Barbie in the Nutcracker

On Christmas Eve, Clara lives with her stern grandfather Drosselmeyer and her little brother Tommy. Aunt Elizabeth arrives with toys for the siblings, including a Nutcracker that Tommy tries to wrest away and damages. Clara mends the Nutcracker and falls asleep beside the Christmas tree.

At midnight, magical dust fills the room as the Nutcracker comes to life and fights an army of mice led by the Mouse King. The Mouse King uses magic to shrink Clara to his size, forcing a desperate escape. Clara and the Nutcracker flee into the unfolding magical danger.

The Nutcracker explains the spell that transformed him as well, and they vow to find the Sugarplum Princess who can undo their enchantments. Clara and the Nutcracker decide to press on together, hoping for an answer. An owl on the grandfather clock offers directions and a magical locket that can send Clara home when opened.

They crawl through a mouse hole into an icy cave and are aided by snow fairies. The journey leads them to Parthenia, the Nutcracker's homeland, where new adventures await. The two cling to the hope of breaking the spell and reuniting Clara with her rescued world.

In Parthenia they travel toward the gingerbread village and meet two children who tell them Prince Eric, the rightful heir, has gone missing. The tale hints at a broken kingdom under the Mouse King's influence. The search for Eric becomes the next major goal.

Major Mint and Captain Candy rescue the group from the Mouse King's pursuing army. Clara realizes that the Nutcracker is Prince Eric, transformed by the Mouse King to seize the throne. Eric hopes to redeem himself and set things right.

The party frees flower fairies trapped in a well and continues their journey toward the Sugarplum Princess. They face a rock giant and are saved by snow fairies who freeze the sea, aided by a horse pulling a sled. The Nutcracker uses his sword to crack the ice, allowing the group to press on.

They reach the Sugarplum Princess's island, only to discover it’s a trap. The Mouse King's bat henchman Pimm cages the Nutcracker, Mint, and Candy, while Clara is left behind. The mission becomes a rescue operation as they try to free their friends.

Flower fairies carry Clara to the Mouse King's castle where she frees her friends. The Nutcracker battles the Mouse King, and the spell ricochets back, shrinking him to the size of a mouse and forcing the Mouse King to flee. The Nutcracker is gravely injured, and Clara kisses him, restoring him to his true form as Eric.

Clara is revealed to be the Sugarplum Princess, and Eric is crowned king as the land is restored and people celebrate. The shrunken Mouse King returns on Pimm's back, snatches Clara's locket, and opens it, triggering a magical surge. Clara dematerializes and vanishes back to her world.

Clara wakes up in her room where she fell asleep, but the Nutcracker is missing. Her grandfather dismisses the tale as imagination. Aunt Elizabeth returns with a young man revealed to be Eric, and he asks Clara to dance. A snow globe secretly shows Prince Eric and the Sugarplum Princess dancing together.

The snow globe at the end reveals Prince Eric and the Sugarplum Princess dancing happily in the palace courtyard, reinforcing that magic and belief can endure. Kelly learns the value of perseverance as she watches the tale unfold. Barbie once again smiles, and the two sisters imagine their own dance finishing perfectly.