Natasha Roberts
10/10 (for what it is.) I enjoyed this for years as a young girl in the late 1990's and its cute and nostalgic to watch today! Definitely a great film for kids, has a lot of different things going on but is easy for younger kids to enjoy as well. Can't believe how some people are reviewing it on here. No its not going to win any awards, but its great for what it is: an adorable, but sophisticated movie for children to enjoy! I'm keeping this in my collection to show my friends future kids when I babysit. Could be enjoyable for adults to watch with the children, it doesn't come across as "stupid" like some other children's movies and shows
ikrani
No hero is worth his salt without a great villain, and no actor is better at playing an animated villain than Tim Curry.Yeah, the animation's nice for a 2001 project and yeah, it's basically a feature-length advertisement for the deluge of toyetic characters and props that it features, but you know what? They put their all into making it as entertaining an ad for toys as G.I. Joe or Transformers ever were. The story's pretty solid, the action's not to bad, Barbie is a surprisingly interesting character in her role as Clara. But by far the best element in this film is Tim Curry as the Mouse King, who you have to wonder why ANYONE would leave their kingdom and magic scepter to inherit. My only real complaint about this film are the deviations from the source material. Don't get me wrong, most of them work but a few are clearly there to pad out the movie or shoehorn in more of Tchaikovsky's original Nutcracker score.But, seriously, if nothing else, watch this film for Tim Curry. Playing power-hungry, deliciously evil villains are when he's at his very best, and the Mouse King is no exception.
Unassuming Local Guy
As I sat through this movie with my girlfriend and her nieces, I became gradually aware of how this film succeeds: it's invincible. Completely critic-proof. What can I say against this movie, exactly? Whine about how I don't like Barbie? It's basically a modernized (and nauseatingly politically correct) take on The Nutcracker, throwing Barbie into one of the lead roles for pretty much no reason (unless you count bankability). Of course, it's a kids' flick, and relies on sparse, simple dialogue and spare editing to convey the action. It definitely works well; the girls ate it up and came back for seconds. This is a rather interesting computer-animated movie. While it's noticeably lower-budget than Toy Story and Shrek, the visuals have a sort of subtle charm. The vast landscapes are quietly serene and beautiful without becoming overwhelming. Sometimes the motion-captured characters are placed against a flat 2D background, giving one severe flashbacks to the early days of the Playstation. Bottom line: If you're a girl age four to ten, you'll likely enjoy every minute. Barbie's voice actress and Tim Curry as the Rat King are worth noting.
curt-14
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.
AD
