Rating: 
Summary: While I'm not a ballet afficinado....
Review: I can easily give this DVD four stars- maybe even five in time. This tale is interesting to dissect, because there are apparently two camps for this very famous, 110 year-old ballet: those who like it as a children's story and those who like it as an adult's. It's been staged both ways in the past, as others have already mentioned (and I won't repeat here, I promise). This version, which allows the kids to be front and center, has some stellar 'adult' moments in it: the Act 1 finale dance of the snowflakes, while not adult in content, is the personification of sophistication and beauty with its ice-blue lighting and costuming and multiracial corps de ballet. A beautiful sequence of dance which stands on its own, and which you'd enjoy replaying. The other moment comes in the second act, when the relatively innocent dances of various sweets give way to the Arabian solo of Wendy Whelan. The pink-and-purple lighting, the floating camera work, and the dancer's sexy, serpent-like movements (jeeez!!) do not resemble any other moment in this already polished film, and one can't help but think that either the director or the choreographer wanted it that way. (It's like watching Ann Reinking, Vicki Frederick, or Carol Haney on the Broadway stage.) As far as Macaulay Culkin- it didn't bother me since he was the right age (12) at the time of filming, and, frankly, he looks bored in *most* films he's in. What're you gonna do?
Rating: 
Summary: A chrsitmas classic
Review: I enjoy going to the theathre and watching this play. The Nutcracker is a classic. I owned the older versions of this play but when this version of the nutcracker came on the tele during christmas i just had to get it. My family gather around during christmas time and watch this timeless tale of love, faith and some big mice. I think at least once you should se this at the theathre if you can't buy the video and sit back and relax and prepare to be dazzled.
Rating:
Summary: A lavishly beautiful production
Review: I had the feeling I was watching the very first staging of this beautiful ballet while watching the video. Although Macaulay Culkin is certainly no dancer, he is cute and charming even without words. The costumes are fabulous. Though the transitions from scene to scene are sometimes choppy it rolls along a smoothly as possible. I would recommend this video to any young girl who has visions of being a ballerina.
Rating:
Summary: Great To Watch At Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I love The Nutcracker every Christmas time It comes on I hope it comes on in the UK!!!!!!! ooooooooooooooooh I'm getting goosebumps all over just thinking about it. The Nutcracker has always been my favorite every time we record it every Christmas so you Nutcracker fans I recommend you get this is truely the best movie ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: I saw George Ballachine's Nutcracker when I was in high school back in the late 60's!!! It was an unforgetable experience in the theater. I'll never forget how enthralling it was to see the Christmas tree growing accompanied by Tchaikovsky's incredible music. It could be argued persuasively that it is the finest staging of the work ever conceived. I've not seen one to equal it!
This DVD is a beautiful document of the classic production. No expense has been spared in bringing the production to life. The costumes and the sets are as I remember them. A few sections have been done by ILM to enhance the video presentation of essentially a stage work. The ballet flows beautifully. Video quality is excellent; vibrant colors and clear picture unlike alot of ballet videos.
The dancing couldn't be finer. The cast is attractive and energetic including the children. The presence of Mr. Culkin does not detract at all from the quality of the performance. He's there to help sell the thing and he is just fine.
The NYC Ballet Orchestra has been playing this score for decades and their mastery of it under Zinman's baton is evident throughout. This is simply gorgeously played and rivals any other Nutcacker played by world class orchestras.
A benefit to the proceedings is the fact that Zinman is conducting an actual balletic performance and his zippy tempi add just the right amount of panache. It is a very transparent reading and makes Tchaikovsky's delicious orchestrations sound like a shiny new car! The dancer's tempi doesn't mean that there is a lack of "symphonic" presence. The recording engineers have done a beautiful job in capturing the majesty of the performance as well.
If you love the Nutcracker, this DVD is essential. We are fortunate to have Balanchine's masterpiece so beautifully documented for posterity! This is the perfect holiday gift to introduce young people to this glorious work of art!
Rating:
Summary: A review by one who performs
Review: If you have a young child who wants to see the Nutcracker at home, this is the version to buy (I bought it for my 3 year old boy who loved the ballet): Here are its selling points and comments on some previous remarks1. There really aren't that many versions out there. Baryshnikov's is not a very child friendly version. Yes it's true, this does not have the precision of some of the other corps but this version is really geared to young children. And it's a great version for them to see. 2. It is a plus that it features many child dancers. It allows children to see others like them dancing. Additionally, a big bonus is that there are acutally boys dancing male parts - parents of boys who love ballet like myself will appreciate this. 3. Yes, Culkinis a bad dancer but as someone else noted - if it helps sell the movie, then it gets ballet out to more people which is a plus (I personally think it's better than a Barbie doll version of Swan Lake). Again, for parents of boy dancers, it's nice to see a boy with a real dancing part. 4. The main character is called Marie because that's her name in the original book by ETA Hoffman (which by the way, is a VERY different story from the one we traditionally see in the ballet. It's a great book and for a special treat of the video performance of the real story see the Milwaukee Orchestra's Notes Alive: The Nutcracker: The Untold Story, based on Maurice Sendak's illustrations). In the original story, Clara is one of Marie's dolls. 5. I did not find Culkin's expressions to be disinterested or bored. To the contrary, I was impressed with his focus and respect throughout the show. There is a nice photo text book that accompanies this video. The book explains that the expression on his face early in the show may be his attempt to show that he is different, more refined, than the other more boisterous boys at the party including Fritz, Marie's brother.
Rating:
Summary: A timeless play for a nonsense fast life!
Review: Just lovely. A timeless musical . My kids took it in a re-run for two whole days.
Rating:
Summary: Very good. Would have been great if Culkin weren't in it.
Review: Looks like the execs needed some star to sell it from the shelfs, as though the ballet stars were not enough. Now Culkin looks like a little twerp and he was. There are so many more talented people who could have filled his shoes more gracefully.The film is beautiful and at a great price. Get it for your collection. The sets are wonderful and the storytelling up to par.Three thumbs up!
Rating: 
Summary: Balanchine 10, Caulkin 0
Review: Of all the versions of Nutcracker out there, this probably sells the best, due to the popularity of its' child star. Too bad. My students find him looking and dancing ridiculous, and I agree. For an imaginative and more engaging (albeit strange) interpretation, watch the Sendak/Pacific Northwest Ballet version. It is far more entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: A good version.
Review: The first act of this is completely boring, with no good dancing or acting. Macauley Culkin is (as always) blah, and since he is not a ballet dancer, he doesn't fit the role. Jessica Lynn Cohen is also boring as Marie. However, the second half is very good. Darci Kistler is incredible at her age, and Damian Woetzel does some magnificent jumps and a superb turn section. Kyra Nichols' triple pirouettes are perfect, and Tom Gold radiates energy as the candy-cane. Worth buying, I would say, but I always fast-forward through the beginning.
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