Bartok The Magnificent Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
Russia is being terrorized by an evil witch known as Baba Yaga; the only one who is not afraid of her is Bartok the Magnificent. Bartok, an albino bat, has just arrived in Moscow and is impressing everyone with his performances, including Prince Ivan Romanov. However, one person is not impressed; Ludmilla finds Bartok annoying and naive. After Bartok's show, a violent bear suddenly attacks. Bartok must save everyone by stunning the bear with dust and then knocks him over and traps him in a wagon.
| Hank Azaria | Bartok |
| Kelsey Grammer | Zozi |
| Andrea Martin | Baba Yaga |
| Catherine O'Hara | Ludmilla |
| Tim Curry | The Skull |
| Jennifer Tilly | Piloff |
| Phillip Van Dyke | Ivan |
| Diedrich Bader | Vol |
| Zachary Charles | Little Boy |
| Danny Mann | Head Cossack |
| John Schiappa | |
| Glenn Shadix | Townspeople |
| French Stewart | Osle |
| Kelly Marie Berger | Little Girl |
| Don Bluth |
5.80 out of 10 (444 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Life after receiving Bartok
posted on 06 Mar 2009My 4 year old just LOVES this tape! The songs are wonderful, and there is a nice story as well. It is a spin off from Anastasia - which is also a wonderful video. My 7 year old nephew likes it too! I highly recomend this for your video collection! again ***** 5 stars! I even like to sit down and watch it too!
A surprisingly good film!
posted on 05 Jan 2009My very favorite Don Bluth film in all the world, and one of my favorite movies of all time, is "All Dogs Go To Heaven". However, I have absolutely no use for the sequel, All Dogs 2. When I sat down to watch "Bartok the Magnificent", I expected the same effect. And was pleasantly surprised! This movie, if not handled in a very careful way, had the potential to be ridiculous. The plot was decent, but not original enough to loosely stand on its own. However, a few twists and turns on the conventional storyline kept this movie interesting. My congratulations to the screenplay writer, who managed to tell a story entertaining for kids but could keep adults interested as well. And KUDOS to Hank Azaria and Kelsy Grammer! They handled their roles with excellence; I wouldn't have enjoyed this movie at all if not for the humor they displayed in their roles. It was a wonderful change from the usual, heart-rending dramatic moments that are displayed in many cartoons and movies. This was simply light and easy, keeping all entertained and laughing. Every actor and actress was having fun with their roles, and it showed. Great, great job. What else can I say? Don Bluth, great job on an excellent family movie!
The Sequel that's a Prequel
posted on 19 Dec 2008Bartok the Magnificent, contrary to previous report, was not an actual sequel. If you watched Anastasia, and know anything about history, you already know that the the Czar has not only abdicated, but has also been killed, with the exception of Anya. While companies are not fully true to history, at the time Anastasia was made, it was believed that the infamous Romanoff was still alive, and going by the name Anya, later disproved. Bartok the Magnificent is the sequel prequel, lol. Make sense? It was made after Anastasia, but judging from the palace(The palace was destroyed in Anastasia), and the fact that the Romanoff line is still alive, it is most likely a prequel. However, this doesn't destroy the beautiful animation and storyline it has. I honestly was not thinking highly of this movie at first glance, however, after watching it, I LOVED it. This movie is adorable and the animation of Baba's Skull Guardian thing, is well, magnificent. This is definitely a cute movie for the whole family to watch, and is undoubtedly worth your while, despite the lack of hubbub about it.
Not as good as Anastasia but still entertaining!
posted on 20 Oct 2008Anastasia is my favourite Don Bluth movie, but this film actually does that film justice.The animation is mostly good, bright and colourful, that falls flat in the scarier bits. The story is a bit noisy, but well told, considering that the film itself is too short.The songs are quite good, but not as beautiful as Anastasia. All of them are lively, and atmospheric, but come out of nowhere. The voice talents are impeccable, Bartok is a little annoying, but Kelsey Grammar is perfect as Zozi. Andrea Martin is convincing as Baba Yaga, and Catherine O'Hara is a suitably over the top villain, a bit too OTT perhaps. Tim Curry is also very good as the skull.An entertaining movie! Look out for it! 7/10. Bethany Cox
Inspired Writing and Great Voices
posted on 23 Mar 2008"Bartok the Magnificent" combines inspired writing and terrific voices from Azaria, Grammer, Tilley, and Curry. I particularly enjoyed the scene with Oble the metal worker. I also find it hard to believe that the reviewer from New Jersey reviewed the video simply by examining the shell cover design. Let's have another Bartok adventure soon.
