THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS poster

THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS

Updated April 7, 2019

Full spoiler

32%Tomatometer203 reviews
36%Audience2,500+ Ratings

PG · 2018 · 1h 39m

Critics ConsensusLacking a transporting yuletide story or dazzling dance routines, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a hollow holiday confection that's lovely to look at -- and easy to forget.

Directed by Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston · Starring Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman

Scores via Rotten Tomatoes ↗

Spoiler warning — the ending is revealed below.

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On Christmas Eve, Clara Stahlbaum receives a porcelain egg from her late mother Marie, but there is no key to unlock it. At the home of her godfather Drosselmeyer, Clara finds her way to another world previously discovered by Marie. The inhabitants of this world remember Marie as their queen, and they view Clara as their princess.

Clara meets Captain Phillip Hoffman, the Nutcracker, who joins her on her adventure. Clara finds out from the Sugar Plum Fairy that Mother Ginger, former regent of the Fourth Realm, is corrupt and wants to seize control of all the realms. Clara retrieves the key from the Fourth Realm and brings it to Sugar Plum, who reveals her evil plans as she wanted the key to turn on a machine that Marie created which turns toy soldiers into living things. Sugar Plum is angry at Marie for abandoning their world, so now she wants to control all the realms.

Phillip goes to get help from Mother Ginger. They fight Sugar Plum’s army, but Mother Ginger is captured and placed under the machine for Sugar Plum to turn into a doll. However, Clara made some changes to the machine and uses it to turn Sugar Plum into a doll.

Mother Ginger resumes her role as regent of her realm, Phillip is made captain of the guards, and Clara returns home with a newfound sense of confidence and closure to her mother’s story.