If you have an adult with a fear of clowns, definitely don't invite them to watch this film unless they've wronged you deeply.Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald If you have a child in your life who loves Christmas and ballet, then they'll probably love this film. Knightley's performance actually makes for a pretty good summation of the film: it's uneven and over-the-top but still manages to foster sweetness and charm. But I have to give a special mention to Keira Knightley, who's doing the most uncanny impression of Miranda Richardson's Queenie from Blackadder II for the entire Nutcracker film in her role as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Speaking of that narrative, it's not that vital as the big reveal is pretty obvious from the beginning. It seems like a missed opportunity to not have Copeland play a larger role or at least make the incredible choreography a little more central to the story. However, the dancing is wonderful and it leaves you wishing that Disney had committed a little more to the ballet aspects. Play The Nutcracker and the Four Realms also criminally under utilizes American Ballet Theatre star Misty Copeland, whose appearance is an absolute highlight but remains just that, an appearance, which does potentially invent a new trope. When she finally shares the screen with Foy they make a really fun pairing, and it's absolutely fantastic to see Mirren running around and kicking butt whilst wielding a whip. Helen Mirren is great as always as Mother Ginger, though slightly underused. The film quickly establishes a weird power dynamic between the two-who we're meant to believe have an instantly organic friendship-as there's a running joke that Phillip only does what Clara says because in his world she's royalty, with him often checking in "is that an order" when Clara requests something-with her always responding yes-which makes their relationship come across as unbalanced at best. And her companion for the film-the titular Nutcracker named Phillip, played with bundles of charm by Jayden Fowora-Knight-is never really given any agency of his own. You can tell that the film is aiming for a 'strong female lead' and 'diverse cast' but the reality is that both of those efforts come across as slightly hollow, with Foy still a young, rich, upper class woman who's strangely obsessed with her father. ![]() It's as strange as it sounds and all the better for it. One standout scene occurs as Clara ventures quickly-the film is mercifully short at 100 minutes, which feels refreshing in the face of the bloated running times that fill our multiplexes-into a forbidden forest, coming across a giant robotic woman whose tented skirts reveal a collection of nesting doll clowns who jump in and out of each other. Although it shares threads with those classics, the film's strongest moments are when it veers into the surreal and scary, with some strange sequences incredibly reminiscent of Disney's much maligned/much loved sequel, Return to Oz. It's essentially a story about a strong-willed young girl who ends up in a mysterious and enchanting new world which only she can save. Play If Oz and Alice are recurring themes here it's because the story borrows heavily from both. But the overall look and color palette is definitely an improvement on the flat computer-generated worlds of Oz The Great and Powerful or Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Though as is so often the way, the film does still get lost in giant CGI set pieces that muddy the extravagant world that the film creates. Once the story enters the magical Four Realms, directors Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston create a decadent, festive landscape that almost feels tangible with more expressive and effective use of practical effects and sets than Disney's other recent efforts, and it's a pleasant surprise. On a production level, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is far better than the uninspiring Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast remakes. Clara's motivations though come from the loss of her mother. ![]() In that way, MacKenzie Foy's Clara is just like so many other Disney leading ladies Belle's tired of her provincial town, Ariel's desperate to explore the human world, and (live action) Alice is ready to follow her father's footsteps and explore the globe. Return to Oz-we'll come back to that later-with a young feisty girl who doesn't quite fit in with her fancy family and longs for something more. Loosely inspired by the classic ballet The Nutcracker, this reimagining sits somewhere between The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and.
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