I love animation and Christmas as well as the timeless story and Tchaikovsky's music. I also grew up with The Care Bears, even if I am not a huge fan overall, though I love the show and enjoyed the 1985 movie, A New Generation and Care Bears in Wonderland. Care Bears Nutcracker Suite was one of my first exposures to the story alongside The Nutcracker Suite and the Barbie movie(also love the House of Mouse take), and while it is not one of my favourites of anything to do with Christmas or ever, it is heartwarming fun. The writing does have occasions where it is on the corny and saccharine side, then again that's true of the Care Bears movies in general, and while the take on the story is clever, the essence of the story is there and there are a number of entertaining moments I couldn't help thinking that the storytelling, as heart warming and charming as it is often, was a little overstretched. On the other hand, the animation if not as fluid as the first two movies) is colourful and vibrant and the score is whimsical with the parts of Tchaikovsky's ballet score delightful(though I would have personally loved to heard more of it). The characters are likable enough, the Care Bears, Nutcracker and the two children are sweet, well-meaning characters, the villain rats are very humorous especially the Rat King and the vizier is like the long-lost brother of the Wizard from Care Bears in Wonderland except not as subtly-voiced(still enthusiastic though). All in all, heart-warming, fun, cute and harmless, not mind-blowingly brilliant or life-changing but overall recommended and not to be a subject of scorn. 8/10 Bethany Cox
