Anastasia Movie
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Discover the Adventure Behind the Greatest Mystery of Our Time
The lost Russian Princess Anastasia and her incredible quest to find her true identity. When the shadow of revolution falls across Russia, Anastasia, the royal family's youngest daughter, barely escapes with her life. Years later, joined by a band of heroic companions, Anastasia must battle the evil Rasputin, his sidekick Bartok the bat and a host of ghostly minions in a headlong race to reach Paris, reclaim her rightful destiny.... and solve the greatest mystery of the 20th century!
| Meg Ryan | Anastasia |
| John Cusack | Dimitri |
| Kelsey Grammer | Vladimir |
| Christopher Lloyd | Rasputin |
| Hank Azaria | Bartok |
| Bernadette Peters | Sophie |
| Kirsten Dunst | Young Anastasia |
| Angela Lansbury | The Dowager Empress Marie |
| Rick Jones | Czar Nicholas, Servant, Revolutionary Soldier, Ticket Agent |
| Andrea Martin | Phlegmenkoff, Old Woman |
| Glenn Walker Harris Jr. | Young Dimitri |
| Don Bluth |
6.60 out of 10 (13927 votes)
Visitor Reviews
I LOVE Anastasia!:)
posted on 27 Aug 2009Before i saw this movie, i was uninterested by the whole Anastasia thing. All i knew was that she was someone from history. But when my mom bought me the movie, i was fascinated. i wanted to learn everything about her. i was a little disapointed that all those things in the movie did not happen, but it's okay. i am almost 16 now, and i am educating my fellow classmates about the real anastasia. when out class studied russia, i knew more about the romanov's than my teacher did. I know some people get angry and frustrated at this movie because it is historically incorrect, but what would you show a 6 year old or even a 10 year old? this movie gets people interested and makes them want to learn more. thanx, and i meant no disrespect! peace:) and LOVE! chanci
for what it is it's a beautiful film!
posted on 07 Jul 2009i first saw this movie when i was about 11, roughly when it first came out, and it was enchanting and in some ways i believe it is the first thing that drew me to the mystery behind the Romanovs disappearance in 1918. i watched it again, having just got back from Russia on a school trip last week, and was slightly disappointed, although not really surprised that it wasn't as true to life as i had first thought. still, it presents the story in an enchanting, magical way that could draw younger children into the mystery without even knowing it, and at the same time is just a great feel-good movie for the entire family.the animation is amazing and the scenery is breath taking despite the lack of true historic content. but, really its not fair for me to say that when it isn't really a historic film, it's "based on" historic events, not re-telling them, and that gives it that slice of originality which so many of the current available films lack! For what it is "Anastasia" is a beautiful film about finding yourself and surviving the odds. and the songs are great too!!!!!
DA!
posted on 26 May 2009I absolutely LOVE this movie! I am a little amused by all the people having a problem with this movie not being historically accurate. Need I remind people that this is a cartoon, not a documentary? I was actually impressed with the attention to details: Nicholas looks very much like he did in life, Anastasia's little brother's sickness is not overlooked (he is walking with a limp), 'Once upon a December's words 'Someone holds me safe and warm... ' sound so much like a Russian Gypsy song! That said, I do have to say that there are a few things that could have been prevented by hiring one Russian speaking person. Examples: When Dimitry and Anya first meet, he has a problem pronouncing her name. That would never happen. Anya is a very common name in Russia and would not be mistaken for anything else. Also, when Sophie opened the door she says something that IS NOT a Russian name, very silly. Another example would be Anastasia looking through her family album, when they make her memorize thing, remember the picture of uncle Vanya? ("Loved his vodka, got it Anya?") Well, he just looks like a common peasant, not a member of royal family.Bartok…. I wonder who thought of the name…. It is not a Russian name… My guess is that it was meant to be 'BRATOK' which means 'little brother', used to address a companion, a friend. So.. those are my thoughts. All in all, I highly recommend the movie. Not as an educational historical reference, but as a wonderful entertaining musical animated movie! The fact that is NOT Disney is actually a big plus for me!Enjoy!
