Barbie in the Nutcracker

Plot

Barbie tells a story to her little sister Kelly, who is struggling with a ballet solo. In 1890s Germany, Clara lives with her stern grandfather Drosselmeyer and her little brother Tommy. On Christmas Eve, their aunt Elizabeth arrives with toys, including a nutcracker for Clara. Tommy damages the nutcracker's arm, but Clara mends it and falls asleep by the tree.

At midnight, magical dust fills the room, and Clara sees the nutcracker come alive and fight an army of mice led by the Mouse King. The Mouse King shrinks Clara, and she and the Nutcracker escape. The Nutcracker explains he was transformed by the Mouse King, and they seek the Sugarplum Princess to undo the spells. An owl gives them directions and a locket for Clara to return home.

They travel through a mouse hole to an ice cave, then to Parthenia. In a gingerbread village, they learn the rightful heir Prince Eric is missing.

Clara realizes the Nutcracker is Prince Eric, turned into a nutcracker by the Mouse King. Joined by Major Mint and Captain Candy, they journey to the Sugarplum Princess. They free flower fairies, and the snow fairies help them cross a frozen sea, where the Nutcracker sinks a rock giant.

Production

The film's choreography was overseen by New York City Ballet master-in-chief Peter Martins. The music, based on Tchaikovsky's score, was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Ballet sequences used motion capture of New York City Ballet dancers.

Animation was done over four months by 22 artists at Mainframe Entertainment using Softimage and Maya. Non-human characters were keyframed, while humans were motion-captured with the Motion Analysis system. Animators spent a week with the New York City Ballet at Acclaim Motion Capture Studio.

Mattel wanted a soft, stylized look for Barbie, avoiding a doll-like appearance. CGI producer Jennifer Twiner McCarron noted extensive lighting and hair shader development, with a dedicated animator for Barbie's hair movement. Sound post-production was done at Vitello Productions in Hollywood.

Release

Barbie in the Nutcracker first hit shelves on VHS on October 2, 2001, with a DVD release following on October 23, 2001, both from Artisan Home Entertainment under the Family Home Entertainment label. CBS aired a one-hour cut of the film on November 22, 2001, and Nickelodeon later broadcast it on March 21, 2004. The DVD offers both widescreen and pan-and-scan options, plus extras like a documentary about ballet students at the School of American Ballet and an "Act with Barbie" segment on positive role-playing.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment re-released the film on DVD on October 5, 2010. Entertainment Rights bought the international TV and home video rights from Mattel in February 2001 for £1.6 million. In the UK, the VHS came out on October 29, 2001, selling 100,000 copies in its first week. The UK DVD arrived on March 25, 2002, and by April, total sales across both formats hit 700,000 copies.

Reception

The film achieved a 94% sell-through rate and sold over 3.5 million units on video and DVD, becoming the second most popular children's video of 2001 in the United States. Caryn James of The New York Times described it as a diverting, sweet tale for very young children. Marylin Moss of The Hollywood Reporter praised it as wholesome entertainment for young girls, noting strong story, splendid animation, and delightful music and choreography. Parenting magazine highlighted its exploration of self-confidence and kindness.

Peter Dobrin of The Philadelphia Inquirer called it a smart effort with a compelling story. R. Pitman of The Video Librarian commended the colorful animation and kid-friendly script. Remi Sklar of Video Store Magazine noted educational benefits from classical music and ballet. Rob Lowing of the Sunday Age rated it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it unexpectedly charming.

Scott Hettrick of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel praised the story, voice cast, and ballet performances. Marc D. Allan of the Indianapolis Star rated it 3 stars. Entertainment Weekly's Eileen Clarke gave it a B minus, noting less ballet than expected.