12 Reviews of Christmas - The Hip Hop Nutcracker (2022)

           Hey guys, Chuck here, and we're back with more 12 Reviews of Christmas. For today's review, we'll be discussing The Hip Hop Nutcracker, which was released on Disney+ on November 25th, which was the same day that saw the release of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. This special is predominantly done in the form of dance, and features several iconic dance stars and dance groups. However, I go into this review with a heavy heart, as one of the performers in this special, Stephen "tWitch" Boss, tragically passed away on Tuesday, December 13th. So, this review will be dedicated to the memory of "tWitch" Boss, with all of my condolences going to his wife Allison, who was also featured in the special. 

          So, The Hip Hop Nutcracker is a re-telling of the classic ballet The Nutcracker, but is set on the night of a New Year's Eve block party. The story focuses on a girl named Maria-Clara, whose wish is for her parents to work out their issues and reconcile. Eventually, she meets with Drosselmeyer, who showcases some skills in bringing toys to life. Maria-Clara also meets a young man working at a nut stand. This is the story's version of the Nutcracker. And, of course, the Mouse King and his legion of mice show up to stir up trouble, and Drosselmeyer gives the Nutcracker some special shoes, giving him some new dance moves with which to defeat the Mouse King. 

           Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker, after seeing the Snowflake Dance, are sent back to the night her parents first got together. After several dance segments, it's here where Maria-Clara realizes what she needs to do, and returns with the Nutcracker to the present to put her plan in motion. Her plan to get her parents to dance together once again succeeds, and happy endings for all. The end. 

          So, while this forty-five minutes special is, again, just a re-telling of The Nutcracker, what makes it stand out are the dance moves and the music. The classic ballet music score by Tchaikovsky is interspersed with Hip-hop beats, creating a musical style that is very unique, but still true to the original music. 

      The dancers, as well, are fantastic. Both Cache Melvin and Dushaunt "Fik-Shun" Stegall we're fantastic as Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker, while Comfort Fedoke showcased some unique moves as Drosselmeyer. Both tWitch and Allison Boss were excellent as Maria-Clara's parents, and I thoroughly enjoyed the dance troupe JabbaWockeez as the Snowflakes. But the biggest stand-out was Jean Hourth Sok as the Mouse King. Seriously, I was amazed by this guy's moves, and honestly you guys just gotta watch for yourselves just how amazing he is. The icing on the cake is the narration by Rap icon Rev Run. Having him rap the narrations for this version of The Nutcracker was definitely a nice touch. 

          Now, I will admit that not everyone will get into this particular special. However, if you keep an open mind, or have a taste for hip-hop music and hip-hop freestyle dancing, then definitely give this one a watch. You can find it streaming along with other great holiday titles right now on Disney+. I'm giving The Hip Hop Nutcracker a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off, and I'll be back tomorrow for more 12 Reviews of Christmas, where I'll be taking a look at another Doctor Who special: 2008's The Next Doctor. Also, this evening will be a really exciting review that has been more than a decade in the making. So, stay tuned for that. 

                  

                   R.I.P Stephen "tWitch" Boss

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