Anastasia

In the late 1990s, we had two animated movies that were based on a certain event in a country's history. In 1995, Disney gave us an American "history lesson" (and I use that term loosely) with Pocahontas, but in 1997, 20th Century Fox did exactly what Disney did, except give us a look at a bit of Russian history (again, using the term "history" loosely) about the daughter of Czar Nicholas II, Anastasia Romanov, simply called...well...Anastasia. However, one thing to consider when going into this film is that this is a family picture ("kids movie" for short), so if you're looking for a true-to-life history lesson a la a PBS or History Channel documentary, you might as well throw that out the nearest airlock.

In this film, Anastasia, voiced by Meg Ryan, is a princess that went missing for several years after the attack on the Romanov family during a party, which was led by the Romanov's former confidant Rasputin, voiced by Christopher Lloyd of Back to the Future fame, who is an undead, evil sorcerer in this movie. Anastasia, now with a case of amnesia and dubbed Anya, eventually joins two con men, Dimitri (John Cusack) and Vladimir (Fraiser's Kelsey Grammar), who are convinced that she really is the missing Romanov princess, and travel to Paris, France, where her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, resides, to hopefully reunite them, all while Rasputin is seeking her unfortunate demise.

I won't judge this movie on historical accuracy, as all (or most) of us can tell that the general audience for this film is younger children, though adult audiences will also be entertained, since there was a lot of effort put into the creation of this film. That, and I wouldn't dismiss it as a "Disney knockoff" right away, because the directors of the film, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, were former Disney animators, so it's easy to confuse this for a Disney picture like Beauty and the Beast. As a family film alone, it is pretty damn good. The artwork and animation is great, the songs are enjoyable, and the voice acting is pretty decent.

The film was such a success that it became co-director Don Bluth's comeback after a slew of mediocre to bad animated films he directed throughout most of the decade, and his highest grossing film to date. Not only that, but it warranted a direct-to-video follow up film starring the villain's sidekick, Bartok the Bat (voiced by The Simpsons' Hank Azaria in both films).

Overall, the film serves as a great choice to have playing during a family movie night, unless you're extremely picky on historical accuracy, in which case, go do something else for 97 minutes.

I 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 frequently

to 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.

The last time I saw this, I thought there were maybe too many songs in it that distracted the feel from the movie. But now that I've seen it again, it's clear that the songs are well written, along with the storyline.

This is not based on a true story, only loosely on a few rumors that the real Anastasia survived the killing of her family. The heroine Anya is like a Disney princess who is desperate to find out who she is and where she belongs, after suffering from amnesia following the separation of her family. The villain is the brilliant Rasputin, back from the dead, intent on extracting revenge on the Romanovs, thus starting the Russian Revolution. Dimitri and Vladimir at first are looking to find the ideal Anastasia look alike in order to get the riches from her real mother in Paris.

A lot of Bluth's films revolve around a journey and a couple involving some history on Russia. I really enjoyed the songs that played over the end credits, "At the Beginning" and "Journey To The Past" sung in her own way by Aaliyah, the beautiful angelic voiced R&B singer who left way too soon.

Brilliantly animated for its time and enjoyable for adults, Anastasia remains a classic family film.

I'm somewhat biased: I watched this movie as a child dozens of times. The first because it had the same name as mine, and all of the times afterwards and still today because I love the movie by itself.

After years, I watched it once more tonight. The fact that it's not factual in the least doesn't take anything away from the movie to me, though I must admit cross-referencing did distract me from the movie until I just put that to the side and decided that the movie is just fiction and to leave it at that. Avoid looking at the facts very much until after the movie.

The music, characters, and scenes took me back to my childhood. The first ballroom scene and remembrance of it is my absolute favorite. I remembered the wonder of being a child throughout watching the movie, but I also held wonder for some more little details in the scenes I hadn't noticed before.

Only two things made me cringe: the pronunciation of Anastasia and Rasputin's undead body's antics.

I've grown up listening to almost everyone pronounce the name not as the Greek origin or the Russian adaption (Ah-na-stah-see-uh / Ah-na- stah-shyah), but as the common English pronunciation - which this movie uses. I'm both Greek and Russian, so it does tend to rub me wrong even more in that aspect. I've grown up around both cultures and done further research on the name, and I'm certain it's pronounced wrong. It's funny how what bothers me the most is the pronunciation.

Overall, this is a magnificent movie which all children (and those childlike at heart) will enjoy and should watch at least once. It definitely encourages imagination in its own way.

I watched this movie for the first time when I was 8 years old in VHS. So I'm a little biased. I love a good animated movie and this is definitely one. I used to think only Disney could do a really good animated movies but no, Anastasia is a keeper!

It's my favorite animated movie and right after it there's Mulan and Pocahontas. Anastasia is made beautifully, the animation is amazing, every frame is wonderfully made. And gosh, Dimitri is so damn beautiful haha

The songs are so beautiful, and I hear them till this day, actually I'm watching it right now for the billion time. Definitely show this to my kids as a family and kids film, it may be historically incorrect but it's beautiful and it did made me go look about Anastasia and who she was in real life so... job done!! And well done!