“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” could have easily been called “The Four Realms.” Or ‘The Four Realms of Christmas.” Or anything other than “The Nutcracker.” Because it isn’t about the Nutcracker or the story of the Nutcracker. It loosely references past events, but not even in a cohesive way. It has ballet on display for five minutes, but it seems to be using the name simply for popularity points. Because if there’s a pop culture property that is guaranteed to be popular in 2018, it’s the Nutcracker.
Really, what lies at the center of “Four Realms” is nothing short of inane. It’s a boring story that plods along, constantly switching between themes and motifs like a hyperactive child. Throughout the film, ideas are brought up that all seem like they’re fighting for control over the main plot. Themes of letting go, believing in yourself, believing in your intelligence, kindness, etc. They all jostle for the spotlight and fill an already convoluted story with unnecessary gibberish.
While some elements of the story are serviceable, they’re brought down lower simply because of the film’s self-aggrandizing view of itself. Spend just fifteen minutes with “Four Realms” and it immediately becomes clear that directors Joe Johnston (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” The Rocketeer”) and Lasse Hallström (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” “Chocolat”) and writer Ashleigh Powell think they’re geniuses.
There’s an air of self-importance that the film tries to glide on throughout, that only make its numerous plot contrivances more irritating. In the second act, a twist occurs that is a bizarre combination of completely predictable, and yet so out of character that it feels otherworldly.
Not even remotely because the twist is clever. Not in the slightest. It’s just that the rest of the film is populated with so many boring and insufferable characters and moments that, not only is the audience to bored to notice the obvious nature of the twist, but the idea that the writes would care enough to put a twist into the film is almost laughable.
At least the film looks nice, but even that is a double-edged sword. While the real world looks appropriately magical, with a good amount of quality production and costume design, things fall apart when entering the Four Realms. Everything goes from subtle and downplayed to overblown and garish in an instant.
Colors that once were vibrant and nice become eyesores by the end of the film, and some of the makeup effects are positively ugly. Even the greenscreen that’s used for a large majority of the film’s shooting, (see Tim Burton’s 2010 “Alice in Wonderland”) comes off as surprisingly cheap looking, with the CGI effects that pad out most of the film’s visuals reek of desperation.
It’s a film that’s written and shot like a soulless cash grab, but using a property that is nowhere near a guaranteed money source. So instead of providing a film with enjoyable or charming characters trapped in a dull world and story, like most cash grabs do, this films just leaves a lack of anything significant.
The actors are fine. No one does a bad job; Mackenzie Foy (“The Little Prince (2015),” “The Conjuring”) is fine as Princess Clara, and her nutcracker Captain, played by Jayden Fowora-Knight is also serviceable. Helen Mirren (“The Queen,” “Hitchcock”) fares the best out of any of the actors, mostly because she’s Helen Mirren, turning the poorly written and underdeveloped Mother Ginger into the film’s only true bright spot.
And then there’s Keira Knightly (“Bend It Like Beckham,” “The Imitation Game”). Where to begin with her Sugar Plum Fairy. Initially, she seems to be doubling down on a character of innocence, one who imply sits back and cheers because she’s too adorable to fight or get into any mischief. However, a late second act shift turns this innocent bystander Fairy into a bizarre sudo-sexual portrayal of a house wife going into a dry spell, spitting out lines with such intensely sexualized delivery that it simply becomes uncomfortable.
Mostly because it just doesn’t make any sense. That’s the most remarkable thing about “Four Realms.” From the story to the characterizations to even the film’s conception, its just lacks any kind of logic. Even any internal logic.
At one point, Princess Clara complains that upon opening an item she should have been given the answer she was looking for. However, upon hearing this, it’s worth noting that the audience has no idea what question she needs answered. Because there never was one. Because the film was too lazy to try and create one, simply throwing in this late second act annoyance to fill time.
“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is a film so bad it’s incredible. Because not only is it bad, it’s clear while watching it that it thinks it’s the next big thing. But not even Helen Mirren can make this pure weirdness Disney CGI fantasy watchable. There is almost a charm to its oddball nature that makes it intriguing. You want to keep watching, if for no other reason than to see how much worse it’s going to get, and in how weird of a direction it’s going to go. 1/5
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