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Anastasia, 1997
An evil Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd) sells his soul for the powers to allow him to destroy the Romanov family. But unbeknownst to him, Anastasia (Kirsten Dunst, then Meg Ryan) escapes the massacre and grows up as an orphan with little memory of her childhood. She eventually crosses paths with Dmitri (John Cusack), a con artist who actually knew the Romanovs. They set out to pass Anastasia as the lost princess, not realizing she's actually the real deal.
Now this was a pleasant surprise.
Coming off of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, this one really stood out for its willingness to ditch many of the most obnoxious Disney trappings. Is there a degree of slapstick? Yes, mainly courtesy of Rasputin's decaying body. Is there the obligatory sidekick? Yes, in the form of Rasputin's pet bat, Bartok (Hank Azaria). But the goofy stuff is largely incidental, and the film maintains an admirable focus on its central story.
The real star of the film is the animation. It's gorgeous. It recalls the best of other Disney movies, with the sweeping ballroom scenes evoking some of the magic of Beauty and the Beast, but also showcasing thrilling action scenes such as an epic train crash. This is a movie that looks good on both the large and small scale.
The story itself is also straightforward but strong. Anastasia and Dmitri fall for each other, but the fact that he's using her for financial gain is inevitably going to drive a wedge between them. Meanwhile, Anastasia's grandmother is in a protracted state of hope and mourning, wanting to believe that her long-lost granddaughter is still alive somewhere. The musical numbers are all good. No instant favorites, but I liked them all.
The only pall over the film isn't really its fault. After the film's release, research and new evidence showed that Anastasia Romanov actually had been executed along with the rest of her family. With that hope and uncertainty put to rest, this film seems like a sad "What if?". Anastasia never made it past 8 years old, and it adds some sadness to the film.
Anastasia, 1997
An evil Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd) sells his soul for the powers to allow him to destroy the Romanov family. But unbeknownst to him, Anastasia (Kirsten Dunst, then Meg Ryan) escapes the massacre and grows up as an orphan with little memory of her childhood. She eventually crosses paths with Dmitri (John Cusack), a con artist who actually knew the Romanovs. They set out to pass Anastasia as the lost princess, not realizing she's actually the real deal.
Now this was a pleasant surprise.
Coming off of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, this one really stood out for its willingness to ditch many of the most obnoxious Disney trappings. Is there a degree of slapstick? Yes, mainly courtesy of Rasputin's decaying body. Is there the obligatory sidekick? Yes, in the form of Rasputin's pet bat, Bartok (Hank Azaria). But the goofy stuff is largely incidental, and the film maintains an admirable focus on its central story.
The real star of the film is the animation. It's gorgeous. It recalls the best of other Disney movies, with the sweeping ballroom scenes evoking some of the magic of Beauty and the Beast, but also showcasing thrilling action scenes such as an epic train crash. This is a movie that looks good on both the large and small scale.
The story itself is also straightforward but strong. Anastasia and Dmitri fall for each other, but the fact that he's using her for financial gain is inevitably going to drive a wedge between them. Meanwhile, Anastasia's grandmother is in a protracted state of hope and mourning, wanting to believe that her long-lost granddaughter is still alive somewhere. The musical numbers are all good. No instant favorites, but I liked them all.
The only pall over the film isn't really its fault. After the film's release, research and new evidence showed that Anastasia Romanov actually had been executed along with the rest of her family. With that hope and uncertainty put to rest, this film seems like a sad "What if?". Anastasia never made it past 8 years old, and it adds some sadness to the film.