What is this thing some ballet directors have with portraying Clara's godfather as a dirty old man? I wouldn't complain if it helped the story, but as a matter of fact it kind of screws it up. It diverts attention away from Clara's relationship with the Nutcracker, which is strange and ambiguous enough in itself, and since I can't see any interesting reason for the older man's unsavory attitude, it strikes me as gratuitous.
The ballet has its usual disproportions (what were the original adapters thinking when they placed the battle so early in the story). There is the usual awkwardness of filming events as they happen on a stage, with sets and special effects that would probably be very effective in person but are naturally trivialized on film. Most of the acting isn't very good, and though Julie Harris' narration is well-voiced, it's very intrusive.
The dancing is great, but I don't think that can save the movie.
The ballet has its usual disproportions (what were the original adapters thinking when they placed the battle so early in the story). There is the usual awkwardness of filming events as they happen on a stage, with sets and special effects that would probably be very effective in person but are naturally trivialized on film. Most of the acting isn't very good, and though Julie Harris' narration is well-voiced, it's very intrusive.
The dancing is great, but I don't think that can save the movie.