Nutcracker: The Motion Picture (1986)

Just what I expected

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

This is MGM's film version of composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous ballet, The Nutcracker, filmed at Burbank Studios in California.I would watch this movie when it is aired on TV during Christmas time for several years in a role. It tells the story of Clara dreaming about her Nutcracker Prince while The Pasha tries to win her heart and delight her with musical dance sequences - Spanish Dance, Arab Dance, Chinese Dance, Russian Dance, Dance of the Clowns and Waltz of the Flowers. These sequences are probably the highlight of the entire Nutcracker Ballet.Except for the narrator, there is no spoken dialog in the movie. It is just the cast of characters dancing around the huge stage through Tchaikovsky's rich music, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Maurice Sendak did a terrific job on the art and costume design - vibrant and brilliant and not too flashy. The story is told through the unspoken actions of the cast, which I thought were brilliantly done. While no dialog, it is still pretty simple to follow the story, even if you are not familiar with the original concept of the Nutcracker Ballet.Though a majority of the movie is shown on a typical theater stage, the special and visual effects made the setting much larger than it really is and it gives you the impression you are right on stage with them. The water scene with the "floating ship" is my favorite effect. I also like how the entire movie is told from the perspective of the toymaker; the plot of the movie begins after he falls asleep on his desk and the figurines begin to dance in a large music box he just designed, which then leads to the main story. The only problem I have with the movie is that some of the dancers were not in sync with the music, especially during the "Waltz of the Flowers" sequence. Other that that, this is an overall terrific film that brings back the nostalgia and spirit of past Christmases and today.Grade A

This is a very interesting neo-classic version of the ballet.. Well danced and underrated. The concept is cohesive though not following the ordinary themes. The ballet uses a more serious and almost dark subtext to portray the story as opposed to the usual fairy tale interpretation. There is a definite "good verses evil" narrative and there are many sub-textual sexual undertones. The original tale was actually a somewhat macabre short story and very dark in tone. It was turned into something quite different later in the history of the story and ballet. In America it has become a traditional Christmas entertainment and is often sugary in its treatment. Some versions however simply treat the ballet as a colorful and light divertisement for all who view it. Nutctaker: The Motion Picture is a version subject to endless conversation if one reads between the lines and wants to. It certainly is not to be overlooked as a dance movie. The director, Carrol Ballard was chosen because of previous movies with little dialog and as everyone knows ballet is a speechless art form which depends on a linear and physical basis. The influence of Maurice Sendak can not be ignored. It is his ballet.

This has to be one of the best filmed adaptation of the Christmas classic! Talented people in front of and behind the camera, from director Carroll Ballard to choreographer Kent Stovall, collaborated to bring to life this immortal tale of magic and music.Clara, a young girl, celebrates the holiday with her family. On Christmas Eve, her uncle Drosselmeyer gives her a Nutcracker. Unbeknownst to her, it's no ordinary Nutcracker and her normal home is transformed into a battlefield between toy soldiers and giant rats! I advise you to find a copy of this (if it's still available on video) or check your TV listings during Christmas. A film spectacle of this magnitude shouldn't be missed! It's amazing how this achieves telling a story without much dialogue, except for the narrator. The visuals are astounding, partly achieved by renowned children's author Maurice Sendak. This is worthwhile!

This picture is billed as "Nutcracker: The Motion Picture", but really it's a cross between a movie and a live ballet performance. They make some use of the freedom of camera movement and more elaborate sets to enhance a ballet, but really it's just a ballet performance with no wait between set changes.That said, this is pretty darn good. The dancing is excellent, of course, but I'd like to see the Kirov or Bolshoi Ballet (or even the Joffrey) do a film like this, rather than the Pacific Northwest Ballet. The sets and costumes (by Maurice Sendak, the famous author of "Where the Wild Things Are"), are superb...for a stage performance, but not for a movie. The overall effect is basically of a PBS special production of the stage ballet. If you like the grace and beauty of the world's most famous ballet, you'll like this film. If you like Tchaikovskiy's amazing music, you'll like this film. If you like gorgeous ballerinas prancing around on their toes (and hey, who doesn't), you'll like this film. If you can't stand to sit through a ballet, you won't necessarily be converted by this film, however, but the ability to hit "pause" on the VCR and go get a beer might help. One other thing. I have no idea if this is included in the theatrical or video releases, but when I saw this late at night on WGN-TV in Chicago, Tony Randall appears between acts and provides commentary. Why, I have no idea, but it looks tacked-on at the last minute.Short, short summary: Fun costumes, hot chicks in tu-tu's, and good music. Everything you'd expect from a great ballet performance, but they could have done so much MORE with this as a movie...