ANASTASIA 1997
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
2 :-) :-) for the Romanov Princess
Featuring the voices of: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lloyd, Hank Azaria, Bernadette Peters, Kirsten Dunst Directors: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman Producers: Don Bluth and Gary Goldman Screenplay: Susan Gauthier & Bruce Graham, Bob Tzudiker & Noni White Music: David Newman, Stephen Flaherty Lyrics: Lynn Ahrens
Who would have thought that Fox would have chosen a subject as controversial as the dead Romanovs, to be the topic of their first animated musical. But I guess if Disney got away with cashing in on a little Indian Princess who dies of small pox in reality, then the issues surrounding Anastasia Romanov, the surviving heiress of the great Czars of Russia, is as much up for grabs as any other little princess.
I wasn't expecting much, but look it's got Meg Ryans voice and mannerisms tied into the character of Anya – and anything with Meg Ryan can't be bad. Importantly, the music is lively - if not as memorable as the Disney greats, certainly much better than the recent Herculean Epic of recent past year. Engaging us with the mysteries of whether this girl is truly the last surviving Russian princess, we are swept off our feet with Anastasia in her discovery of not only her heritage but also of herself. Making a viable romantic interest and bantering partner is John Cusack, as Dimitri, the kitchen-boy-turned-con-man. Other notable notes are Rasputin (John Lloyd), a Russian mystical figure who places a curse on the Romanov's. In reality very little is known about him, as much so as the missing grand duchess.
So don't expect a historical lesson from this version of Anastasia, but expect instead to be moderately entertained by flighty tunes that linger in your mind as you stroll through the park on a winter's morn. The kids will enjoy much of the commotion, the girls because the heroine is a girl, and the boys may even take a liking to the evil Rasputin – but to tell you frankly, the scenes in Hell, scarred the hell out of me. Overall, good family entertainment.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au Movie Archives http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Tim+Voon Hugues Bouclier's Movies in Melbourne http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~bouclier/week/movies.html
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