Russian princess 'Anastasia' comes to town

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.