhile back in the village the village people decide that it is time to rise up against the Mouse King. Though Mouse King hears about the supposed uprising, and has all the villagers captured, and taken to his palace for a show of power by burning the Nutcracker in a large bonfire.

Clara is just about ready to give up when a familiar group of Spring Fairies come to her rescue. They give her a ride all the way to the Mouse King's palace, where she then goes off on her own to save the guys. No wonder I loved this movie as a kid, it had some really nice role reversal action in it! Clara is able to outsmart the mouse guards guarding the dungeon before going in. Though when she gets in there, she sees that it is empty. Actually turns out the guys are being kept behind an invisible wall. Being the smart, and resourceful girl she is Clara manages to break the wall, and free them. We then head into the climax of the movie where the Mouse King, and the Nutcracker go into battle with each other. The Nutcracker is beaten though, and Clara attempts to save him which causes the Mouse King to charge up a spell that would shrink her even smaller. The Nutcracker however is able to use the reflection in his sword to bounce the spell back at the Mouse King, causing him to shrink down to the size of an actual mouse. He runs away, but the Nutcracker is still weak, and still believing that he is nothing more then wood. Clara tells him he isn't like that at all, then kisses him. Her kiss causes Eric to finally return to his original human form. In surprise he realizes that the Sugarplum Princess had always been with them, it was Clara all along. Clara doubts it, but the audience can easily figure out why, after all, she was kind, smart, and brave; the qualities of the Sugarplum Princess. Clara then transforms into a gorgeous outfit, fit for a princess, as everything returns to their original form. 

In celebration, the children, Captain Candy, and Major Mint do a fun little dance. After that Clara, and Eric then dance, which has to be one of my other most favorite part in the film. The animation is surprisingly good, music paired with the choreography as usual are stunning to watch. However as they finish their dance, Eric asks if she would want to stay understanding if she would instead want to go home. Clara of course says yes, as here she has adventures, freedom, and a cute prince. The fun is spoiled however as the Mouse King returns flying atop of Pimm, and grabs Clara's locket, opening it up which forces her to return home. As she disappears Eric tells her that he loves her. Clara wakes back up on her couch to find that it is now Christmas morning. She tries to explain to her grandfather of what happened, but he simply sees it as a active imagination. Clara's aunt then returns, but with a special surprise. It is Eric as a full sized human! Clara is overly happy, and the two dance as the story concludes. What I really want to know though was that, was Clara's aunt in on the whole thing? Like was she aware of Parthenia, and Eric's curse, and knew only Clara could lift it? I don't know seems awfully suspicious that she knew who Eric was. Nevertheless the story ends, and we return to Barbie, and Kelly... oh yeah, they were in this movie. Kelly decides to be like Clara, and not give up, and within a minute she perfects the entire routine. Then the movie actually ends. You could literally remove the Barbie, and Kelly segments, and the movie would be the exact same, except maybe a bit better?

I went into this movie expecting it to not be as good as I remember, and I was surprisingly wrong. Sure the animation is quite rough, but hey it was the early 2000s, and they didn't have as much of a large budget like other nice CGI films at the time. Despite the flawed animation, the movie holds up quite well. Though I could see that maybe a younger child of this generation may find it a bit boring as it is somewhat slow. I don't care who the target demographic is, if you're craving some holiday nostalgia, and are in the mood for something a bit girly, then this would be a good one to watch. This nut gets a 4 out of 5 paws up.