Cmon, people...
posted on 26 Apr 2009It is the claim that Anastasia is a 'historical' film that makes it an atrocity in the eyes of critics. Had the main characters been renamed, and the movie advertised as the FICTION it is, the reviews would have been much more favorable. But considering that this film receives much harsher criticism than Disney's also historically innacurate flop Pocahontas, it seems there are still some that love to snub and tear apart the non-Disney 'peasants' of the animation industry. That said, this film is indeed a "diamond in the rough": engaging, visually beautiful, unique, and believable.Critics seem to ignore that this story has something that even the best disney films can't offer: a realistically developed romantic plot. Disney often glosses over the important points in the development of a relationship (Disney formula #1: fate magically throws two beautiful people into one conversation-less 'date,' and suddenly they're ready to marry and live happily ever after). Even in my favorite disney films, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, the courtship is either glossed over in a single song, or the characters are madly in love after one chance encounter. Dmitri the con man is no prince charming (but I gotta admit he's pretty hot for a cartoon), and Anastasia can be quite a brat, but they both mature and grow in three dimensions. We get to see their childish spats, experience the awkward first moments of realization (the first dancing scene on the boat is precious...reminds me of my first date), and finally get a sense that these two truly care for each other, flaws and all. It was a refreshingly mature take on romance by a cartoon. (quoting Sam Neel) "we love not by finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."Other than that, I thought the story line was decent, and the songs were good enough, the animation often breathtaking. Also, if there was an award for 'best costumes in an animated film,' I think this would be a winner.Other characters: Rasputin makes this movie something u definitely don't want to see after a big lunch...as far as villains go, he's good for laughs but not essential to the story (although his existence makes the nightmare scene that much more powerful). Who cares if Bartok is unnecessary...he's adorable! The relationship between the grandmother and anastasia could have been better developed. Vlad had some important parts, but he was almost unnecessary. Sophie needed to cover up! On a sidenote, I don't see why cute superfluous characters and lavish musical numbers are associated only with Disney; If i'm correct, pre-Little Mermaid hits like "An American Tale" and "Land before Time" were 'guilty' of it too. Ah well.Don't get me wrong, I love disney too, Anastasia is a refreshing reminder that Disney CAN be outdone.
Everything an animation movie should have
posted on 24 Mar 2009This was a really great animation movie! I didn't expect that much from 'Anastasia', since it hadn't got too good reviews in the papers. But they proved to be wrong. 'Anastasia' is a wonderful story, with some excellent songs, especially 'Journey To The Past' and 'Once Upon A December', and some of the scenes are just pure magic, like when Anya is inside the old castle dreaming of how it once was there. The graphics are also amazing. Very few animation scenes can compete with the train scene here, which looks extremely realistic.'Anastasia' has a great story, some wonderful songs and fantastic graphics. I highly recommend it!
Excellent movie!
posted on 18 Mar 2009This is probably the best non-Disney animated feature that has been made in the movie industry. The voices match the characters well (though it is rather strange why the main characters do not have Russian accents since the characters are all from Russia). Meg Ryan voices the courageous and charming lost Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia while John Cusack voices the poor, con-man Dimitri. Together they must leave communist Russia and reunite Anastasia with her grandmother. The holy monk Rasputin, voiced by Christopher Lloyd and his comical bat friend, Bartok, voiced by Hank Azaria would rather see the Russian princess dead with the rest of the Romanov family. Rasputin may be a little scary for younger viewers since he keeps falling apart--literally. Bartok adds much well-liked humor to the movie. The songs are astounding and have superb musical depth. The animation rivals that of it's Disney competitors. Here's another great film for director Don Bluth. A nine out of ten on my personal scale.
Fun for all the wrong reasons
posted on 25 Feb 2009Where to begin on this one, At least the beginning of the movie is about the funniest thing i have ever seen. The first part is about how bad Russia went after the revolution: The evil monk Rasputin who has sold his soul to the underworld unleashes the communist ghost which possesses the Russian citizens and triggers the revolution that killed the sweet and always so good tsar family. And 10 years later everybody's (for some reason singing and dancing though??) depressed and talk about how good things were before the revolution. I mean the Russian revolution did not bring happiness and prosperity to many but I sincerely doubt that things were much better before. Me myself I am not really a left-oriented person but politically stand somewhere in between and from a neutral political stand I can appreciate the not intended humor of this badly masked propagandaism but I'm quite worried about the children for whom this film is intended. For the most they lack the ability of criticism and therefore I appose to the idea of weaving this kind of propaganda into an animated film for kids. This is definitely not something that I would want any kids of mine to watch.The second part (or the movie actually since the first part is more of a prologue) is not at all funny just horribly dull. A romantic journey and everything about it. I mean there is some action too but overall it's really nothing that saves this movie. My conclusion is; see the first 10 minutes of this film. If you laugh for the reasons I did, know that there will be no more laughs so I advise you to turn off the rest and do something better with those 80 minutes of yours. If you think that the movie this far is good for real then I suppose you might like the movie after all.
