There is something special about the earlier Barbie movies, especially this one. I don't know what it is, but they have a special magical quality to them. Even some of the later ones I didn't see as a kid, have this quality. Maybe it's how the films aren't afraid to be earnest or silly, which is interesting considering how much Barbie's brand is based on consumerism and pop culture.

My head cannon as a kid was that Aunt D was in fact the plum fairy and the owl all along. And that she decide to not intervene directly and give her place to Clara who then could become the new sugar plum fairy. I dont know if the French version was different but that’s what I understand as a kid. ❤😂

23:03 that might be Clara's aunt Drosselmeyer in disguise (or her alter ego) as they're both are voiced by the same voice actress,

One of the things that I will always appreciate about this adaptation of the Nutcracker is that it used the entire ballet's score, not just the suite. How many times does Trepak get used for a battle scene instead of the actual battle music from the ballet? The piece where the rock  giant is chasing them is a section from Act 1 involving one of Drosselmeyer's dolls. It's one of my favorite underrated pieces of the ballet and to see it actually utilized is impressive.

23:06 I'm not sure if anyone has made note of this yet, but there is an explanation for Aunt Drosselmeyer knowing about Prince Eric.

When she is sharing her travel stories with Clara, she mentions how she danced with a king . And then at the end of the movie, she introduces Eric as the son of an old friend of hers. Aunt Drosselmeyer was friends with Prince Eric's father and we can infer that she has visited the kingdom before.

When the tiny Rat King broke her locket, that pulled hard on my heart as a kid. But then when she met her prince when she was awake, it was put back together. I absolutely love this adaptation and have been for years.

Thank you for doing this Nutcracker project. I don't think I've ever watched someone who loved such an iconic, endearing ballet. My 3 fave adaptations are the Barbie one, the Pacific Northwest Maurice Sendak inspired one, and the George Balachine one. I've seen the Balachine one live and used it to help me when I was in ballet class.

Holy shit you pulled it off. Actually insane, utterly amazing.

One hell of a project, you can feel the love dripping off it.

Amazing. Amazing . And Merry Christmas. Hopefully yours is as good as you deserve. For you, and anyone reading this.

My favorite nutcracker adaptation since I was a kid

8:15 His voice and the way he says it 😩🤌✨

Interestingly Kelly Sheridan and Kirby Morrow the voice actors for Clara and Nutcracker actually voiced each other’s love interest a lot

Barbie in The Nutcracker - and Barbie movies generally- were something of a guilty pleasure for me. I was never into Barbie as a child. As an adult, watching this movie with my daughter, I was very sceptical going into it. I expected a Barbie movie to be a shameless plug for the dolls, and for Barbie's character to an annoying bimbo.  I was pleasantly surprised to see an engaging retelling of the Nutcracker story, that made for both a fantastical adventure, and  encouraged children to take an interest in ballet. Also Clara and the prince finding courage within themselves, and seeing the good in each other was a positive message that I did not expect, based on my preconceptions of everything Barbie represents.

Seeing the love that you, Drawpinion, and so many in the comment section, have for this movie, and how for many it was their introduction to the fairy-tale and the ballet, I now feel I can enjoy it without guilt.

15:56 I notice these types of animal related details in other movies too since I have pets of my own and I would never do that lol :"""D

I asked for a nutcracker for Christmas when i was a child  hoping he'd turn into a prince because of this movie 😫😫😫. I love this movie so much and i think its the reason why i love classical music. I also realized the reason clara was able to clock the nutcracker as prince eric because of what her aunt said when she gave clara the nutcracker.

Hell yea. I was wondering if you were gonna cover this version. Though I can attest to this being a great version of the story. Considering how early this movie was in the development of CGI films, it was impressive what Mainframe animation was able to do on such a low budget.

That said, boy those Matte Paintings stick out every time I revisit this film

i love that this movie takes its time to just dance- the snow fairies, the spring fairies, the sugar plum princess dance, major mint & captain candy dance---- modern movies NEVER give us time to breathe, especially kids movies

My favourite interpretation and intro to Nutcracker was this movie. Years later last year I watched ballet version in theatre and even though it was beautiful I still hold Barbie one dear in my heart

I’ll never forget how iconic the two leads are. Kelly Sheridan and Kirby Morrow knocked it out of the park!
Rest in peace, sir. You’ll live on forever in our hearts with the perfect Nutcracker adaptation.

I absolutely LOVE this movie. As you said it is my Roman Empire and I hate how often I come back to it in my adulthood. And also, your voice is so pleasant and soothing. Thank you for this video and validating my obsession.

I never got into the Barbie movies as a kid, but I love hearing you gush about this.  It just feels good to hear someone rant and rave about something they love.

This is absolutely my favorite Barbie Movie back then and now! I would watch this constantly on tape then on DVD! It inspired me to try ballet as a child. I love how Barbie’s character lead with kindness and bravery!