Nutcracker Fantasy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Nutcracker Fantasy Blu-ray Movie Review

Nutcracker Fantasy is a charming and entertaining fantasy-adventure. The classic stop-motion animation classic is a little-seen gem. The animated tale adapts the original story by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Executive produced by Shintaro Tsuji (Sea Prince and the Fire Child, Unico in the Island of Magic), Nutcracker Fantasy has outstanding stop-motion puppetry. The puppets are by the Hosaka Puppet Factory.

Nutcracker Fantasy combines stunning live-action dance footage with stop-motion animation and is produced by Atsushi Tomioka (Ashita no Joe, A Thousand & One Nights). The film features additional production work by Sanrio (The Fantastic Adventures of Unico, Unico in the Island of Magic). Featuring the voices of Kaoru Sugita and Kō Nishimura, Nutcracker Fantasy is a delightful fable for audiences of all ages.

Clara (Kaoru Sugita) is given the gift of a beautiful nutcracker from her dear Uncle Drosselmeyer (Kō Nishimura). Yet the special nutcracker that she was given as a gift is stolen from her and she finds herself distraught at the loss. The nutcracker was taken by a group of thieving rats.

The rats are following orders of chief rat Mauslynx, otherwise known as the rat Queen. In order to bring back her beloved nutcracker, Clara enters her grandfather’s special clock and enters into a magical land full of lavish splendor. The colorful world is one known as a Kingdom of Dolls.

Here, Clara meets and befriends Franz Taro Shigaki), the captain overseeing the guards. Clara also finds the kingdom king traumatized over the cursed daughter Princess Mary (who is a doppelganger for Clara). Can Clara manage to defeat the evil rats and get back her beloved nutcracker?

The animation is exquisite. Nutcracker Fantasy is a beautiful looking production. The puppet designs by Ichiro Komuro, Rieko Tazawa, and Sadao Miyamoto are one of the essential elements of the film. The wonderful heart of the film is in the art style. The puppets were produced by Ichiro Komuro, Shozo Tomonaga, Tadahito Shimizu, and Yuuki Atai.

These puppet designs are so charming and unique. It is a joy seeing such care given to the world of stop-motion animation. Stop motion animation is one of the most underutilized artistic styles in animation and the artistry on display in Nutcracker Fantasy is exceptional and mesmerizing. The key animation direction provided by Fumiko Magari and Takeo Nakamura brings the tale to even greater artistic heights.

Edited by Nobuo Ogawa and Takeo Nakamura, Nutcracker Fantasy blends together the surreal and the real. The editing does a good job transitioning between the live-action and animated footage. This is certainly an area where the editors did an exceptional job. The styles work well together in the film.

The choreography by Rieko Tazawa is a highlight of the filmmaking. Tazawa crafted some outstanding dance sequences. The dancing is just as alluring as the unique animation. The dancers were clearly invested in performing their roles. Fantastic and beautiful choreography – seamless and visually rewarding.

Nutcracker Fantasy highlights the beloved music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The orchestra for Nutcracker Fantasy is conducted by Kazuhiro Koizumi. The music is one of the most beautiful and enchanting parts of the film. The compositions of Tchaikovsky are some of the best in music history. There is eloquence and heart to these compositions. The music lifts one up and way for a magical experience.

Directed by Takeo Nakamura, in his lone directing credit, Nutcracker Fantasy brings to life the story and script by Shintaro Tsuji (Sea Prince and the Fire Child, A Journey Through Fairyland). Nutcracker Fantasy is a great version of the classic fable. The storytelling is exquisite and full of charm. The directing from Nakamura is visually magnificent and haunting. The film has a beautiful sense of style and it pulls one into the story with ease. A great work of art by Nakamura.

Nutcracker Fantasy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray from Discotek Media, Nutcracker Fantasy is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. The high-definition video features stunning clarity and detail. The stop-motion animation is astonishingly detailed and the exceptional video encode handles the transfer beautifully. The live-action footage is beautifully presented on the release as well. The print quality is in fantastic shape and is free from any significant issues with dirt, debris, or print damage. Colors do not always appear as robust as on modern animated productions but this is a beautifully filmic presentation. A great restoration.

Nutcracker Fantasy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Japanese uncompressed PCM 2.0 (with English subtitles). (The optional international version is provided in English uncompressed PCM 2.0). The original Japanese audio presentation sounds clear and crisp on the release. The score is well highlighted and the audio presentation is enormously satisfying. The audio track on the release is free from any egregious issues with hiss, crackle, clicks, and other audio-related detriments.

Nutcracker Fantasy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Nutcracker Fantasy – International Version (HD, 1:21:24) provides an alternate cut of the feature-film. Presented in English uncompressed PCM 2.0 16-bit. The international version features a shorter cut, presenting a condensed version (as the original language version has a run time of 1:34:39). This presentation will appeal to English dub enthusiasts but the original Japanese language version is obviously preferred for providing the original cut.

The release also comes with a nice o-card slipcover.

Nutcracker Fantasy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Nutcracker Fantasy is a charming and delightful fable. The film is a stop-motion animation gem and a masterful work of art. The film features live-action sequences as well. The filmmaking is first-rate with excellent storytelling and attention to detail. The Blu-ray release features a strong presentation with superb video and audio. The release includes two versions – the original version and the international version. The original cut is longer than the international dubbed version and I would highly recommend one watch the film as it was originally intended. Highly recommended.