Pleasant, not great - Bluth's best
posted on 22 Feb 2009I'd given up on Don Bluth. He struck me as a decent animator who had risen to his level of incompetence when he became a director, producing sugary, ill thought out kids' movie after sugary, ill thought out kids' movie. I still think this is more or less true. But `Anastasia' was an unexpected pleasure.For a start, Bluth is more than just a `decent' animator. I wonder how he managed to find the time to produce and direct the film, AND animate Anastasia (the character) so soulfully. In some ways Bluth's style is now very old-fashioned, but it's still his style, and he gives Anastasia at least as much charm as the story requires her to have.The film as a whole I'm willing to cautiously endorse, too. The basic idea - of a con artist whose latest `forgery' is genuine - indeed, he even knows it's genuine, without knowing that he knows it's genuine - is strong enough and well enough handled to sustain the film. A pity Bluth ignores it so often. His biggest detour from the main story is the needless supernatural villainy, which leads in turn to needless (and ugly) computer animation, and a needless sidekick: Bartók, the bat. (Why name the bat after a Hungarian composer? Is there some joke I'm not getting?) That sidekick is probably the single most disastrous character in the film. Bluth is unable to decide if it's a reluctant villain, a thorough-going rotter, a sweetie, or merely something with a silly voice. It's the kind of `character' one often encounters in his films.So is Bluth STILL, in my estimation, a director of sugary, ill thought out kids' movies? Well, one out of three. `Anastasia' is not (in the deadly sense of the term) a kids' movie, and it's not sugary. But it IS ill thought out. Bluth really needs to hire someone to write and direct for him, so that he can concentrate on drawing.
A beautiful film, but...
posted on 16 Feb 2009Anastasia is an absolutely gorgeous cartoon musical, perhaps the last really amazing work in the classical form of the genre. The songs, especially "Once Upon a December," were thrilling and their presentation was astounding. The character animations are astounding, and the expressive qualities were incredible. The voice cast is stellar as well (and seems particularly matched to the animation). And all of the locales are incredible, from the Russian palaces to the marvellous sequence where Paris by night looks impressionistic.All that said, the history is really lackluster. I understand it's a "G" rated film, but the view of the Russian Revolution is...ugh. If it had portrayed this realistically (it's possible for Czar Nicholas to be sympathetic - he was a wonderful family man, but no good as a ruler), the film would've been elevated to a completely different level. It's a shame that it skimped here.Then we have the villain of the piece. Honestly...it's a terrible distraction. Rasputin is like a villain out of a completely different film, tacked on to create a conflict. His inclusion really stops Anastasia from transcending the typical fairytale reality of Disney's animated musicals...the story, the real character story, in Anastasia was far more interesting. Had the villain scene been cut, it could have been told even more clearly and vibrantly, and perhaps the genre would've gone somewhere instead of kind of slipping off into never-never land. Ah, well. It's worth watching, don't get me wrong, but don't go expecting the film to be uniformly good.
It won't fail to move you
posted on 17 Jan 2009Firstly, I must admit that I only decided to see this movie because I'm a huge Meg Ryan fan, but after seeing Anastasia I can't remember a film that moved me more. Fox have out-Disneyed Disney with this masterpiece, a superb blend of romance, comedy and adventure set to some of the best visuals ever seen in an animated film.The stellar cast of voices is certainly worth the big bucks which it must have cost Fox to land them. Meg Ryan and John Cusack are both excellent, but Kelsey Grammer steals the show as Vladimir, with some fine singing and a decent Russian accent to boot.Where Anastasia beats most Disney films is in the music. The songs are simply exceptional and stay in your head long after the movie is over (that's not a bad thing, trust me). Liz Callaway's 'Journey To The Past' and 'Once Upon A December' are my personal favourites, but the entire soundtrack is worth buying, something you can't say for most movie soundtracks.A lot of these comments here criticise Anastasia for it's historical inaccuracy, which I find totally ridiculous. It's an ANIMATED CHILDREN'S FILM, not a history textbook. Don't try to analyse the accuracy of the portrayal of the Romanov family or anything like that. Just enjoy the film for it's magical story, enchanting music and dazzling visuals.10/10...an absolute must-see.
