Russian princess 'Anastasia' comes to town
By Yudha Kartohadiprodjo
JAKARTA (JP): With the coming of the school holidays, parents may wonder what entertainment is available for their children. At a time when cinemas are flooded with Hollywood's movies loaded with mature themes, animation like Anastasia may bring some light relief.
Produced by 20th Century Fox (no, this is not a Disney animation movie although it tries hard to be one) Anastasia is an entertaining and beautiful compilation of familiar past animations weaved into each other by sharp color, Broadway-style choreography and characters with awkward expressions.
During a dancing party (similar to Cinderella's), the Romanov Dowager Czarina (voice by Angela Lansbury) presents a beautiful music box and a pendant (remember Annie?) as goodbye presents to the eight-year-old Princess Anastasia.
Rasputin (voice by Christopher Lloyd), a disgruntled monk expelled from the Czar's court, suddenly crashes the party and vows to destroy the Romanov dynasty. Through his green spirits he stirs the mob outside the palace to begin the Russian Revolution. In the commotion, Anastasia is separated from her family.
Ten years later two former servants from the palace, Dimitri (voice by John Cussack) and Vladimir, look for an easy way to the 10 million ruble reward for those who find Anastasia. They find 18-year-old Anya (airy voice by Meg Ryan), an orphan looking for a ticket to her past, wondering around the former palace.
In just three days, the two convince the orphan that the gold in Paris is closely linked to her past and make her resume a new identity.
From the underworld, however, Rasputin realizes that the young Anya is the true princess. With the help of his magic power, Rasputin renews his vow and becomes more determined than ever to wipe the last heir to the Romanov throne from the face of the Earth.
The animation adopts a familiar formula mainly used by Disney. Don Bluth, the director, was once an animator for Walt Disney before he branched out on his own and directed blockbuster animations such as An American Tail and The Land Before Time. Through a catchy theme song, cute wise-cracking sidekicks and the compulsory love story, the audience is lured away from the lack of plot and character development.
The quality of the animation however, is exceptional, even though inconsistent at times. Moving background and computer assisted animation provides myriad details for the viewer. At times, the animation appears in 3D, providing even greater minutiae.
The reflection of the Paris lights and Dimitri's battle with Rasputin's evil force for example, comes alive through the magic of detailed computer animation. The background, however, could easily fill the whole screen while the ever-changing point of view may confuse younger audience.
On the other hand, the cute sidekicks can always make up for the personality their masters lack. Pooka, a really cute puppy which follows Anastasia in her post-orphanage life, will surely win many young girls' hearts. Bartok, Rasputin's albino bat is also sure to attract kids' attention every time he appears.
With his Jerry Seinfield talk-about-nothing attitude, Bartok freely observes the main characters, cracks jokes and even ridicules his own master. Bartok's appearance are likely to always induce audience laughter, whether he says anything or not.
Based on true life story of Anna Anderson, who also inspired a 1956 movie starring Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman, this animation may redraw your children's view of the Russian Revolution.
Unfortunately the cartoon stops short of providing the true flavor of Russia. If it were not for the colorful Russian costumes and the fine detailed corridors of the Orient Express and the palace, viewers may easily think that Anastasia is a young girl from Texas, given the main character's American accent.
The familiarity of plots and scenes may actually help a lot of young moviegoers follow the story. However, those infatuated by the romanticism of Beauty and the Beast may be disappointed by the ending. And a word of warning, the film also contains violence and scenes that are not entirely suitable for children.