The IMAX Nutcracker

A weak script replaces the ballet in this version of E.T.A. Hoffman's holiday tale. I was prepared to deal with the modernization and eagerly awaited the mouse invasion and the battle with the toys... but instead of a reasonable action scene the movie serves up chaotic scrambling around and people in very silly mouse suits in a set that looks about ten feet wide. Despite the possibilities of movie magic, there's no attempt to transform the Nutcracker into the prince -- just a cut. Clara's constant voice-overs explaining the action are also frustrating. What dancing remains is mostly awkward and staged in a very cluttered way. A Nutcracker without extended ballet numbers should only be as long as the plot supports... perhaps 30 minutes? This is a drawn-out, dull piece of fluff.

Normally I'm all for Imax movies and I was very exited to see this one. The good parts were the visuals. The sets and costumes were great and very whimsical, but the movie itself was horrible. A great let down, especially from the Imax company.

I like traditional films and I tend to see Imax like a gimmick. In this case, however, I felt that the story, the emotions and the music of the film were not overtaken by the spectacular FX and I liked that. Less tricks, more feelings.... Tricks can be fabricated by the lorry load, it is just a question of $$$, feelings, poetry and emotions cannot be replaced when missing. In this film there is plenty of the latter. I would say it is a Low Tech piece of poetry.

It was certainly different from the normal Ballet interpretations. Sad to see that Lotte Johnson (Clara) never did anything else, she was very good.