Barbie in the Nutcracker

My daughter saw this at daycare and talked about it for days. We rented it and it was much better than expected. It is short enough (78 minutes) to hold her attention. The show holds up well for repeated adult viewing. But make no mistake, this is a kid's movie, not good enough for an adult to watch on their own.

I am 16, and I am not afraid to say, that this is the best Barbie movie, absolutely perfect for kids and adults alike. Sure it isn't at all faithful to the beautiful immortal story by ETA Hoffmann, but that shouldn't be an excuse for not enjoying this beautiful film. The animation is gorgeous, and the film itself is severely underrated. The best animation sequence was the fantastic ballet duet between Clara and Eric, when it is revealed so cleverly that she is the Sugar Plum Princess. The music, adapted from the Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky was the best thing about the movie. I recognised every single piece played, and it perfectly matched the animation, which hardly ever happens in non-Disney movies. The story was based on the ballet, and they so cleverly extended it to keep the audience's interests. It has a fast-paced story line, that completely gripped me. Great voice talents as well. Kelly Sheridan and Kirby Morrow are wonderful and deliver the screenplay perfectly. Tim Curry steals the show as the Mouse King, both sinister and funny at the same time. He did everything possible with the witty screenplay, which had lots of humour. (seen especially with the relationship between Major Mint and Captain Candy, who were hilarious) Fantastic! Compulsory for young ballet lovers.10/10Bethany Cox

In fact, they're watching it in the other room right now. My 19 mo son really likes it (better than his twin sister). And my 7 yo daughter likes it too. I've seen it...well, probably more times than I'd like to admit, and like most of these kids shows, i.e. Disney sing-a-longs, Veggie Tales, ect., they tend to grow on you... I find myself singing some of the songs... As for this one...if you think it's going to be the story you'd see at the ballet, you'd be wrong, but the music you'd go to the ballet for is the same and it's timeless. It's sweet and probably geared towards girls. Get it for your 18 mo - 7 year old kids, they'll like it.

I was 19 when I saw this on Thanksgiving 2001, too old, perhaps, but I love "The Nutcracker" and had to make sure they didn't butcher it. To my surprise, it was an enjoyable, tasteful version of the ballet! Even though I've come to hate Barbie, she's not as bimbo-esque as they've made her to be over the years. Shocking still, Clara was actually a positive role model for young girls. Clara isn't your typical 14-year-old (I THINK that's how old the character was). She's more interested in travel and excitement than romance. She's also sweet, spunky, and brave, a nice modern girl.

There are new touches up the wazoo, but don't worry. There's still a ballet and love story to tell. For once, it's Barbie you can be proud of. So sit back come Christmas, relax, and let your young girls enjoy "Barbie in the Nutcracker"!

This film is exactly what you'd expect from a Barbie Nutcracker adaptation from 2001. The animation and the plot are pretty basic but it's still a good story with an intense condensation of the original ballet. It doesn't pretend to be anything more than it really is and it exceeds at being itself.