Nutcrackers

Nutcrackers is a film starring Ben Stiller as an Uncle who has to try and take care of his sisters 4 boys on their farm as she recently passed away.

Its a situation that takes him out of his corporate office life comfort zone.

His Nephews are free spirited and slightly feral but also dealing with trauma and loss.

This is not a laugh out loud hijinks comedy but more of a heartwarming family film.

There is a vague christmas theme but its mot christmassy per se.

The 4 boys are played brilliantly and very real by 4 actual real life brothers who's real lives mimic that of the story.

Overall its a nice but fairly lightweight watch, its not super deep or super funny but it is heartwarming and has some nice themes.

It was nice to see Ben Stiller back acting again in a more serious role.

6 or 7 out of 10.

I went into watching this movie thinking that it was another Ben Stiller slapstick comedy. However, I ended up being pleasantly surprised that Nutcrackers isn't that. It's hard to capture in words, what makes it good. Yes, it's heartwarming, funny and somewhat light, but it's the kids, their animals, and their rural environment that end up capturing your heart. I wasn't surprised when I later read that the boys are actually brothers in real life and that it was filmed on their family's actual farm. Ben Stiller was good but seemed a little out of place in the flow of things - but I guess that was the point wasn't it? :-)

25 minutes in and I quit. Here I am writing this instead, which is much more fun than going on with this undecided and pointless movie.

What's the cinematic fascination with weird kids? I don't get it. I just don't get it. What now, Ben Stiller will "become capable of love" and start doing nonsensical stuff with those four by the end? Why?

Brought up by weird parents, or maybe not brought up at all, this gang of siblings (played by a gang of siblings) has ZERO charm in my eyes. I'd prefer watching The Sound of Music. Now, those kids there do make sense in some way. What's this, really? Royal Tennenbaums? Much as I don't like it, that one had some sharp style to it. This one, no. A group of annoying kids exist in their own dead end realm, only to annoy who is essentially a passable uncle. There are ways to depict annoying people in a cinamatic fashion without actually annoying the viewer, but no, this film is set to annoy us. To what avail?

I was hopeful about Linda Carellini's presence, thinkig some flare between her and Stiller could make up for all the pointless bore. Doesn't look like such a thing can cut it after this point. Given I cannot get my 25 minutes back, we'll call it even by me trashing the movie a bit on here.

Is Ben Stiller trying to "go beyond comedy" or something? If so, this is not the way. This kind of dull script is not hospitable to his qualities as an actor. The premise did not look unfruitful, but the execution definitely is. This is the first time I'm deciding to pause on a Stiller movie. C'mon, man, even if you're gonna quit comedy, do it for the sake of something worth the trouble.

No one needs to see the resolution to some overhyped drama after two hours of being subjected to pointless actions of weird kids. Good Will Hunting exists already as a well-executed example to such emotional agitation. If I were that uncle, I'd be out before the first night and never look back. Let the government take care of troubled orphans.

Nutcrackers (2024) aims to deliver holiday magic but falls far short of expectations, resulting in an experience that feels almost meaningless. The plot meanders without a clear purpose, and the script suffers from poor writing, filled with clichés and lifeless dialogue. This, paired with its overly slow pacing, makes it difficult to stay engaged.

The visuals are uninspired, with bland set designs and lackluster cinematography that fail to capture the festive spirit. The characters are shallow and underdeveloped, offering little for viewers to connect with emotionally. Even moments that aim for humor or charm feel forced and ineffective.

While Nutcrackers might appeal to someone who simply wants to pass the time with a holiday-themed movie, it ultimately fails to provide any memorable or enjoyable moments. It's a disappointing entry in the holiday movie lineup, lacking the warmth and joy that make the genre special.

With the name "Nutcrackers," I was expecting this comedy to be more like the Problem Child series with a Christmas twist. Ben Stiller's character mimics the acting he did in the "Meet the Parents" series where he plays an average Joe who finds himself in some comedic situations while caring for four young boys. I gave extra stars for the writers creating realistic scenes in which any parent of unsupervised rambunctious boys could find themselves in. The story line loses stars because of the pivot the story took when the ballet performance idea was introduced. Too much was jammed into such a short amount of time. I don't believe this movie will become a Christmas classic nor do I feel I will be watching it again. However, it does have a nice heartwarming ending.