Plot is good, yet historic inaccuarices are annoying(few spoilers)
posted on 21 Dec 2008Let me start by saying that Anastasia is one of my favorite non-Disney cartoon films. The animation is superb, the characters are so REAL,and Dimitri is HOT for an animated person.I love the songs except 'In The Dark Of The Night'&'Rumor In St.Petersburg'.I found it annoying that you couldn't tell the older 3 Grand Dutchesses apart at either of the times they showed up. The only disappointing part is the amount of Historical mistakes:*the Romanov Family was not destroyed on the night of the 300th anniversary of their rule. That was the night of Nicholas's Corrination! *There is NO mention of World War 1.Russia was Heavily involved early in that. *Alexi wouldn't have been at the ball. I highly doubt Empress Alexandra would've been present either(She wasn't really into parties) *The Romanov's were in the 'house of special purpose' when they were massacred in the basement.
*historians aren't sure wheither Anastasia OR Marie survived. They can't find Tzarivitch Alexi's body either.
The snappy little animated film that Disney doesn't want you to see.
posted on 12 Dec 2008Anastasia is arguably the best piece of work from Bluth's studios, proving that someone other than Disney can create a captivating animated feature. In fact, Anastasia has it all: a smooth and flowing storyline (despite the hocus-pocus with historical events one expects from such movies), stunning artwork, and a memorable song ("Once Upon a December") that Disney only wishes it could slap on one of their soundtracks. If you liked "The Little Mermaid" and haven't seen this one, it could be a good bet on a cold winter's night!
Surprisingly Disney-ish for a Non-Disney movie
posted on 21 Nov 2008I have heard all the comments that this movie is historically incorrect. That's a good point, but not one that should affect the viewers opinion of the movie. You can go on and on about how bad you think the storyline or animation is, but if you insist on disliking the movie because of it's factuality (or lack thereof), then you must not have grasped the spirit of the movie. The spirit is what counts. And before people go and think that I really do think the animation and storyline suck, I Don't. I have no problem with the animation, and I'm always a sucker for a good romance, which is what this movie offers. Somehow it seems more.... mature than a Disney movie. More 'grown-up' so to speak. I don't know why, but I think it deals with the relationship on a deeper level, or maybe I'm crazy and it's exactly like any Disney relationship... either way, it was still very good and I'd recommend it to anyone. Unless you don't like animation, catchy songs, cute little puppies and ridiculously handsome con-men that you can't help but fall in love with.
A great movie for adults to watch with older kids
posted on 06 Nov 2008My 11-year-old daughter and I watched *Anastasia* together and enjoyed ourselves immensely. The color was lush, much of the animation was excellent (almost Disney-quality), the music was enjoyable, and the voice talent was fantastic.The fact that it is historical fantasy was not a problem, because it prompted my daughter to ask relevant questions about the history behind the story, and then want to go get out the Encarta to learn more about what really happened during the Russian Revolution. This is why myth and legend is so important in any culture, and the writers of this movie did a fine job of highlighting the mythological elements of this story without disrespecting the history behind it.My daughter, who is old enough to sneer at her younger sisters' infatuation with Barney and Sesame Street, sighed at the first song, thinking - as I did - that this would be another example of a sappy kids' song interrupting the story rather than moving it along. We were both pleasantly surprised. She also commented that she thought the "scary" aspects of the story - including life & death action moments and a particularly evil villain - might be troubling for very small children, but she handled it fine (as would any child over eight or nine, I think, as long as a trusted adult is watching too). And the anachronistic but snappy 1997 dialogue with its facetious humor helped to keep this adult engaged and amused. Meg Ryan, John Cusack, and Angela Lansbury were fun, but Kelsey Grammer and Hank Azaria IMO stole the show. Both were so "in character" that I didn't place their voices until halfway through the movie, and didn't even mind that niggling feeling you get when you hear a voice you recognize but can't identify.One final comment, which my daughter made me promise to include, and that is that she wonders why with such beautiful color, the animators chose that lackluster yellow for Anastasia's gown in the final, climactic scene. She has a point.
