The Nutcracker and the 4 Realms Movie Review

“Some locks are harder to open than others” -The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

We had the opportunity to see a sneak peak of Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Movie at the Disney studios just a few days ago. I wanted to give all my readers a quick review in case you were interested in seeing the movie in the next few weeks.

Brief Synopsis (but I promise not to give too much away) – After recently losing her mother, Clara (played by Mackenzie Foy) wants more than anything to discover how to unlock a gift that was left behind to her. She goes on a journey into a mysterious world filled with different realms; land of snowflakes, land of flowers and the land of sweets. There is also a fourth realm that Clara must brave to try to find the key to her gift. In this fourth realm there are a few scary characters, but in the end you realize that nothing is really as it seems and Clara learns some difficult lessons along the way.

Length – The movie is an hour and 39 minutes (not including any previews)

Rating – PG

What ages do I suggest to see it? – This is a bit tricky. When I first saw the previews I thought it might be too scary for our little ones who are 4 & 6, but it turns out they loved it. The movie is so beautiful; the music is nostalgic, the costumes are stunning, the scenery is colorful and imaginative. There is plenty of action so our kids never got bored and even if some of the story line went over their heads (because it is a little complex) they still got the majority of it and both said they loved it.

Obviously, if you have a super sensitive little one you may want to screen it first before letting them watch it. I think if it had been our son who was the younger one we may have waited for him to see it because he tends to have a very active imagination and has had a hard time sleeping when he watches certain shows. But our daughter has watched more because of having an older brother, like all the Star Wars movies, so even though she is only 4, she did great.

We also like to remind our kids that movies are played by actors and that it is all pretend, this also seems to help put their mind at ease. In the end I think age 4 or 5 and older (but again, depends on the child, their attention span & how they react to certain “scary” characters).

Was it like the staged version of Nutcracker? – No, but it definitely had some parallels. Obviously the main character is still a young girl named Clara, but right off the bat it was a different story line with her mother passing away. You still have her brother Fritz, but also an added older sister. You have Drosselmeyer (played by Morgan Freeman) as Clara’s Godfather, toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, and Sugar Plum Fairy (played by Kiera Knightly). There was also the part of The Ballerina (played by Misty Copeland) who was absolute perfection. But unlike the staged version the story is not all told through dancing.

Other thoughts – I can’t say enough about how gorgeous this film is with its props, music, costumes, hair & makeup, the list goes on…The story line also made me tear up when Clara realizes she must learn to let go of the past and live in the present with the people who love her most. Also, make sure you stay for the credits, there is a beautiful dance you don’t want to miss!;)

Here are some fun coloring pages and activity sheets for your kids. Just click the link to print.

Clara Coloring Page

Phillip Coloring Page

Nutcracker Maze

Nutcracker String Maze

Nutcracker Spot the Difference