History Main / TheNutcracker

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: In many versions, Clara kills the Mouse King by hurling her shoe at his head.

* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: The battle sequence against both the Nutcracker and the Mouse King itself.
* CrowningMomentofFunny: The entire flashback sequence done in storybook/WB style drawing.
** The entire first night of mice ''vs.'' toys would also fit this.
* CrowningMomentofHeartwarming: The dance scene in Gingerbread castle could be considered heartwarming.
** And also, at the end of the movie, when Clara and the no-longer-nutcrackerified Hans reunite, with Clara realizing she didn't lose him, you just can't help but be touched.

''Synopsis''
-->Marie and Fritz Stahlbaum are given a toy nutcracker for Christmas from their godfather Drosselmeyer. This nutcracker turns out to be more than he seems; he's really Drosselmeyer's nephew transformed by a mouse queen's evil curse. With Marie's help, the nutcracker is eventually able to overcome his foe (the queen's vengeful son), regain his true form, and take Marie to the doll kingdom. After taking a grand tour, Marie falls asleep and wakes up in her own bed. When she tries to tell her parents, they think she's dreamed the entire thing and forbid her to speak of it again. However, Marie goes to her nutcracker in the cabinet and vows she would love him if he were real, even if he were ugly. This breaks the curse, and he asks her to marry him. Marie accepts, and in a year and a day he takes her to the doll kingdom, where she is crowned queen.

** He's a RatKing, pretty much.

''The Nutcracker and the Mouse King'' (Ger. ''Nußknacker und Mausekönig'') is an 1816 story by German author E.T.A. Hoffmann, but you probably know it by its shorter title, '''''TheNutcracker''''' (Rus. ''Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik'') from the frequently-staged ballet by Tchaikovsky, the musical suite derived therefrom, and from that suite's use in Walt {{Disney}}'s ''{{Fantasia}}''. The ballet has also been made into various animated adaptations.

There have been at least 2 feature length [[AnimatedAdaptation Animated Adaptations]]: Lacewood Productions' 1990 ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k09n0xG3ThE The Nutcracker Prince]]'', with [[TwentyFour Kiefer Sutherland]] in the title role; and Argus Film Studio's 2004 ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8lNTGHMnwo The Nutcracker and the Mouseking]]'', with [[MeetTheRobinsons Wesley Singerman]] and [[{{Airplane}} Leslie Nielsen]] as the eponymous rivals. There is also [[EasternAnimation Soyuzmultfilm's]] [[BetterThanItSounds surprisingly good]] music-only short, 1973 ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zEmsK6Mu40 Shchelkunchik]].

There have been at least 2 feature length [[AnimatedAdaptation Animated Adaptations]]: 1990's ''The Nutcracker Prince'', with [[TwentyFour Kiefer Sutherland]] in the title role, and 2004's ''The Nutcracker and the Mouseking'', with [[MeetTheRobinsons Wesley Singerman]] and [[{{Airplane}} Leslie Nielsen]] as the eponymous rivals.

!!The 1990 Animated Adaption, ''The Nutcracker Prince,'' provides examples of:

* CrowningMomentofAwesome: The battle sequence against both the Nutcracker and the Mouse King itself.

* Crowning Moment of Awesomeness: Both nights where the toys and mice fight as well as the Nutcracker against the Mouse King.

* CompleteMonster: What the Mouse King of this version would have been had [[spoiler:we not seen him return Clara's slipper to Clara the next night, hinting some hint of (somewhat perhaps grudging) kindness, which shows a small displaying hint of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.]]

** And also,[[spoiler: at the end of the movie, when Clara and the no-longer-nutcrackerified Hans reunite, with Clara realizing she didn't lose him, you just can't help but be touched.]]
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:When everyone turns to toys after Clara refuses to stay, the Nutcracker (who is also turning back) watches helplessly the Mouse King chases after Clara and finally reverts to toy mode; then, he and all the other toys disappear.]]
* DisneyVillainDeath: The Mouse King. [[spoiler: He dies just as he is almost about to kill Clara -- then he falls down from the gingerbread balcony and down through the clouds to a watery grave, though, of course, all we hear and see are a big splash and the Mouse King's crown floating for a moment before sinking down.]]

