The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

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I don't really know how to describe my thoughts on this movie. Is it good? No. Does it deserve seething hatred? No. More than anything, I found this movie to be hollow. My reasoning for not being entirely sure what to say is because I really don't think there is that much to say about this movie. The cast really doesn't show any interest in the movie. Heavyweights like Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren, and Morgan Freeman all phone their performances in (I feel as though they are just waiting for their paychecks). The use of the actual Nutcracker music is forced. Every time that music starts to play, it feels incredibly jarring, almost like it doesn't fit. The nutcracker himself doesn't really offer anything for the movie.That honestly seems like a fitting metaphor to be honest. Much like its titular character, the movie is just here. It's not something I'm really going to remember a couple weeks from now. The biggest issue I have with this movie is that nothing about it stands out. Yes, the effects are good. The problem is: it's hard to feel invested in the style when there isn't any actual substance to go with it. The characters have very little depth to them. What little depth there is comes off as very petty and childish. Is this as bad as the Nutcracker movie with Elle Fanning? No. However, that's a movie I'm absolutely going to remember in the long run. This movie is short. I'll give it that. The plot feels more like a checklist the screenwriter wants to get through, and even the third act twist is underwhelming, feeling like it's only there because sometimes movies have twists. If you want any further proof of how middling this movie was, I've honestly been struggling to remember certain elements of the movie to mention in this review as I've been writing it. That's really about all that I can say about The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. This movie certainly isn't good, and I can't recommend it. But, if for some reason you do see it, it really isn't substantial or interesting enough that you'll remember much of anything about within a few hours.

4 / 10