Jesper Brun
Anastasia is by far the only good Don Bluth movie from the 90's. Considering his earlier 90's movies which were terrible. This was the only one to make any money, and that is mainly because, let's face it, he surrendered to the hegemony of the Disney-formula with princesses and romance and musical song-and-dance numbers. It's by no means the worst thing he could do, because the final product turned out pretty damn well. As long as you do not mind the history aspect of the story. It is fiction with characters named after historical personalities, nothing more. Just like Disney's "Pocahontas", but done a million times better. The characters are well made and play off each other very well, indeed. The villain we get is well balanced between being silly and intimidating. And he, in my opinion, has the greatest song in the movie! Damn, "In the Dark of the Night" is awesome with great animated movement, a prominent choir which adds to the grandeur of it and a great build-up from start to finish. The other songs are good, too. "Once Upon a December" is melodic and catchy
with a beautifully animated scene when it is being played for the first time in the movie. I sometimes wonder why that one wasn't nominated for the Acedemy Award for best original song, but settled for a Golden Globe nomination. Personally, I don't find "Journey to the Past" that spectacular. I like Anastasia, but i'm still kind of torn on it, because it still buys so much into the Disney-formula that many casual movie-goers still refer to it as "that Disney movie". I like it, but I prefer Bluth's movies from the 80's.
ironhorse_iv
Although communists had killed the entire imperial Romanov family in July 1918, including the Grand Duchess Anastasia by shooting squad, for years, afterwards, communist disinformation fed rumors that members of the Tsar's family had survived. The conflicting rumors about the fate of the family allowed impostors to make spurious claims that they were a surviving Romanov. The most famous, being Anna Anderson who claim to be, the long-lost child of Tsar Nicholas II, Anastasia. Because of this claim, the purported survival of Anastasia has been the subject of both cinema and made-for-television films for years, now. After all, the earliest adaptation of this myth, was made in 1928, was called 'Clothes Make the Woman', follow close by 1956's 'Anastasia' and 1986's television film, 'Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna'. However, since 1997's 'Anastasia', is the most famous adaptation movie of this myth. Its gets the most criticize. Produced by Fox Animation Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox, this animation musical directed by Don Bluth & Gary Goldman tells the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia (Voiced by Meg Ryan) escaping the execution of her family, during the height of February Revolutions of 1917; only to find herself, an orphan living with amnesiac. With the help of a couple of con men, Dimitri (Voiced by John Cusack) & Vlad (Voiced by Kelsey Grammar), she hopes to reunited with the last reminding family member, still alive, Empress of Russia, Maria Feodorovna (Voiced by Angela Lansbury) in Paris, France. However, the banished mystical former royal adviser, turn sorcerer, Grigori Rasputin (Voiced by Christopher Lee) thinks, otherwise, wanting to destroy the last member of the House of Romanov for revenge. Without spoiling the movie, too much, since the film is more, about the urban myth of Anastasia than true actual historical events. I allowed myself to enjoy the movie, because I took it, with a grain of salt and also the fact that, at the time, this movie was made. Anastasia's body hasn't yet, been discovered. Her body wouldn't be found until 2007, if you were wondering. Because of that, I was able to get through this film. However, I can see, why some historians can't look pass that. There were some moments in the film, even I, somewhat found, pretty jarring. First off, the film's urban legend of Anastasia's survival does not related, with the real-world supposedly 'real' reports of Anastasia's escape. After all, Anastasia was indeed, presented, during the Yekaterinburg massacre, as seen in historical Cold War archive photos. If anything, if the real Anastasia would had survived the shooting, due to the diamond corsets, her body would be still, cover with bayonet scars, bullet holes, and some sulfuric acid burns. It wouldn't be a pretty sight. Since this movie couldn't show that, it felt more like white-washing, changing history than showing what could possibility happen. It's wasn't the best choice in my opinion. After all, the whole, attempted train escape with her grandmother, Maria Feodorovna from the Winter Palace, felt a little too far deep in the fictional settling, since both of the characters weren't in St. Petersburg in real-life. In truth, during the February & October Revolution, Maria wasn't really near the royal family. She heard of the murders of her son's family, while hiding out in Crimea. Maria didn't escape until 1919, after the urging of her sister, Dowager Queen Alexandra. She fled to London, then to her home country of Denmark, not Paris, France. None of this, was ever explain in the film. Not only that, does the movie, not explain, what happen to Anastasia's family. The movie also makes Anastasia, way too close to her grandmother than their own murdered family that she rarely cares to find out. In truth, Anastasia rarely saw the former Empress, as Maria was spending a lot of time abroad when Anastasia was a child. They have little to no connection. Another big inaccuracy is the age of Anastasia, during the Revolutions. She wasn't eight years old, when the events happen. She was seventeen year old, when her family was executed on July 18, 1918. However, the biggest historical accuracy is what they did to Rasputin. Rasputin wasn't a sorcerer nor was he, a Communist. If anything, WWI, fatigue, and harsh punishment for protesters, were the leading factors to the Romanov's downfall. In real-life, Rasputin kinda love the family, and the Romanov love him, back, after he help them with the problems with Nicolas II's son, Alexei's hemophilia. After all, the Romanov's children kinda died with amulets full of Rasputin photo in their pockets in Yekaterinburg. Was he, a child molester, rapist, & womanizer? Who knows? All, I know, is that he wasn't as evil, as this film make it, out to be. In the end, the Royal family never truly betrayed him. Instead, a group of nobles coaxed Rasputin out of his house, and murdered him, by poison, shooting, and tossing him, in an icy river. Despite the fact that this movie shat all over Russia's history, the animation is stunning. Another is the voice acting. It was all wonderful. Meg Ryan and the writers got Anya right. Lively, mischievous, and sharp. Full witty remarks sometimes hit sensitive spots. That's sounds like the real Anastasia. However, the real Anastasia was nasty to the point of being somewhat evil, like tripping people and throwing rocks. Despite that, the supporting cast was just as great. Another thing, all of the music from the film is beautiful to listen to. I love the songs, 'Once Upon A December', 'Journey to the Past', and 'In the Dark of the Night'. They're all in my IPOD playlist. Overall: While, this movie indeed carbon copy, of the Disney Princess formula. I still love it to death. I think the movie gave enough actual history and respect to allow this film to fly pass the levels of 1999's 'The Legend of the Titanic', awkwardness. So go check it out! It's a lot of fun.
