Barbie in the Nutcracker

Barbie in the Nutcracker is the first computer animated film in the Barbie film series. It was motion-capture-based and released in 2001.

The film is loosely based on E.T.A. Hoffman's classic story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and features music of Tchaikovsky as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Starring The Voices Of

 * Barbie/Clara: Kelly Sheridan
 * Nutcracker/Prince Eric: Kirby Morrow
 * Mouse King: Tim Curry
 * Pimm: Peter Kelamis
 * Major Mint: Christopher Gaze
 * Captain Candy: Ian James Corlett
 * Grandfather Drosselmayer: French Tickner
 * Aunt Drosselmayer/Owl: Kathleen Barr
 * Maid: Cathy Weseluck
 * Tommy: Alex Doduk
 * Kelly: Chantal Strand
 * Peppermint Girl: Britt McKillip
 * Gingerbread Boy: Danny McKinnon
 * Voice Of Faeries: Shona Galbraith

Official Summary
''Barbie magically comes to life in this stunning computer-animated adaptation of the E.T.A Hoffman classic. The tale begins when Clara (Barbie) recieves a beautiful wooden Nutcracker as a gift from her favourite Aunt. That night the Nutcracker springs to life to ward off the Mouse King who has invaded Clara's parlour. She wakes and aids the Nutcracker, but the Mouse King shrinks her using an evil spell. Clara and the Nutcracker set off on a fantastic adventure to find the Sugar Plum Princess, the only person with the power to break the enchantment. Barbie in the Nutcracker shows that, if you are kind, clever and brave, anything is possible...''

Story
Barbie and her little sister Kelly practice ballet steps, but Kelly cannot master them. Upset, Kelly gives up, but Barbie tells her about Clara, a brave girl. At Christmas, Clara receives a Nutcracker doll from her Aunt Elizabeth. Clara falls asleep in her parlor with it but the parlor is invaded by a Mouse King and his army, searching for the Nutcracker. Nutcracker comes to life and fights, but when Clara tries to help she is shrunk. When the army retreats, thanks to Clara hurling her shoe at the Mouse King, Nutcracker tells her he only looks like a Nutcracker because of the Mouse King. Both victims of the evil king's magic, they have to find the Sugar Plum Princess, the most powerful faerie in Parthenia.

Clara receives a necklace which will let her return home at any time, at her normal size, and she and the Nutcracker go through a mouse hole. It leads to caves made of ice, and leave there thanks to snow faeries breaking the ice. They enter Parthenia, where the Mouse King is ruling, and the king's spy, a bat named Pimm, sees Clara and the Nutcracker. He goes to inform his matster and he sets the soldiers to capture the Nutcracker. Clara and Nutcracker go to a destroyed Gingerbread Village and meet two children and a horse. The children, Peppermint Girl and Gingerbread Boy, and the horse, Marzipan, travel with Clara and Nutcracker because they are alone.

Clara learns that Prince Eric is the rightful ruler of Parthenia, but he mysteriously disappeared. The group goes into a forest but soldiers chase them, so they hide in the treetops. They meet Major Mint and Captain Candy, and some villagers, who interrogate them. Nutcracker is thought to be a "wooden spy", but he and Clara explain they are searching for the Sugar Plum Princess, who will put an end to the Mouse King's reign. Major Mint does not believe their plan will work, but he and Captain Candy decide to go with Clara and Nutcracker.

The children stay with the villagers and Clara tells Nutcracker she has figured out that he is Prince Eric, but he does not want to be the prince as his subjects think lowly of him; he just wants to make them happy. Meanwhile, the Mouse King punishes his soldiers for not capturing Nutcracker and looks in a book for information about the Sugar Plum Princess, but finds barely any. He creates a rock giant to destroy the Nutcracker.

Clara, the Nutcracker, Major Mint and Captain Candy start their search the next day. They encounter some stepping stones and the Major crosses but he knocks the Captain off. Nutcracker saves the Captain and helps Clara cross. They then reach the Sea of Storms and Clara and Nutcracker go to find more supplies because Captain Candy lost his bag. Flower faeries help the pair find food but the rock giant finds them and chases them. It destroys a boat the Major and Captain were building to cross the sea.

The snow faeries turn the sea into ice and the group go with Marzipan across. Nutcracker cracks the ice and the rock giant falls through. Pimm tells the king, and he makes another trap. Marzipan leads them to the Sugar Plum Princess' island but the men are captured by bats. Clara is alone until the flower faeries bring a swing to carry her to the castle where the men are being held.

Clara sneaks past the Mouse King, who is building a bonfire in the castle courtyard. She comes to a dungeon and distracts its guards, but the dungeon is empty. Clara realises how unnatural it would be to post guards at an empty room and, using logical thinking, smashes the invisible barrier which was hiding her friends. The group confront the King and he prepares to shrink Clara again, but the Nutcracker deflects his spell and the King is shrunk.

Clara kisses the Nutcracker and he transforms back into Prince Eric. Clara transforms into the Sugar Plum Princess and the palace transforms; the bonfire is replaced by a beautiful fountain. The Mouse King's reign is officially over. The people of Parthenia all celebrate and dance, and Eric asks Clara if she will stay. She decides she will, but Pimm and the Mouse King fly by and snatch Clara's necklace. They open it and she unwillingly returns home, just before Eric can declare his love for her.

Clara wakes up to find herself on her sofa with no nutcracker. No one believes what she says about the Nutcracker being a king, but her aunt comes in with a friend: Eric. He gives Clara her necklace and they dance. Barbie finishes the story there and she and Kelly perform the ballet steps perfectly.

New York City Ballet dancers
The ballet dancers, from the New York City Ballet company, used for this film are: Charles Askegard, Benjamin Millipied, Maria Kowroski, Nora Y. Mullman, Abi Stafford, and Janie Taylor. They are all principal dancers in their company, and principal dancers are usually the stars of a ballet. They are very important as their ranks are equivalent to prima ballerinas, the second highest title awarded to a ballerina and quite rare. On the back of the DVD case it says that the choreography was by Peter Martins. The ballet dancers perforformed for the animation. The music was by Tchaikovsky and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.

Trivia

 * Barbie in the Nutcracker won Best Animated Video Premiere Movie at Video Premiere Award and was nominated for Best Animated Character Performance.
 * Mattel auditioned 70 people to find the right voice for Barbie, and they eventually picked Kelly Sheridan.
 * "Nutcracker" is still the best-selling Barbie movie, and its success allowed the others to be made.
 * The Peppermint Girl's doll's name is Patty. This could be a reference to Peppermint Patty, a character in the Peanuts comic strip.
 * Barbie in the Nutcracker was promoted as "Barbie's first ever movie" but was actually preceded by Barbie and the Rockers: Out of this World, Barbie and the Sensations: Rockin' Back to Earth, Dance! Workout with Barbie, and Toy Story 2.
 * This film was the first Barbie film that Kelly Sheridan voiced Barbie in. The last movie she voiced Barbie in was Barbie in a Mermaid Tale, where she voiced the main character, Merliah Summers.

Goofs

 * Clara defeats the Mouse King by throwing her shoe at his head. In the next scene, however, the shoe is back on her foot.
 * Major Mint and Captain Candy's swords disappear and reappear at random.
 * In the crowd scenes, one group of peasants is used repeatedly.