The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute

Parents need to know that The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute is a comedic spin on the familiar Nutcracker tale where a young woman named Marie makes a wish and shrinks to the size of her toys and goes on a Christmas Eve adventure. The musical has animated violence, including sword fighting, knife slashing, slapping, and chasing. There are moments of danger and peril throughout, including characters falling off waterfalls, people being controlled by a magical flute, and characters turning into rats. Since Marie becomes small, ordinary objects become very dangerous, such as house rats and sewing pins. Some brief sequences with ghosts and rat villains might seem intense for younger or more sensitive viewers. The evil rat queen is rude and deceitful. She eventually faces consequences for her actions near the conclusion of the movie. Positive role models include Marie, who tries to keep the group working together as a team and finds ways to get them out of trouble and into safety. She's willing to do whatever it takes to help her friends, as well as her mother. The prince is also willing to take risks for others. It's hard to miss the lessons about friendship and teamwork in this sometimes-dark tale, and viewers who look closely might also get some takeaways about loyalty, trust, and family bonds.