Entertaining for the young and possibly the old
posted on 08 Mar 2007This film, about a circus bat in Russia, off to save the prince from the "evil" Baba Yaga, will no doubt have a great appeal on children. It is sure to entertain them and they will be likely to sing and dance along with it as soon as they know the words of the songs.As an older person, such as a grown-up or teenager, this film may fall flat on its face. It is quite babyish and the animation - including the backgrounds, could possibly do with a little bit more work. However, this film is likely to entertain the older anyway. The songs are very charming and so is the plot. The characters are also very lovable. One thing that can be said happily, is that they use a very English actor to voice - not a baddie - but a goodie, a thing which many American films do not have (including "The Lion King")! The other voices are good too. So, enjoy "Bartok The Magnificent", who is the specifically, terrifically magnificent!
I was expecting it to be bad...but not this bad!
posted on 23 Mar 2006I'll come out and say it, this movie sucks! I thought it would be good since Don Bluth directed it, but not even he could save this crap! Set in a fantasy wonderland (It's supposed to be Russia, but it doesn't even come close to looking like it was in the first movie.). Bartok (the irritating, and quite frankly, unfunny obnoxious sidekick from the first movie) returns for a movie (sequel, prequel, horrible alternate reality? I don't know what the heck it was supposed to be) all about him....oh joy....Despite being a short film, it felt like it dragged on for hours.The animation was horrible,the dialogue was horrible, and the characters (minus the bat) were bearable(I loved Pilaf).The plot was really dumb, and the annoying bat is put in the spotlight as this good guy and a hero.Yeah, sure....I was disappointed because Don Bluth directed it, all of his movies are good, but this one was horrible.
One for all Bartok fans!
posted on 09 Oct 2005Firstly if you're a fan of Anastasia don't feel threatened by this film! It has nothing to do with the original, other than having Bartok as its central character, and as such its really one for Bartok fans. The film tells the story of Bartok, a bat who really wants to be a hero but has nothing but made-up stories of heroism to tell to the admiring street crowds, and his quest to save the kidnapped Prince Ivan from the sinister witch Baba Yaga, whose home is guarded by a riddling skull voiced by Tim Curry! Hey, if its got Tim Curry in it, how bad could it be! :-) Has some great lines from Bartok and good, even if not the excellent artwork and animation of "Anastasia". I think this is also the first direct to video production made by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and their team.
Hilarious!
posted on 24 Jul 2005I don't remember the last time I saw an animated movie that made me laugh so hard like BARTOK THE MAHNIFICENT did. It is pretty funny for a direct-to-video movie. I seriously think that BARTOK THE MAGNIFICENT should have gotten a theatrical release since it was better than ANASTASIA was.
Not since Secret of NIMH has Don Bluth been this wonderful.
posted on 19 Mar 2005A true delight to watch. Not since Secret of NIMH has Don Bluth been this wonderful. A new studio at his command; one financed by Rupy's 20th Century Fox. An animted film that will be fun for the entire family, including young children; either boy or girl. Check this one out!
Why Bartok's story is something special.
