Anastasia is a mixed bag, but viewers ought to hope it succeeds: Disney could use the competition.
Anastasia (1997)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:47
Fresh:40
Rotten:7
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: Beautiful animation, an affable take on Russian history, and strong voice performances make Anastasia a winning first film from Fox animation studios.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: Based on the legend of the real-life daugher of the last Russian czar, ANASTASIA combines imaginative animation and lively songs to tell the story of a princess who escapes a horrible execution and... Based on the legend of the real-life daugher of the last Russian czar, ANASTASIA combines imaginative animation and lively songs to tell the story of a princess who escapes a horrible execution and mysteriously reappears after being thought dead. When a team of swindlers, Dimitri (John Cusack) and Vladimir (Kelsey Grammer), recruit Anya (Meg Ryan), a spunky amnesiac orphan, in their plot to defraud the Dowager Empress (Angela Lansbury) with a faux Romanov heir, little do they know their carefully coached fake is the real thing. But the resurgence of the long-lost Anastasia also attracts the attention of the scary Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd), who, with his hilarious sidekick, Bartok the bat (Hank Azaria), schemes to do in the last Romanov. Though much lighter (thankfully for children) than the 1956 Anatole Litvak-directed ANASTASIA adapted from Marcelle Maurette's play, this movie is still packed with thrills, chills, and romance. The first animated feature from 20th Century Fox, the film is directed by longtime collaborators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. [More]
Starring: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Lloyd
Starring: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Lloyd, Hank Azaria, Bernadette Peters, Kirsten Dunst, Angela Lansbury, Liz Callaway, Lacey Chabert, Jim Cummings, Andrea Martin, Debra Mooney, Arthur Malet
Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman
Director: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman
Composer: David Newman
Producer: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman
Composer: Stephen Flaherty
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Reviews for Anastasia
Bluth has rediscovered the ingredients of quality mainstream animation...
...it's the typical boy-meets-girl-boy-annoys-girl-boy-and-girl-snipe-at-each-other-as-a-disguise-for-being-fond-of-each-other relationship.
Its optical flourishes and attention to detail aim for the Disney gold standard and, for the most part, come pretty darn close.
The whole process of watching Anastasia is a thoroughly enjoyable one, and it proves that any studio willing to put forth the time, money, and effort can match Disney.
Having something for everyone seems to be a driving force for this film.
This entertaining animated feature is a dream-catcher, tapping into the universal yearning for home and love.
Bluth and Goldman have created a quality animation work, with some individual scenes bordering on the extraordinary, that does a solid job in telling the mythical adventure.
The style is more live-action Broadway and MGM, with background characters forming a full-on dance chorus, spontaneously breaking into heavily choreographed moves.
A promising launch for Fox's new animation studio, which has declared war on Disney.
There is much for tots to enjoy: decent songs, an amusing script and some surprisingly imaginative animation.
In a fall season that's already given us its share of turkeys, there should be room for any film as handsome and touching as this one.
The Mouse still rules the world of animation. But if he looks over his shoulder, he'll see a Fox gaining on him.
Judging from their voices, about as close to Europe as most of these characters have ever gotten is probably Fresno.
It's an enjoyable 90 minutes, but it never approaches the so-beautiful-you-have-to-cry sequences that have become Disney's trademark...
What redeems Anastasia from its dramatic slackness and drab songs are the performances from the actors.
An ambitious, serious but not particularly stimulating musical feature that unconvincingly attempts to graft warm and cuddly family-film motifs onto turbulent aspects of modern history and mythology.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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