Sometimes when you look at that cheap cartoon DVD on the bargain shelf you don't want to buy it knowing that it's nowhere near the same standard as the original but a handful of these productions may surprise you like this film, Katya and the Nutcracker.

While you can get a DVD in my country and possibly Europe & Australia the chances of finding this cartoon movie is incredibly low. You have a better chance of finding an out of print anime.
The story is your typical Nutcracker story. Katya gets a Nutcracker in the shape of a soldier from uncle Drosselmeyer for Christmas. After a fight with her brother the Nutcracker gets broken but over night the Rat King (Who wears a Nazi gas mask for some reason) tries to takeover the Toy World bringing the toys alive and shrinking Katya to toy size. After a battle between the toys and the rats, the Nutcracker Prince takes Katya to a fancy party to watch the Sugar Plum Fairy perform a dance similar to Fantasia followed by an Ice Dance between Katya & the Prince.
There is no dialogue in the entire film using nothing more than the musical score to the Nutcracker and it actually pulls off a decent production, almost to Disney standard if not for the animation art style being a bit hit and miss.
The Atmosphere the movie creates is both magical and immersive. You especially get drawn into the Biplane scene where Katya & the Nutcracker travel to the palace through the blizzard.
If I could find a Youtube video I will certainly post it.
If you wish to take anything away from this review is the knowledge that the lowest level cartoons can often surprise you even if there is next to no information about it all over the world wide web.
And I am fully aware that it says Katya and the Mouseking in the picture so don't bother pointing that out.