posted on 06 Sep 2004I would never have expected, even with family sequels so prevalent nowadays, that anyone would think of making a movie to track the life of Rasputin's tiny sidekick in Anastasia. I guess I'm not alone in what character traits appeal to me, however. Interestingly enough, some days before I saw Anastasia I woke from a dream in which the villain and sidekick from Disney's Aladdin, Jafar and the parrot Iago, were floating on an abandoned raft during a nighttime lightning storm and lamenting their mistakes together. It seemed foolish when I woke, because those characters were nothing like what my dream made them to be... but when I saw Anastasia, I was amazed at how well Rasputin and Bartok fit the bill. I didn't think anyone else would be so charmed at how the helpful bat-like creature offered sensible advice to his evil liege even while dragging back his fallen-off body parts and displaying a general sort of affection. What a great little guy, I thought, and what a pity he's fallen into such bad company. It was heartwarming to see him turn to the aid of good at the end. All that is why Bartok the Magnificent charmed me so much. It's certainly not a sequel to Anastasia, and I'm sorry the previous reviewer was expecting it to be. It's a spin-off, rather, for anyone curious whether that little whitebat managed to make anything of his life after abandoning his master. What fun to see that he's pursued the life of street showman, which seems oddly appropriate. This movie is casual and makes little effort to establish a setting, which groups it with other sequels/spin-offs and is why I give it only four stars, not five. Chronologically, the characters shown on the Russian throne make no sense and beg the question of what happened to Princess Anastasia. Yet, when we view this Moscow as something of an unreliable fairytale land (and the movie does follow certain tenets of fairy-tales), it seems quite believable. Bartok is obviously the hero of his movie, and he lives up to the role well. He is immodest, an unusual trait among genuine heroes, but it works on him. Of especial note is the fact that while his integrity is questioned at times, hardly anyone ever points out that Bartok is quite small--so how could he make anything of himself? Naturally, this issue itself has been explored time and again in children's movies and books, and is properly treated as a sidenote here. For his part, Bartok is all the more inspiring by how he resourcefully makes use of the physique he has. He is never shown doing anything unrealistic for his size or strength, and neither is there much of the inordinate luck small characters in movies like this often have in besting those larger than them. In my opinion, that implicit honesty makes this movie a real treasure. Bartok is more than just an amusing voice and more than just another unlikely hero--he is an inspiration for those who must confront tasks they know appear far beyond their means to carry out. The tools at hand are determination, perseverance, and ingenuity, all of which are put fully to the test in Bartok the Magnificent, and all of which succeed.
A Bad Trip
posted on 27 Jul 2004Bartok the rat, once a Minion for the evil Rapspution in Antasai stared in his own movie. This movie has good music but not a lot of action until the very end. It has some good leasons like how to treat others fairly and not judge people by there appearance. Through most of the movie Ratatouille is performing tasks for Baba Yaga the witch to get a potion made that will make him stronger. FYI Bartok is not evil in this movie like he originally was.SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE: There was a prequel (of sorts) for this movie. ANASTASIA stars as the lead rat on further adventures. However, instead of devouring people, she meets a talentless child and becomes his "special friend". I'm getting ill just thinking about it. AVOID THE PREQUEL AT ALL COSTS! Don't say I didn't warn you! This is VERY reminiscent of problem with the original Village of the Damned. It was a great movie in which evil children terrorized a small town, but in the sequel (?) Children of the Damned, the kids just want to be loved and understood. Oooooooo, the PAIN is INTENSE just thinking about that movie!
Ugh.
posted on 18 Nov 2003I liked Anastasia. It wasn't the best animated movie ever, but it was nice. And Bartok was my favourite character, so.... .... I was all the more disappointed with this movie. The idea of giving him his own story to star in is great. But please, please, give the movie a story! This one mixes an old Russian fairy tale about a witch (in the original she lives in a house with 4 chicken legs, so the house can walk around, I believe) with a PC-game-alike plot:1) Go on quest. Get item 2) return from quest. bring item to whoever requested it. 3) get sent on another quest to get another item.... 4) repeat until you feel sickFirst quest: find the kidnapped prince. Then the witch sends him on 3 or 4 quests of her own before being willing to help him. Etc. etc.Add in some poor songs, some really really obvious morals, and you've got one of the worst direct-to-video sequels ever devised for a major animated feature. Only Lion King 2 comes off worse, from those that I've seen so far...
Best Animated Feature I've Seen In A Long Time!
posted on 26 Apr 2003I just finished watching Bartok and I must say I was thoroughly impressed. This movie had all the ingredients for a superb animated feature that so many cartoons these days lack.The cast was excellent and the whole story was downright hilarious. Hank Azaria as Bartok is a wonderful, loveable and a funny little character people can't help but love. I myself chuckled everytime he opened his mouth. Kelsey Grammer also turns in a great voice performance as Zozi the big bear. The voiceovers are something else to comment on. Very seldom these days do I see cartoons taking time to match up the words of the character with the proper lip movement, but Bartok the Magnificent pulled it off wonderfully.I can't say enough about this fantastic movie that hasn't gotten enough recognition. I recommend it to people of all ages. There is enough content and humour throughout to entertain adults and the fluent and colourful animation will be awe-inspiring to kids, no matter what their interests are.
