Little Clara lives with her aunt Gerda and her uncle Drosselmeyer. When she does not want to sleep one day and not even the story of Ragman, who turns children into rats, forces her to bed, her uncle gives her a nutcracker as a present, if she promises to fall asleep now. At night, some rats appear and steal her nutcracker. Clara follows them and suddenly finds herself facing the two-headed rat queen Mauslynx. The Nutcracker comes to life and defends Clara from the rats. When she wakes up the next morning, the Nutcracker has disappeared. No one believes her what happened in the night so Clara sets off on her own. She sees her uncle in a grandfather clock. As she crawls into the clock, she finds herself in the kingdom of dolls.

Princess Mary, who looks very much like her, has been bewitched by Mauslynx and is in a deep sleep. All the king's efforts to bring his daughter back to life have unfortunately failed. Clara learns from a fortune teller that the spell can only be broken if Mauslynx' magic walnut is destroyed. Clara tells this to the king, who sends an army under the leadership of his best commander Franz. Franz succeeds in breaking the walnut, but is transformed into a nutcracker by Mauslynx. Mary, who has reawakened, no longer wants to marry Franz, who has been promised to her, as she is repelled by his new form as a nutcracker. Clara takes the Nutcracker and wanders through the kingdom to find a way to transform Franz back.

From Helly Kitty to Nutcracker

The Japanese company Sanrio, founded in 1960, has specialized in the marketing of cute characters, including the famous Hello Kitty character. From 1977 to 1985, Sanrio entered the production of films, some of which were based on their own brands and others using different templates.

One of these films is the stop-motion production Nutcracker Fantasy, which is based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E. T. A. Hoffmann and also uses music from the ballet The Nutcracker. The result is an unusual film in which a little girl undertakes an imaginative journey through a magical kingdom. Despite its child-oriented theme, the film has become very dark at some points, be it through the character of Ragman, who turns naughty children into rats, the evil rat queen Mauslynx or her son, who later demands revenge for the death of his mother. Fans of stop-motion movies should get their money's worth, though. The movie is very well done with partly crazy ideas.

Two versions on the US Blu-ray by Discotek

For marketing purposes in the US, the original Japanese version was modified in a number of ways. New opening and closing credits were created and the film was also shortened considerably. The main intention was probably to make the movie a little bit faster, but also some too dark moments, e.g. with the Ragman, were removed. The US version has a new scene: In the movie, Clara meets a gypsy woman who tells her how to break the spell of Mary. After Clara has gone to help the nutcracker, she meets the gypsy again in the US version. Scenes that have been seen before were used and the dialogue was adapted accordingly. On the other hand, the US version scores with its excellent dubbing actors, including Christopher Lee with four speaking roles. The US Blu-ray by Discotek contains both versions of the film. So you can either watch the original version in Japanese with optional English subtitles or the US version with the English dubbing. The picture quality is identical in both versions.

Runtimes:

US version: 81:17 min.
Japanese version: 94:37 min.

The US version was compared to the Japanese original version.

[00:00:00][00:00:00]

The Sanrio logo at the beginning of the film is different.

(left US version, right Japanese version)

US: 22 sec.
JP: 11 sec.


[00:02:40][00:02:28]

The boy writhes longer as he is touched by the Ragman's staff. Finally, he falls off the bed.

JP: 3 sec.


[00:02:54][00:02:45]

The US version shows a still image of the city. You can hear the adult Clara speaking.

Clara: "It was on just such a night when I was still a young girl, that I arrived to visit my Aunt Gerda and Uncle Drosselmeyer. And I would never be the same again."

The opening credits follow.

In the Japanese version, the camera moves down to the street. There, the ghostly Ragman disappears into the fog. The opening credits follow.

US: 1:12 min.
JP: 47 sec.


[00:05:56][00:05:22]

After the door opened, the camera moves onto the Ragman.

JP: 1 sec.


[00:09:04][00:08:31]

The shot of Clara was shortened a little bit. In the US, the beginning is missing when she is not yet smiling.

JP: 0.5 sec.


[00:09:30][00:08:58]

Clara, her aunt Gerda and her uncle Drosselmeyer are to be seen for a little longer.

JP: 2 sec.


[00:11:00][00:10:29]

After Clara has fallen asleep, the US shows a still picture of her. She dreams how she plays with her figures.

In the Japanese version, she dreams of reading a book with her mother. Afterwards, we can see the Ragman walking over the city. It fades back to the sleeping Clara.

US: 13 sec.
JP: 44 sec.


[00:12:28][00:12:27]

Clara runs down the stairs. The camera pans over the mice that stole the nutcracker.

JP: 4 sec.


[00:12:34][00:12:37]

The US shows here how Clara runs down the stairs. The pan on the mice is missing.

US: 2 sec.


[00:14:09][00:14:11]

Clara is to be seen a little earlier, before she falls.

JP: 0.5 sec.


[00:14:10][00:14:13]

The end of the shot in which Clara has fallen to the floor is also longer in the Japanese version.

JP: 1 sec.


[00:14:36][00:14:40]

The mouse and the nutcracker roll to the side. In the next shot we see another mouse running to Clara. The nutcracker rolls back up again.

