The Nutcracker Prince (1990)

Wonderful Movie

the audience applauded

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The Nutcracker Prince is a 1990 animated romantic fantasy film made by Lacewood Productions and released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film was directed by Paul Schibli and based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann as well as influenced by its ballet adaptation The Nutcracker.The film centers on a young man named Hans who is transformed into a nutcracker by mice, and can only break the spell if he slays the Mouse King and wins the heart of a girl named Clara. The film features the voice talents of Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Hans (The Nutcracker), Mae Whitman as Clara, Roscoe Lee Browne as the evil Mouseking, Nigel Hawthorne as Pantaloon, an old soldier, Sandy Duncan as the Mousequeen, Kevin Michael Richardson as Uncle Drosselmeier and Tony Jay as the Opening Narrator. Music from Tchaikovsky's ballet rendition and Alan Menken is used at intervals throughout the film as the main instrumental soundtrack.

The Nutcracker is another Christmas story I love besides L. Frank Baum's "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus." This film (that is based on the story by German author E.T.A. Hoffman), was straight out of my childhood. The story starts at Christmas Eve, at the Stahlbaum household, Karl & Ingird Stahlbaum are enjoying the new tree with their three children Louise, Clara and Fritz. After opening their presents, guests start to arrive for the Christmas party. One guest in particular is Uncle Drosselmeir, who gives the family an intricate toy castle, and gives Clara a Nutcracker. Ah, but it is not just any Nutcracker, Uncle Drosselmeir warns her. Uncle Drosselmeir tells her that the Nutcracker used to be a human boy and his nephew named Hans, and but after Hans broke a spell the Mouse Queen had placed over a princess, he had been cursed by the Mouse Queen to become a Nutcracker Prince. At first it all seems to be just another fairy story to Clara. And though she does enjoy a good fairy story, they are just that...stories. That night, after everyone has gone to bed, Clara steals downstairs to dance with her new Nutcracker. But suddenly the Mouse King appears, intent on extracting the revenge on the Nutcracker Hans, for toppling a statue on his tail, when Hans was turned to a nutcracker and collapse. And right then, before Clara's eyes, the Nutcracker comes to life, thus starting a strange dream-like war between dolls and mice. And that's all I could tell you folks, you will have to see the film for yourself how it ends. My family used to rent the film on video for Christmas. I had watched it and I love it. Of course, years later I was lucky to found (and bought) a copy of the film at a used video/audio shop. I still watch the film near Christmas and I still love this wonderfully animated film after all these years. As I said many times, I don't have a favorite scene because I love the WHOLE film - from beginning to end. I love Clara, her kitten Pavlova and the budding romance between her and her Nutcracker Prince. I also love the music from Tchaikovsky's ballet rendition that is used at throughout the film as the main instrumental soundtrack, and as I always say I love a film with a good soundtrack.

It's a pity that this film didn't have the consideration it merites. The plot and the beautiful Tchaicovsky music are so well armonized I found it a piece as enjoyable for adults than for children. It's a nice movie full of sentiments and emotions. It's not the classical adventure movie you forget immediately it ends. This one really makes you feel emotions you keep long ago the movie has ended. I'll give it a 10.

Okay, even I'll admit that this is not one of the most spectacular animated films even made, but that doesn't take away from how much I love it. The characters are lovable and interesting, even Clara's family keeps our attention. This movie is a wonderful holiday film for all ages, filled with humor, adventure, and a little romance. It was about time the Nutcracker had a back story and a name. And for once he wasn't ten years older than Clara with a beard and cape (a cape that's always there when he's a nutcracker yet rarely there when he comes to life). I enjoyed how Uncle Drosselmeier's story was presented in a more comical style of animation. And it ends the way all children (especially little girls) always wanted it to end.