THIS MOVIE FRICKIN ROCKS!
posted on 12 Jan 2003the skull dude (played by tim curry) is really cool.... the songs r awesome! and who says cartoons can't be good??? The witch is awesome.. first off~ zozie is an AWESOME name... second bartok has the COOLEST accent EVER!! (all of the characters do... ) but i gotta say.... the best character is piloff.... she's.... 'a.... thing... after my own heart' *sigh* ok, well... see it. And there's my review.
Bartok originally seen in Anastasia goes on a quest against his natural inclinations to save the Russian Prince.
posted on 11 Apr 2002As an earlier commentator noted, "Bartok the Magnificent" is a prequel to "Anastasia". I guess animated bats live for a REALLY long time. But if you are going to quibble about dates then just what will you say about the existence of talking bears, musical witches and a huge animated riddle asking skull—just go with it. For all the sequential fuzziness, I find this film a real joy.The voice talents of Kelsey Grammar as the Russian Dancing (and classical theater loving) bear Zozi is wonderful as are also Tim Curry's, as the Huge Talking Skul and Jennifer Tilly's role as Piloff. I have no idea what Piloff is, She looks life a living fur boa some women might wear around their necks. Whatever she is, Tilly's voice makes her seems gentle and funny (and a little ditsy but in an attractive kind of way) while also being impervious to whatever Bartok does to get her off the bolder (and a strange looking bolder it is too—looks more like a construction girder) as demanded by Baba Yaga. Indestructible gentle femininity is a good thing. Of course Bartok (voiced by Hank Azaria) is himself a hoot. Also Kelsey Grammar's voice in song is as full of life and warm as is his speaking voice. I love to listen to him even when he's the bad guy as in "Toy Story 2" as Stinky Pete. This film is one of the straight to video ones which should have been given a shot as a theatrical run. Both the video and the DVD comes with the songs separate with sing along lyrics--nice touch.
Not as good as "Anastasia" but great fun besides!
posted on 17 Feb 2001As a sequel/prequel to "Anastasia", Don Bluth's best movie and one of the world's greatest animated films, "Bartok the Magnificent" *does* fall short, but it still stands on its own with its own sentimental qualities; cute humour, great voice acting, and endearing (albiet childish) animation. Even though Bartok is a pseudo-villain in Anastasia (he faithfully assists Rasputin without really seeming evil), he makes a great hero.The plot flows thusly - Bartok (played once more by the incomparable Hank Azaria) has a road-side, travelling show, in which he portrays himself and sings about his (completely made-up) heroic doings, while staging the dramatic killing of a vicious bear (portrayed by Bartok's partner-in-crime, Zozi - played by Kelsey Grammar). Through these antics the little white bat gains quite a fan-base, including the young Czar-to-be, Prince Ivan. And so, it is no surprise to anyone (except perhaps Bartok himself) when he is begged to rescue the Prince from the evil witch of Russian folklore, Baba Yaga (Andrea Martin). In his journey, Bartok meets a wonderful cast of characters, including a snake-thing called Piloff (played by Jennifer Tilly) and a riddling skull (played by Tim Currey), and discovers the hero in him he never knew.While the ending leaves a few things unanswered (for example; if Bartok becomes a beloved hero in Moscow, as he does, how did he end up falling in with the wicked Rasputin?), "Bartok the Magnificent" gives for good fun for the whole family - kids will laugh at the corny jokes (maybe their parents too) and the talking animals. Adults will enjoy the use of great voice actors like Azaria, Grammar, Martin, Tilly and Currey, as well as Catherine O'Hara, cast as the voice of diabolical Regent Ludmilla (a character so hilariously over-the-top that she becomes just as "magnificent" as the title character).All in all, yes, "Bartok the Magnificent" fails to live up to the very high standard set by its predecessor, but it remains a cut and entertaining addition to Don Bluth's resume.
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Great movie. The colors and the animation are wonderful
posted on 22 Jul 2009I got this movie thinking it was going to be one of those saturday morning cartoons and was very impressed with the quality of animation and the colors of it. It's very entertaining and funny. My kids absolutely loved it. I hope they make another Bartok movie. He became one of my favorites characters and my kids too.