* NightmareFuel: [[spoiler: It comes in the unexpected twist where a dying mouse king suddenly appears one last time to try and kill Clara, though if it's just to spite the Nutcracker or if he's losing his senses and can't tell she's not the Nutcracker is anyone's guess.]]

* TearJerker: [[spoiler: There is a scene in which Clara refused heavy heartedly to stay with the Nutcracker and all the toys are turned back to lifeless ones; later all the toys, including the Nutcracker, disappear and Clara cries because she believes to have lost him forever.]]

* DisneyVillainDeath: The Mouse King [[spoiler: when he dies just as he is almost about to kill Clara before he fell down from the gingerbread balcony and down to his watery grave through the clouds, though of course, all we see and hear are a big splash and the Mouse King's crown, the same one he had taken from his dead mother, float for a moment before sinking down.]]
* CrowningMomentofHeartwarming: The dance scene in Gingerbread castle could be considered heartwarming.
** And also,[[spoiler: at the end of the movie, when Clara and a no longer nutcracker Hans reunite, with Clara realizing she didn't lose him, you just can't help but be touched by this scene.]]
* TearJerker: [[spoiler: There is a scene in the Nutcracker Prince where Clara, whom refused heavy heartedly to stay with the Nutcracker and all the toys are turned back to lifeless ones before later near the film, all the toys, including the Nutcracker disappear and Clara cries because she believes to have lost him forever.]]
** Another one would be when (in the flashback) the Mouse Prince finds his tail crushed under a pillar and he hugs it tenderly. Also, when he realizes he's alone, you can't just help but feel like giving him a hug. At least to this troper anyway.
* NightmareFuel: [[spoiler: It comes in the unexpected twist where a dying mouse king suddenly appears one last time to try and kill Clara, though if it's just to spite the Nutcracker or if he's losing his senses and can't tell she's not the Nutcracker is anyone's guess.]]

* LikableVillain: The Mouse King for some fans (especially on DA).
* Revenge: The Mouse King himself is wanting vengeance, though not because of his mother, but because of his tail (though in some cases, it also probably represents his pride as a mouse).

* Complete Monster: What the Mouse King of this version would have been had [[spoiler:we not seen him return Clara's slipper to Clara the next night, hinting some hint of (somewhat perhaps grudging) kindness, which shows a small displaying hint of a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.]]
** The Mouse Queen, however, fits this trope when it shows how abusive she can be to her son and doesn't care so much about him.
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:When everyone turns to toys after Clara heavy hearted refuses to stay, the Nutcracker (who is also turning back) watches helplessly as he sees the Mouse King chase after Clara slowly and painfully and finally reverts to toy mode and then later, he and all the other toys disappear.]]

** The entire first night of mice vs toys would also fit this.
* BerserkButton: It happens to Marie when her dress gets messy and she gives a mouse a huge punch.

!!The 1990 Animated Adaption, the Nutcracker Prince provides examples of:

* BeserkButton: It happens to Marie when her dress gets messy and she gives a mouse a huge punch.

* Disney Death: [[spoiler:When everyone turns to toys after Clara heavy hearted refuses to stay, the Nutcracker (who is also turning back) watches helplessly as he sees the Mouse King chase after Clara slowly and painfully and finally reverts to toy mode and then later, he and all the other toys disappear.]]

* CrowningMomentofAwesomeness: The battle sequence against both the Nutcracker and the Mouse King itself.

* Abusive Parents: Mainly the Mouse Queen when she belittles and ridicules her son about her plans backfiring.
* Disney Villain Death: The Mouse King [[spoiler: when he dies just as he is almost about to kill Clara before he fell down from the gingerbread balcony and down to his watery grave through the clouds, though of course, all we see and hear are a big splash and the Mouse King's crown, the same one he had taken from his dead mother, float for a moment before sinking down.]]

* Disney Villain Death: The Mouse King [[spoiler: when he dies almost about to kill Clara before he fell down from the gingerbread balcony and down to his watery grave through the clouds, though of course, all we see and hear are a big splash and the Mouse King's crown, the same one he had taken from his dead mother, float for a moment before sinking down.]]