Disney’s holiday themed ballet-inspired live action fantasy flick, The Nutcracker & The Four Realms hits theaters this Friday, but before you take your little ones to see it, here are 3 things to know:
1. There is a surprising lack of dancing in a film that is inspired by classic ballet. That said, the dancing that is included, is quite beautiful and performed by Misty Copeland.
2. The story and characters are quite charming: Kiera Knightley’s take on the Sugar Plum Fairy is magnetic and fun to watch. The young Mackenzie Foy is also a joy, easily expressing the different layers of grief. And Jayden Fowora-Knight is perfectly placed as the Nutcracker.
3. Coming in at an hour and forty minutes, the film isn’t too long for children to enjoy.
The Nutcracker & The Four Realms opens everywhere on Friday, November 2nd.
About The Nutcracker & The Four Realms
All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale.
— Yael Tygiel