Blu-ray Review: THE NUTCRACKER 3D - Visually Stunning Festive Film With Average Narrative
Christmas is quickly approaching now (less than 50 days now...where does the time go!?), so if you fancy getting into the festive spirit a little early, check out today’s Blu-ray and DVD release of The Nutcracker in 3D.
Christmas is quickly approaching now (less than 50 days now...where does the time go!?), so if you fancy getting into the festive spirit a little early, check out todays Blu-ray and DVD release of The Nutcracker in 3D. But check out our review here first... Nine-year-old Marys (Elle Fanning) dull Viennese Christmas is suddenly filled with excitement and adventure following the arrival of her beloved Uncle Albert (Nathan Lane) and his gift of an enchanted nutcracker. On Christmas night, Marys new friend, The Nutcracker (Charlie Rowe) or NC as he like to be known, comes to life and takes her on a wondrous journey into his magical world of fairies, sugarplums, and other Christmas toys which come to life. Mary soon realises that this fantastical kingdom is facing danger from the tyrannical rule of the evil Rat King (John Turturro) and his devious mother (Frances de la Tour). When NC is taken hostage, Mary and her newfound toy friends must uncover the secret of the Rat King to rescue NC and his Kingdom... For anybody familiar with Tchaikovskys beautiful festive ballet, Russian director Andrei Konchalovskys updated twist on the tale will probably fail to impress in comparison. However, theres still a certain amount of charm and magic remaining to make it a film with a small appeal. The best aspect is certainly the visual quality. Konchalovskys direction is dreamlike and fluid for the most part, transporting viewers into the mystical world of NCs Kingdom. Originally released in 3D, the film is shot in way where the technique is generally used to add depth and texture to the images, rather than to throw things out at the audience. The art direction is full of fantasy and fairytale charm, with some beautifully constructed sets and impeccable turn of the century historical costumes. However, unfortunately this is the extent of the positive aspects of the film, as the narrative falls flat on its wooden face. The biggest disaster of the entire affair however, is the attempt to put lyrics to Tchaikovskys melodies. Despite hiring superb lyricist Tim Rice (whos responsible for some of the most memorable modern film musicals, including Aladdin and The Lion King) the adapted songs lack any sense of gelling between the words and Tchaikovskys music, whereas the original recordings simply seem out of place in comparison with the underlying repetitions of the ballet score. What this results in is a film that completely lacks any cohesion when it comes to the soundtrack. Whenever one of the adapted tracks begins audiences will cringe, whilst at the same time theyll find themselves confused by the jarring effect that the original songs induce. Essentially, The Nutcracker in 3D is nothing more than the surface glitz and gloss of Christmas decorations. Elle Fanning is a mix of precocious pre-teen pleasantries and innocent seasonal excitement, but she unfortunately falls short of the proficient mark. It wouldnt be completely untrue to note that shes probably more wooden than the Nutcracker in her performance, although these are probably slightly stronger words than necessary. Instead, it would be fairer to say that she gives a performance that is full of gusto but remains rather stilted and forced in places. Unfortunately, the same cant be said of Aaron Michael Drozin, who is frankly awful as Marys brother Max. His delivery of dialogue is overly affected and his character is really not very likeable without his poor acting talent. Charlie Rowe as the human Prince fares better, giving another performance filled with gusto and enough charm to keep the audience on side. However, he too is less than solid, with a performance plagued with forced dialogue and stilted action. The adult cast are generally more talented, with some extremely over the top, but thoroughly engaging performances. Nathan Lane as Uncle Albert (strangely, through costume and his dialogue, it is alluded that he is actually Albert Einstein) is his usual theatrical and humorous self, giving a performance that fits perfectly with the tone of the fantasy and magic aspects of the narrative. Lane probably gives one of the best performances out of the entire cast but is unfortunately under-used. John Torturro is violently camp in the role of the Rat King, but he imbues the evil dictator with enough malice to make the character scary as well as simply unlikeable. In fact, at times its hard to watch him because hes so convincing within the part that viewers will certainly feel unnerved. As a whole, the role stands testament to his abilities and versatility as an actor. Strong support comes from the likes of Richard E. Grant as Marry and Maxs father (hes strict but remains warm and Grant gives a capable performance as a member of the Viennese elite), Yulia Vysotskaya (in solid double roles as the childrens diva-esque mother and the kindly snow queen) and Frances de la Tour (also playing two roles well: one as the comical housekeeper and the other as the vulgar and despicable Rat Queen).