Care Bears Nutcracker Suite facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Care Bears Nutcracker Suite
Original 1988 VHS cover
Genre	Animated special Christmas
Written by	John de Klein (story editor)
Directed by	Joseph Sherman Laura Shepherd
Theme music composer	Tom Szczesniak Ray Parker Jim Morgan Acrobat Music Patricia Cullen
Composer(s)	Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Country of origin	Canada United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Michael Hirsh Patrick Loubert Clive A. Smith
Running time	62 minutes
Production company(s)	Nelvana Limited
Distributor	United States: GoodTimes Home Video (VHS, 1988)
Release
Original network	United States: The Disney Channel Canada: Global
Original release	United States: December 10, 1988 Canada: December 25, 1988

Care Bears Nutcracker Suite is an animated TV special. It features the beloved Care Bears characters. The Canadian animation studio Nelvana made it in 1988. This special is based on the famous Nutcracker ballet. That ballet was created by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The story itself comes from E. T. A. Hoffmann's tale, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.

In this special, a teacher shares a version of the Nutcracker story. It includes the Care Bear Family. The Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins help a sad girl named Anna. They meet a wooden soldier and some mean rats from a place called Toyland. Anna and the Care Bear Family go to Toyland. They learn that an evil Vizier wants to destroy it. He plans to use his army of rats. He also wants a powerful ring hidden in Toyland.

Care Bears Nutcracker Suite first came out in December 1988. It was available on video and TV in North America. Later, it was released on DVD in France in 2004. In 2006, it came out on DVD in English. Its new title was Care Bears: The Nutcracker. This special was Nelvana's last Care Bears production for a while. They made another one in 2004 called Journey to Joke-a-lot.

The Story of the Care Bears Nutcracker

The story begins at a school called P.S. 5 in 1987. A teacher named Miss Walker tells her students a special version of the Nutcracker story. This version features the Care Bear Family.

Christmas in Care-a-lot

The story starts in Care-a-lot during Christmas in 1967. The Care Bears and their Cousins are getting ready for Christmas. Hugs and Tugs, the youngest bears, are looking for a special ornament. Everyone else is decorating a tree in the Hall of Hearts. Funshine Bear notices a sad girl named Anna on Earth. Funshine and Grumpy Bear decide to visit her. They take a Cloud Mobile down to Earth.

Anna's Sadness and a Magical Visitor

When Funshine and Grumpy meet Anna, they learn why she is sad. Her best friend, Sharon, has moved away. Her younger brother, Peter, is more interested in adventures. As the bears talk about friendship, a bright light appears. A tall wooden Nutcracker doll comes out of a black portal. A group of rats, led by the Rat King, are chasing him.

The group hides from the rats. The Nutcracker remembers some of his past. He explains that he is from a place called Toyland. The rats work for an evil Vizier. This Vizier wants to take over and destroy Toyland. He also wants to ruin Christmas.

Journey to Toyland

Funshine and Grumpy send a signal to Care-a-lot. Lotsa Heart Elephant, Brave Heart Lion, and Tenderheart Bear arrive. Hugs and Tugs secretly join them. Together, they send the rats back to Toyland. Everyone decides to follow them. Hugs and Tugs are asked to stay with Peter. But they sneak into Toyland anyway. They hope to find an ornament and have an adventure.

The Vizier's Evil Plan

At his castle, the Vizier wants to find a powerful ring. The ring belonged to Toyland's former Prince. With it, the Vizier could control the land. He has captured the Sugar Plum Fairy. She refuses to tell him where the ring is. The Vizier gets even angrier when the Rat King returns without the Nutcracker.

Soon, the Vizier sees the Nutcracker and his friends entering Toyland. They are traveling through Toyland on a train.

Challenges in Toyland

The friends stop for the night. They meet a group of toys led by the Harlequin. These toys also want the train. They warn the Care Bears and their friends to leave Toyland. One of the toys explains what happened. The Vizier and his rats took over the Prince's castle. The Sugar Plum Fairy hid the Prince's ring. She wanted to keep it safe from the Vizier. The Nutcracker is determined to stop the Vizier. But the rats have set up a barricade. The rats attack the train. They capture Peter, Hugs, and Tugs.

Saving Toyland

The group reaches the castle by raft. They sneak inside and free the Sugar Plum Fairy. With her help, the Bears, Cousins, and the Harlequin find a walnut ornament. The ring is hidden inside it. But the Vizier grabs the walnut. The walnut can only be opened by the Nutcracker. He doesn't want to open it.

The Vizier gets very angry. He starts turning the Bears, Cousins, and Harlequin into firewood. Only Anna is left. The Nutcracker finally agrees to open the walnut. Meanwhile, Peter, Hugs, and Tugs escape. They manage to grab the walnut. The rats chase them. They are caught again. But they free the Sugar Plum Fairy. Just as the Nutcracker opens the walnut, the Fairy grabs the ring. She places it on the Nutcracker's finger.

The Prince Returns

The Nutcracker turns back into the Prince of Toyland. He remembers everything. He restores the Bears and Cousins to normal. They use their Care Bear Stare to defeat the rats. The Prince defeats the Vizier. Toyland returns to its beautiful self. The Prince says goodbye to Anna, Peter, the Bears, and Cousins. He promises to always remember them as friends. He also gives the walnut to Hugs and Tugs as their special ornament.

Anna then wakes up in her bed. She is back on Earth, on Christmas Day, in 1967. She thinks it was all a dream. But then, a new neighbor arrives. His name is Alan Prince. He looks exactly like the Prince from Anna's dream!

A Special Reunion

Back in 1987, Miss Walker finishes her story. One of the children asks what happened to Anna. Suddenly, a grown-up Alan appears at the door. He and the teacher, who is revealed to be Anna, leave the stage together. The other children start practicing Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet. The Care Bear Family has been listening the whole time. They were secretly watching over everyone. This means Anna's adventure in Toyland was not just a dream after all!

Cast of Characters