The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute

The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute is a 2022 Russian-Hungarian fantasy musical animated film. Loosely based on Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker, the film also contains elements from other fairytales and musical works.

Plot
Marie lives with her widow mother in the house their father had left them. She is a talented dancer but her mother is unable to pay the debts left by her deceased husband. A former creditor of the latter, Mr Ratter, offers to marry Marie and erase the debts. She refuses but Ratter leaves her a wooden nutcracker in the shape of a soldier, before departing. At night, Marie is magically transformed into a miniature version of herself, while all her toys and the nutcracker come to life. They are attacked by a rat and despite all the others' advice, the soldier, who remembers his name is George, leaves after the rat, in a tunnel that leads to a subterranean realm. He is followed by Marie and two of her animal toys. They want to help him reconquer the kingdom, that was being taken over by rats who can take human forms; among those is George's stepmother herself, while his father the king, one of the few remaining real human beings in the castle, is being kept prisoner in a constant state of somnolence. George and Marie manage to defeat the rats and liberate the kingdom.

Music
The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute contains various pieces from The Nutcracker but also from other works by Tchaikovsky, including excerpts of Swan Lake. Despite its title and the presence of music by Mozart in the soundtrack, the film has little to do with The Magic Flute. It also contains music by Gluck.

Reception
The Guardian was very critical of the film. The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute was also noted for what was deemed "outdated gender roles" while Common Sense Media gave it 3 stars out of 6. "Blending Alice in Wonderland and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe fantastical thrills with the classic story, this animated tale just feels awkward and stilted.", commented Starbust.