Disclaimer: I was given products in this post for the purpose of review. I was not paid to write this review
Disney's dazzling adventure "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms"- inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann's classic tale and the beloved ballet "The Nutcracker"- carried audiences along with 14-year-old Clara (Mackenzie Foy) to a magical, mysterious world with breathtaking performances by Misty Copeland plus sweets, snowflakes, soldiers, scurrying mice... and no shortage of surprises. Destined to become an annual viewing tradition for adventurers of all ages, the film arrives home instantly with never-before seen extras and deleted scenes on Digital and Movies Anywhere, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD Jan. 29, 2019.
Bonus features include a discussion with American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland about her role as the enchanting Ballerina Princess, her personal history with “The “Nutcracker” ballet, and her inspirational and historic rise within the world of dance. Extras take viewers on the set of “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” to meet both new and reimagined characters, and discover how the Land of Sweets, Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and mysterious Fourth Realm were created to such dazzling effect. Deleted scenes provide a look at magical moments that didn’t make the final version of the movie.
In “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” Clara travels along a golden thread, presented at Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual party, eagerly searching for a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a music box that holds a priceless gift. When she enters a mysterious parallel world, Clara encounters a Nutcracker soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and three Realm regents, including the Sugar Plum Fairy (Keira Knightley). Ultimately, she must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve the key and return harmony to the unstable world.
The stunning feature film will be packaged and released in several different formats, giving families the flexibility to watch it on a variety of different devices. Viewers can instantly watch the film in Digital UHD, HD and SD, and bring home a physical copy of the film as the Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K UHD, Blu-ray and Digital Code), Multi-Screen Edition (Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Code) or a single DVD.
Bonus features include*:
BLU-RAY:
On Pointe: A Conversation with Misty Copeland - Copeland shares the thrill of portraying one of her favorite characters in a whole new way.
Unwrapping “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” - Dive into the production design, sets, costumes and more that helped transform a beloved ballet into an adventurous movie.
Deleted Scenes –
The Stahlbaums Arrive- As the Stahlbaums enter the Christmas Eve ball, the butler attempts to announce them to the assembled guests.
Follow Your Ribbon- Drosselmeyer encourages a reluctant Clara to go find her gift.
Deleted Scene: Clara Asks About Her Mother- Sugar Plum gives Clara a tour of her mother’s bedroom.
Left, Left, Left, Left, Left- Wandering lost in the forest, palace guards Cavalier and Harlequin quarrel about which way to go.
Out with the Old- Sugar Plum makes sweeping changes to the palace decor.
Music Videos -
“Fall on Me” Performed by Andrea Bocelli Featuring Matteo Bocelli- Experience superstar tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli performing their first duet together in this uplifting song.
“The Nutcracker Suite” Performed by Lang Lang- Get swept up in a series of images from the movie, set to Tchaikovsky’s music and featuring world-renowned pianist Lang Lang.
ON DIGITAL:
Unwrapped: The Visual Effects of “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”- View a reel that explores the layers of effects in sequences of the film.
My review:
The movie starts with Clara and her family dealing with the death of their beloved mother. The dad is trying to hold the family together, but it is Christmas time and the are feeling that loss.
The family is getting ready for a Christmas party when Clara's father hands each of the kiddos a gift. Clara is left a golden egg with no key. She goes to godfather's house hoping he can give her the key. That is how the adventure begins. Clara travels to the 4 realms where nothing is as it seems. She with the help of her new friends have to save the day, but it proves to be hard when you don't know who the true enemy is.
There was a true magical element to this movie that I think only Disney can make happen.