Barbie in the Nutcracker (2001)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

I was amazed to see the low rating this movie was given! My daughter absolutely loves it. The movie highlights real ballet steps and the original Tchaikovsky score, performed by th London Symphony. The plot is sweet, Barbie is a good role model, and there's a wonderful message. It also almost completely non-violent. The evil rat is wonderfully voiced by Tim Curry. I thought this Barbie movie was much better than Rapunzel but it's certainly rated lower. I have to echo some other comments by saying I've seen it around 100 times with my 2 year old and it's still not completely boring!

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.

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.

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.