It does veer horribly towards the sentimental at times, but still provides proof positive that other people can do cartoons too.
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
Reviews for Anastasia
A charming little movie, nothing to write home about but a perfectly acceptable way to while away a rainy Sunday afternoon with the child, or children, in your life.
Bluth has rediscovered the ingredients of quality mainstream animation...
Its optical flourishes and attention to detail aim for the Disney gold standard and, for the most part, come pretty darn close.
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.
This enchanting fairy-tale, the first release from Fox Animation Studios, is pure family entertainment.
A promising launch for Fox's new animation studio, which has declared war on Disney.
The story may be a trifle complex for very young viewers, but for most, Anastasia serves up a tasty tale about a fairy-tale princess.
[They] think all the world wants is an inane plot to justify the drawing of it,and that's enough. Kids have never been that stupid & they will never be.
It wouldn't work without the fabulous cast. Ryan brings a fieriness to her role that we haven't seen (well, heard) from her in awhile, and Cusack is an able foil.
Basically reduces the Russian Revolution to a big kaboodle of cuteness, which may give kids the wrong impression of what actually happened.
...Absolutely on a par with recent Disney greats like Beauty and The Beast and Aladdin...
...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.
I'm not sure there was this much singing in Mother Russia, but the film isn't overly wretched.
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