This movie has a few redeeming qualities. The effects are decent, the visuals are impressive, and most of the adult actors play their part well. The story, though convoluted and somewhat confusing, isn't particularly boring, and for the most part manages to keep the audience interested.

But, with that said, these still do little to salvage the film.

This movie is perhaps the most cruel, bad-taste, tone-deaf film I have ever seen in my life, mixing a distorted version of the Nutcracker story with allegories to Nazi Germany, genocide, and the Holocaust. The antagonist Rat King and his rat soldiers wear Nazi-style uniforms and proclaim the foundation of a "thousand-year empire" - an obvious allegory to Adolf Hitler's "thousand-year Reich".

But the Nazi-esque rat imagery isn't a simple "bad guy" motif. No, they go the whole way and have the Rat King declares that, in due time, he will exterminate all non-rats and toys as part of his "RATification" policy (again, an obvious reference to the "Final Solution").

And if that wasn't bad enough, the Nazi rats actually round up toys by the thousands, pile them in the city square, and burn them in ovens - smokestacks, slave laborers and all - while dancing and singing to renditions of Tchaikovsky's music.

Talk about bad taste! I think my jaw hit the floor when I saw that scene! I've seen movies that are tone-deaf, but this is something on a whole different level!

And that's not to mention the other disturbing visuals, such as the rats ripping off someone's head and playing catch with it, or the grotesque rat-teeth effects (which would surely frighten any young child unfortunate enough to watch this film) or the fact that one of the main protagonists has a disturbing and borderline-psychotic habit of breaking and burning toys for no discernable reason.

Way too dark and way too disturbing for any kid's movie - let alone a Christmas movie and especially the Nutcracker story.

In short, "Nutcracker: The Untold Story" should have really stayed true to its name and remained untold.

I saw this movie with my wife and daughter (7) in America recently, we are from Ireland. We were excited to go and see it as it is the only story written in which my daughter name is used. Unfortunately we were very disappointed when we realized the main characters name was changed to Mary. In the original story and ballet the little girl's name is 'Clara', in future productions please pay attention to the small details. As for the movie it was entertaining the story follows the ballet version to a point but is let down by the lack of music. The main focus seemed to be placed on the special effects in which the Nut Cracker and Clara are transported to the princes world, The Rat King played by John Turturro was well done he is a very fine actor. The make-up on the rats and the rat king was more akin to 'The Grinch' movie starring Jim Carrey than something more original. What was good was the color used, the sets and the overall production it had the Christmas feel to some degree. The movie unfortunately is let down by the lack of music, the acting and particularly the connection between Clara and the Nut Cracker. Overall this movie is not great.

Even the kids hated it. At end daughter asked if we could put it in the rubbish. I wanted to stop watching by halfway.

Holocaust themes, dark and violent for younger children, and lots of rat teeth.

To be fair, make-up and costumes were alright plus Elle Fanning is gorgeous and a talented actress but even as the main redeeming feature she was unable to support this holocaust-themed bastardisation of a ballet. Tim Rice may be good at lyrics but the breaks into song were un-natural and whole thing forced, boring and dreary. Composers would be turning in their graves. I truly hope I never watch this again!