Journey to the Past

How many elementary school kids could say they knew about the Russian revolution before Anastasia came out? Not to say that this movie is any more historically accurate than Disney's Pocahontas. Instead of a talking willow, the most bizarre character in this movie is Rasputin, who actually did exist. But in this rendition of the tale of the missing Russian princess, Rasputin is dead and we watch him literally fall apart in scene after scene. It's morbid to the point of being comical.

The story centers around Anya, an eighteen-year-old orphan whose only link to her family is a locket which says "Together in Paris". She can remember nothing of her life before the orphanage. As the headmistress sends her out to strike out on her own, advising her to get a grunt job in town, Anya wonders if there might be more in store for her. She waits at the crossroads and prays for guidance: should she be Anya the orphan forever, or should she pursue the one clue she has to the family she's always wanted? Her answer comes almost immediately in the form of a puppy tugging her towards St. Petersburg.

When she arrives, she is directed to Dmitri, a con artist bent on finding someone to portray Anastasia so he can present her to the Grand Dowager, her grandmother, in Paris. If he can convince her that his Anastasia is real, he'll have a hefty reward to look forward to. Anya knows none of this. She only wants to get to Paris, and she has heard that Dmitri can get her there. Stepping into the abandoned castle, memories come flooding back to her, but she can make sense of none of them. She is rudely interrupted when Dmitri sees her and demands to know how she got in. But then he notices how similar she looks to the princess who disappeared ten years ago when the rest of the Romanov family was killed. Ecstatic, he and his partner Vladimir agree to take her to Paris.

With Pooka the puppy in tow, the travelers set off, but Rasputin attempts to foil them at every step along the way. It is one thrilling adventure after another as Anya grows ever closer to Paris, and to discovering the key to her past.

With endearing characters, many played by big names (Meg Ryan, Kelsey Grammer, Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lloyd), amazing graphics, and a great plot, this movie is a sure hit. Images of St. Petersburg and Paris are especially elegant, and each character is animated to perfection. The songs range from fun to beautiful to frightening, each standing on its own merit. The haunting Once Upon a December will leave you with chills running down your spine.

As stated before, this is not incredibly historically accurate. But it's first and foremost a story in this movie, and if kids want to find out more about the Russian Revolution they should be inspired to read up on it in the library. This is an adventure, a love story, and a tale about the ties of family. It has something for all ages, and it will be a treasured addition to your family video collection.