Unfortunately, they made far too many liberties with the plot, and didn't make a single reference to the book, so I was disappointed. Besides, being their first movie, the animation was clunky.
Honestly, the Sugar Plum Princess??????? She's a FAIRY!!!!!!!!! AND SHE'S NOT CLARA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
However, that didn't keep me from putting a Clara and Nutcracker Barbie and Ken on the top of my wishlist. And I got the Clara (complete with book version of the movie, which I actually don't mind reading), after sighting her on sale at a Mall toy store. Unfortunately, once prices were reasonable, I couldn't find a single Nutcracker (Unless he was dark-skinned, and while I have nothing against dark-skinned people, I wanted the pair to match). So Clara's had to live only and lonely (well, except for Tabitha, her best friend and my other barbie, but we're not going to get into that right now).
I have a lot of fun stories concerning her, for despite not liking the movie as an adaptation of my beloved ballet, I can appreciate it on its level ... and have even plotted out a sequel ... with Tabitha the Ice Princess. And, Tabitha and Jess, my American Girl Doll inspired my story idea Jessica's Summer. Clara is Spring, by the way. She just strikes me as a Springy person.
I'm all for perfect book-to-movie plots, but I've learned to accept movies as movies and adaptations of books and not the books themselves because it's just easier not to get disappointed that way. With three younger sisters who enjoy the "cute" movies, Barbie in a Nutcracker is a favorite in our house (technically Princess and the Pauper is THE favorite, but we won't get into that right now). I see it as a movie, not the book, and I can really enjoy it that way. Besides, I love the music far too much to make myself ban the movie altogether. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh, I take that view with most movie adaptations, and I'm not saying that this was a bad movie, just that, at the impressionable age of nine, I considered it unnecessarily scary and just plain wrong. It actually improves each time I see it. (And we own it, so it isn't too infrequent). I actually have a few issues with Princess and the Pauper, too ... but I think I shall save those for another day. (And no, Clara, you may not add your opinions!)
DeleteAnd it is not the WORST adaptation, nor was it the scariest. The worst would be the Nuttiest Nutcracker. That one not only took liberties but it was just ... awful. And there was a ballet version that had the Mouse King's robes turn into the cave system to the Land of Sweets. I really didn't like that one.
But when you've seen as many nutcracker adaptations as I have, you can afford to be picky when it comes to favorites. And actually, my current favorite doesn't follow the plot at all. It's about a woman who had danced Clara. It was so touching and well done. I'm thinking about doing reviews/hyperventilations over all of the versions I've seen for my advent next year. I think I've seen at least twenty-five ...
The Nutcracker is originally a book?
ReplyDeleteI *admittedly* like some of the Barbie movies. The Nutcracker is okay, but I like Swan Lake and Princess Charm School (yes, I just admitted that) much better. I think Mattel has gotten better since they made that first movie.
~Robyn Hoode
YESSSSSS!!!!! Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman. The most popular version is illustrated by Maurice Sendak (You know, from Little Bear?) It's a sweet little story, and while it's the ballet that I fell in love with, I'm a firm supporter of the book, despite the fact that there are glaring differences between the two. (There's no Sugar Plum Princess at all in the book!!!!) Oh, but just a warning. In the book, Clara's name is Marie.
DeleteI am Princess Charm Schooled out. The four little girls I babysit own it, and they've watched it far too many times in my opinion. But I do enjoy Swan Lake. A friend of mine was obsessed with it, and she owns several of the dolls ... and two of us have actually plotted out a sequel for it. And everything you thought you knew about the story? Well, I've changed everything except for the fact that Odette married the prince.
Haha... after reading the comments I feel slightly ashamed to say that my favorite Barbie movie is the Princess and the Pauper. My friend has the blond-haired girl and I have the brown-haired girl and when you press buttons on their backs they sing the "I'm just like you, you're just like me" song as a duet! It's pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Nutcracker, I don't know if I've actually seen that one. I can't remember. I do remember enjoying Swan Lake, though, when I was younger. Maybe it was just me being a subconscious early Tchaikovsky fan, though. =) Rapunzel I enjoyed too.
Don't be ashamed of Princess and the Pauper. It's not the worst of the bunch (Don't get me started on what they did to the Christmas Carol ...)
DeleteI don't know why, but this whole post made me smile. I think I am getting into the Christmas spirit very fast now and all things Christmas make me smile.
ReplyDelete