The Nutcracker Prince was Warner Bros. take on the famous E.T.A. Hoffmann story “Nutcracker and the King of Mice”, and they actually were the closest to the original story out of any form of production I’ve seen. Though they opted to name our heroine after the more popular name used for the ballet version (Clara) instead of Marie, they did however include the story of the Hard Nut, Drosselmeier’s relationship with his nephew, the fact there was an older sister Louise, and that they traveled to Toyland instead of a Kingdom of Sweets. This story really displays the drama behind the character’s motives and personalities than what is shown in the ballet.
The cartoon doesn’t display the best animation, but it does capture the charm and magic of the story magnificently, and I really enjoy the contrast of the regular animation to that of the goofier and more peculiar animation during Drosselmeier’s story of the Nutcracker. The voice acting is pretty decent, too! Kiefer Sutherland left a warm and charming persona of the Nutcracker and Megan Follows gave a fantastic rendition of a maturing but excitable Clara. Phyllis Diller’s cameo as the Mouse Queen is pretty amazing; that’s a voice that demands attention and respect (and slightly irritating). Honestly, I found most of the parts involving the Mouse Queen and her son the Mouse King rather frightening.
I became familiar with this cartoon long before I became a ballet dancer, and because excerpts from “The Nutcracker” ballet were used in the movie that may have affected how I react to different parts of the score now. Mostly is the music to the pas de deux of the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier which is dramatic enough on its own, but in the movie it was used as Clara’s dance with her beloved Nutcracker in Toyland, which then led into her realizing she wanted to experience adulthood causing all the toys and her Nutcracker to disappear and leaving her to confront the Mouse King for the final (and frightening) time by herself, and then finished in her waking from her sleep and running to Drosselmeier to complete despair only to find his Nephew, who’s also her love Nutcracker, in his store as well. That was a lot of drama and feelings to go on at once with that music and it may have scarred me emotionally for life, because now when I hear that music in the ballet I still get a sense of dread, depression, but eventually of contentment.
Anyways, good cartoon movie; all kids should watch; make it a tradition.
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