Anastasia In Spanish
posted on 24 Jul 2008I have seen the movie Anastasia and I think it is a good one. The singer Aaliyah sang the song "Journey To The Past" in English and the multilingual singer Thalia Sodi sang the "Journey To The Past" in Spanish "Viaje Tiempo Atras" and in Portuguese "Viagem Ao Passado" I live Thalia she is a very great singer no... beyond great there is no word to describe how.....GREAT she is she sings in 5 different languages "english, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Tagalog" she can sing all kinds of music all kinds of styles all ways this movie would not be the same if Thalia was not in voled and Thalia Sodi also sang the Spanish and Portuguese versions of "Once In December" or "Una Vez En Decimbre" Uma Vez Em Dezemre"
What the...?
posted on 27 Jun 2008In the Russian revolution of 1817 the Czar of Russia was dethroned, sent into exile and, along with the rest of his family, murdered by Bolsheviks. Rasputin, an evil monk trusted by the family to cure their son, betrayed them and was instrumental in their downfall. But, over the years, rumours surfaced that the Czar's daughter Anastasia had survived the massacre that had claimed her parents, brothers and sisters, and it was hoped that she would return to the fold. You know what that story needs? Songs! Ohhhh, life has been grim since the revolution, la la la de daaaaa! Disney wannabe Don Bluth then jollies things up further by making Rasputin a rotting corpse who spends the film falling to pieces and bantering with a comic relief bat. What's next, a cartoon adaptation of 'Mein Kampf'?
A great film, except for...
posted on 27 Jun 2008...the historical inaccuracies. There are numbers of them, such as the czar family celebrating its 300th anniversary on the Russian throne in 1916, when in fact it was in 1913; Anastasia's being about seven years old at the time of the revolution, when in fact she was sixteen... The list of historical inaccuracies can, unfortunately, be made quite long. BUT! Disregard this and look at the film as a fairy tale or adventure instead. Then you have a great film with all the ingredients of a classic: Adventure, horror, comedy, romance, evolvment of characters, etc. and I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do. I won't grade it, since I'm lousy at that, but I'd urge anyone who's looking for the above mentioned features and more, to give this film a chance and be moved by it.
Based on a true story, but fictional...
posted on 04 May 2008I first saw "Anastasia" in the theatre the last day of November, 1997, the year it came out. I was eight, the year she is in the prolouge. Ever since, I have been interested in the story of Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov, her life, and her untimely death.While I know the movie is not historically accurate, I don't care! The movie is fiction after all- based on a true story (of Anastasia's rumored escape and women who claimed to be her), loosely, mind you- but perhaps it is not as unlikely as it seems: when the remains of the Romanovs were discovered back in 1991, Alexei (her brother,the Czarvitch) and one of the Grand Duchesses were missing. And with age analysis of the bones, scientists believe that the missing daughter is in fact Anastasia, and not one of her sisters, Olga, Tatiana, or Maria. But who really knows what happened?My opinion of the movie is that it is wonderful. It draws you into the world of the lost Russian Princess, to a time that is "far away, long ago", that doesn't exist anymore.The music and animation are stunning, and the photo research of St. Petersburg is amazing! Take the Catherine Palace and the magnificent gate you see, as well as the city itself. The 3-D animation is amazing; you look like you could reach out and touch it! The music is truly magical; "Once Upon a December" (especially Deana Carter's version)is haunting yet beautiful. I own the soundtrack- I listen to it frequentlyto help me relax.But what I love best about the movie is the romance that occurs between Anya(Anastasia) and Dimitri. It starts out as a con, a trick for money, and turns into a love story. I think it shows that people really do have good in them, and that true love really exists. It's also heartwarming to think that a young boy who saved the girl he liked (princess or not) later helps her restore her identity and find a true place (in this case, happily together with him)."Anastasia" is really my favourite movie of all time, even though now I'm almost 15. I'd recommend it to anyone, and advise historical literialists to look beyond the fiction and let yourself be taken on a "Journey to the Past" with the romance, comedy, and magic of this story.
Good
posted on 31 Aug 2009This DVD comes with a free digital copy which is downloadable. Great bonus. I wasn't aware of that and therefore wasn't expecting a cardboard case. It was a gift for a child so I would have preferred the hard plastic case but it wasn't a big issue.