Walt Disney Studios kindly sent us a 200-piece jig saw puzzle along with THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS Blu-ray+DVD+Digital combo pack to commemorate the National Puzzle Day home entertainment video release of the movie. With a polar vortex putting our neighborhood in a deep freeze, we had a fun evening putting together this puzzle showcasing Copeland as the Ballerina Princess on our dining room table after supper followed by bundling up in blankets together on the living room couch to watch THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS for an impromptu family movie night. It was a nice movie to watch at home on a cold winter night.
Disney's film is loosely inspired by E.T.A. Hoffman's short story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" written in 1816 and Alexandre Dumas later adaption of this tale titled "The Story of a Nutcracker" which were later turned into a ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1892. There is a wonderful dance sequence during one scene in the movie but THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS is more focused on portraying a fantasy adventure than recreating the ballet on the big screen. For some that may be a disappointment and others a blessing. Copeland's performance joined by Ukranian dancer Sergie Polunin though does provide a nice connection to Tchaikovsky's ballet whose holiday time performances have become an iconic part of the Christmas season without making dancing a mainstay of the movie's plot.
The movie is set in Victorian England starting with a father giving his children Christmas presents his wife had set aside for them before she died. His youngest daughter, Clara, receives a handcrafted egg-shaped box that she is unable to unlock. In her quest to unlock her present, Clara becomes transported to a parallel dimension that consists of four realms. The girl discovers that her mother created this magical place populating it with toys that were brought to life. Unfortunately, the four realms are in a state of turmoil and war and Clara is tasked with bringing peace and stability as the heir to this fantasy world's creator. The key to solving the dilemma she is confronted with is being able to open that mysterious Christmas present. Clara thus takes part in an adventure to restore harmony to this land and get back home to her family in England.
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS is rated PG for some mild peril. As a parent, I appreciated that the movie promotes Clara's interest in science, engineering and tinkering with mechanical things highlighting important STEM themes for kids. It also has valuable messages for children that can be taken away from the story such as learning from one's mistakes, the value of self-confidence, and the importance of perseverance which make it a good film to view for a family movie night. Because of these educational elements presented within an entertaining story, THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval. The fact that my daughter was delighted by Copeland's dance number factored in to this movie getting a good review too.
Add some extra fun to a family movie night with these THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS activity sheets and coloring pages:
Bonus segments included with the Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code combo pack of THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS that ageekdaddy.com received to review include deleted scenes, a featurette on ballerina Misty Copeland titled On Pointe, "Unwrapping The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" documentary, and music videos for “Fall On Me” By Andrea Bocelli and “The Nutcracker Suite” By Lang Lang from the movie's soundtrack. THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS is now available on 4k Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital to add to your home entertainment video library. For more information, visit movies.disney.com/the-nutcracker-and-the-four-realms