JP: 2 sec.


[00:18:17][00:18:23]

The US version fades from Clara to the clock.

In the Japanese version, she instead looks down from the railing into the hall. Then we can see the clock.

US: 1 sec.
JP: 46 sec.


[00:19:23][00:20:14]

The cabinet opens. We see Clara sooner. She recoils.

JP: 1 sec.


[00:20:34][00:21:26]

After Clara calls for her uncle Drosselmeyer, the Ragman appears. Clara tries to flee, but he always appears in front of her.

JP: 38 sec.


[00:21:33][00:23:02]

The ballet dancer can be seen earlier.

JP: 21 sec.


[00:25:30][00:27:20]

The Japanese version shows a close-up of the frightened Clara before the mirror can be seen.

JP: 1 sec.


[00:25:32][00:27:23]

In the US version, here is the shot of Clara. We can also see once again how she has her hand in front of her mouth.

In the Japanese version, we can see how she slowly takes her hand off her mouth.

US: 2 sec.
JP: 1 sec.


[00:30:12][00:32:01]

In the US version, Clara and Franz can be seen.

In the Japanese version, the picture darkens briefly. Clara and Franz appear in a pink light.

US: 0.5 sec.
JP: 6 sec.


[00:32:33][00:34:28]

The general presents his thesis that the princess can be cured with marching music. This causes some unrest.

General: "...and a stirring march. Now, the key is alternating with them. I believe this union of darkness and light, light and darkness, is the precious key that will unlock the princess' spell.

JP: 18 sec.

[00:33:51][00:36:03]

The poet can be seen hovering in the air a little longer.

Poet: "Wake up! It's time to eat!"

JP: 3 sec.


[00:35:13][00:37:29]

The scientist apologizes after the explosion he caused.

Scientist: "Sorry. Well, as you can see, my enthusiasm for science comes across clearly to you citizens..."

JP: 5 sec.


[00:35:16][00:37:37]

The scientist can be seen a little earlier.

Scientist: "And when it's time for the next election, I hope you..."

JP: 4 sec.


[00:36:19][00:38:44]

The masked man falls down and creates a small mess.

Masked man: "Execution! Seize the lullaby! Set it aflame! Douse it with water! Bury it in the ground!"

JP: 7 sec.


[00:39:16][00:41:47]

The black image is a bit longer, after that we see the weathercock earlier.

JP: 3 sec.


[00:44:14][00:46:48]

The camera moves from the gypsy woman into the glass ball.

JP: 5 sec.


[00:45:04][00:47:43]

After the rat queen was seen, the image of the glass ball darkens in an additional shot.

Rat Queen: "There is one more way."

JP: 6 sec.


[00:45:09][00:47:54]

The camera moves onto the divining sphere. The rat queen reveals how to reverse the spell.

Rat Queen: "The only other way to break Princess Mary's spell is to obtain the guardian deity of the Mauslynx family."

JP: 13 sec.


[00:45:15][00:48:13]

The gypsy woman can be seen longer.

JP: 4 sec.


[00:45:16][00:48:18]

The gypsy can be seen earlier.

JP: 1 sec.


[00:45:31][00:48:34]

The gypsy woman casts a spell. The rat queen appears in the orb.

JP: 14 sec.


[00:45:51][00:49:08]

The gypsy further emphasizes that the walnut must be broken.

Gypsy: "You must crush it! But it's hard."

JP: 7 sec.


[00:46:22][00:49:46]

The US version repeats the close-up of the glass ball with the air bubbles.

US: 3 sec.


[00:46:37][00:49:58]

The gypsy woman tells of the sword that appeared in her hand. It is said to be used to crack the walnut.

Gypsy: "Out of all the historic items I have here, only the mystery of this pearl sword has eluded me. "But now, I finally understand. "This sword was created to split open the Walnut of Krakatoke. "Go on, have a look."
Clara: "It's beautiful!"
This pearl sword is the only thing that can shatter the walnut.

JP: 28 sec.


[00:46:39][00:50:29]

After the short cut on Clara, the gypsy woman can be seen earlier.

Gypsy: "And that would dispel the magic affecting the princess. "But, be very carful so that Madam Mauslynx doesn't discover you."

JP: 9 sec.


[00:46:44][00:50:43]

The US version fades over from Clara to the Princess, then we see Franz (as a still image) a little earlier.

Clara appears a little longer in the Japanese version.

US: 6 sec.
JP: 1 sec.


[00:49:17][00:53:11]

After Franz could be seen, a shot of three drummers follows, then the camera switches to the king.

JP: 6 sec.


[00:49:45][00:53:44]

After Clara was seen, a shot of the dancing mice is missing.

JP: 16 sec.


[00:50:00][00:54:15]

The US version shows the shot with the dancing mice before the soldiers are seen.

US: 16 sec.


[00:50:18][00:54:18]

After the soldiers could be seen, further scenes of the mice festival follow.

JP: 24 sec.


[00:50:23][00:54:46]

Before the soldiers are seen, the US version shows the scenes of the mice festival.

US: 24 sec.