Movie Review: ***^The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

The Christmas Season has begun, and this is my first Christmas movie.  It was entertaining.  Sort of a combination of Nutcracker (with less dancing) and Babes in Toyland.  Clara's (Mackenzie Foy)mother has passed away, and this is their first Christmas without here.  Clara has been especially set back and is hard on her father (Matthew Macfadyen).  Drosselmeyer is played by Morgan Freeman, who as Godfather introduces Clara to a kingdom discovered by her mother.  There she meets the Nutcracker (Jayden Fowara-Knight), who is a guard of a bridge to the kingdom.  This kingdom is torn with four realms.  Clara first visits what appears to be an evil realm, ruled by Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren).  She appears at war with the other kingdoms, especially Sugar Plum (Keira Knightly).  A key is needed to save the kingdom, which fits an expanding machine, and Clara's small ornament.  She is disappointed when she discovers only a music box in her ornamental ball.  However the key also opens the machinery, and Sugar Plum is not who she seems to be.  With the key she begins manufacturing tin soldiers to control the kingdom.  And Clara found the key for her and has only made things worse.
Keira Knightly as Sugar Plum is so sugary it is disgusting.  The music of Tchaikovsky is played in bits through out. 

Children's Book Review: The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker illustrated by Graham Percy, Derrydale Books, New York, 1987.
This book adds some depth to the story of the ballet.  Among the toys Uncle Hugh brought was a castle, and dolls.  Uncle Hugh told a story of the Mouse Queen who cursed a Princess, and then also a Prince (the nutcracker).  Maybe the story set her dreaming, but in her dream the princess battles the Mouse King.  After defeating hm the go on a tour of the kingdom and arrive at the same palace.  The illustrations aren't really that great, and though the story adds some depth it is basically a retelling of the familiar story.