Mackenzie Foy appears in a scene from “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.”

The Nutcracker Suite comes to life again in Walt Disney’s latest live-action feature “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” a delightful reimagining of the popular holiday ballet.

“The Four Realms” is a world full of wonder, with beautiful set designs and cinematography that bring this story to life in fresh and exciting ways.

The film follows a young girl named Clara (Mackenzie Foy), whose mother recently passed away. Clara’s mom leaves her daughter a ceramic egg, but Clara can’t open it without a missing key.

She seeks help from her godfather Drosselmeyer, who leads her to the key during his annual holiday party by showing her the path to a magical world known as the Four Realms.

As Clara tries to retrieve the key, she learns her late mother was the Queen of the Realms, but in her absence Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren) has risen up against the other three regents – Sugar Plum (Keira Knightley), Hawthorne (Eugenio Derbez) and Shiver (Richard E. Grant) – to try to take control of everything.

With the help of a loyal soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), Clara sets out to retrieve the key she seeks, stop Mother Ginger and restore order to the Four Realms.

“The Nutcracker” takes a little bit to get going, with the Ashleigh Powers screenplay setting up Clara’s backstory and her relationship with her grieving father, but once it gets to the Four Realms, the film really hits its stride.

Directors Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston make the most of this visually impressive world, bringing everything to life with magnificent colors and some detailed sets that are as impressive as any film in recent memory. Lisa Chugg’s set direction is Oscar-level, an impressive feat that is enough to make the film a must see on the big screen.

But “Four Realms” has more than just its look working for it. The film incorporates the music from the popular ballet seamlessly, allowing the audience to appreciate what it is familiar with, while experiencing something new.

The cast shines as well. Foy is delightful in the lead role, but reliable veterans like Knightley, Mirren and Morgan Freeman also are given their moments – and all three take advantage of their time quite well.

All these ingredients come together in delightful fashion, making “Four Realms” a rather charming engagement that surprised me at every turn. It’s a fun spin on an old classic that will surely join the family holiday rotation for years to come.

Starring: Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley

Directed by: Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnston

Rating: PG for some mild peril

Playing at: Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12, Regal Greenwood Mall Stadium 10, Highland Cinemas (Glasgow)

Grade: B