tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post5247984500570493131..comments2024-03-05T21:05:36.848-05:00Comments on CommentaramaFilms: Remake Review: Anastasia (1956 / 1997)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-90097964385847461952012-07-11T20:05:38.363-04:002012-07-11T20:05:38.363-04:00tryanmax, In yet another one of those ironies whic...tryanmax, In yet another one of those ironies which keeps happening at the film site, the 1997 version of <i>Anastasia</i> was just on television.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-11004277778291788412012-07-11T19:24:20.144-04:002012-07-11T19:24:20.144-04:00Ben, though I mentioned it already, I still can...Ben, though I mentioned it already, I still can't get over the pacing in each. Not only was I amazed at how brisk the '56 version was, especially given its era, I was appalled by how s-l-o-w the '97 version was. This in spite of a train crash, musical numbers, a talking bat, an evil sorcerer, and a fight scene at the end. I should have felt dragged along with all that in there, yet instead I was glancing at the clock.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-5581568797352683902012-07-11T18:48:40.431-04:002012-07-11T18:48:40.431-04:00Excellent reviews Tryanmax!
It's been awhile ...Excellent reviews Tryanmax!<br /><br />It's been awhile since I saw the '56 version but I do recal liking it, despite the inaccuracies.<br /><br />However, much as I like Yul Brynner he did pretty much phone that one in.<br /><br />The animated version, I thought, was boring. Our kids liked it but not as well as the other Disney cartoons.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-19374413251929929442012-07-11T17:53:27.770-04:002012-07-11T17:53:27.770-04:00Andrew, maybe it has something to do with Anastasi...Andrew, maybe it has something to do with <i>Anastasia</i> coming out the same year as <i>The King and I</i>. There is a waltz scene in <i>Anastasia</i> where Brynner also barks out, "One, Two, Three! One, Two, Three!" which always gives me a laugh. Incidentally, <i>The King and I</i> was also remade as an animated feature released in 1999, though I don't know if I have the will-power to ever sit through that one again.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-12274465826625199442012-07-11T17:51:25.991-04:002012-07-11T17:51:25.991-04:00Bev, that was determined posthumously, I believe. ...Bev, that was determined posthumously, I believe. Didn't she maintain that she was Anastasia until she died? But I don't believe the surviving Romanovs ever accepted her.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-74369428113633128902012-07-11T17:51:03.676-04:002012-07-11T17:51:03.676-04:00T-Rav, I make a point to avoid almost anything Dir...T-Rav, I make a point to avoid almost anything Direct to Video. Or, I guess, Direct to Disc these days. Heck, it's probably going to be Direct to Streaming pretty quick, here.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-10703418307979977452012-07-11T17:48:27.582-04:002012-07-11T17:48:27.582-04:00LawHawk, Some actors shouldn't ever do voice w...LawHawk, Some actors shouldn't ever do voice work, either. Cusack is one of those where his voice is so tied to his face that when he voices a cartoon, you just see him in spite of it. And I agree, he hasn't grown much as an actor over his entire career.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-20637994855265471962012-07-11T17:47:46.048-04:002012-07-11T17:47:46.048-04:00Indie, I don't think the problem was so much t...Indie, I don't think the problem was so much that they made Anastasia act like a man as much as they portrayed her as impervious from the outset. The girl has <i>amnesia</i> for crying out loud! A little vulnerability would have been more than appropriate. But adding up the release date of the movie, plus a couple instances of the line, "Men are such babies," and I can only conclude that it was decided even a moment of self-doubt wouldn't be sufficiently feminist. Too bad.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-40034010394166219092012-07-11T17:43:48.791-04:002012-07-11T17:43:48.791-04:00Anthony, it seems like the standards are always ch...Anthony, it seems like the standards are always changing for how "scary" a villian can be in a kids' movie. On the other hand, some kids are scared of the most unexpected things. My son was terrified by a Pinky the Safety Elephant coloring book. Go figure.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-23453383813542178202012-07-11T17:09:26.731-04:002012-07-11T17:09:26.731-04:00tryanmax, Brynner does sometimes phone it in sadly...tryanmax, Brynner does sometimes phone it in sadly.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-25803025683364218862012-07-11T16:51:54.020-04:002012-07-11T16:51:54.020-04:00As a side note: Anna Anderson/Anastasia was later ...As a side note: Anna Anderson/Anastasia was later found through DNA evidence to not be a Romanov.<br /><br />I just saw "Brave" and it is a lot of fun. I too has the new Disney "warrior princess" protagonist...<br /><br />****spoiler alert****<br /><br />and no unnecessary handsome prince to save the day.BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-11859000890749108842012-07-11T16:24:16.802-04:002012-07-11T16:24:16.802-04:00Okay, look, I've only seen the cartoon version...Okay, look, I've only seen the cartoon version, and I liked it, but I haven't really seen it since I was a kid. What can I say? I was impressed by talking bats. Although--yes, Scott, there was a sequel featuring Bartov, but I never watched it. Even as a child, I had my limits.T-Ravhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10861218035729479354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-19060180029370303972012-07-11T16:13:32.034-04:002012-07-11T16:13:32.034-04:00tryanmax: Nice comparisons. I loved the original...tryanmax: Nice comparisons. I loved the original, for all its flaws. I didn't see the cartoon version until my grandkids brought it over one day to keep themselves amused. I wasn't impressed. Even in cartoon form, I can't get past John Cusack. He was fine doing teenage angst, but hasn't improved since.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-90675062292611284602012-07-11T15:37:10.594-04:002012-07-11T15:37:10.594-04:00Tyranmax
Very good comparison.
I often wonder w...Tyranmax<br /><br />Very good comparison. <br />I often wonder why a woman acting "strong" as a man does is seen as better. It tends to suggest the traditional woman's role is somehow subordinant something I think is probablyu not entirely true. In my experience women are much more skilled than men in getting what they want.Individualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-55184412308539015022012-07-11T15:04:28.034-04:002012-07-11T15:04:28.034-04:00I only saw the animated movie, but it didn't m...I only saw the animated movie, but it didn't make much of an impression upon me. <br /><br />The only thing I remember is thinking that the decaying Rasputin was a little gory for a villian in a kid's flick. <br /><br />Of course, in comparison to some of the characters in later films like the Corpse Bride, Coraline and (judging by the trailers) ParaNorman and Frankenweenie, Rasputin is downright tame.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16124128949343301445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-25361132314481339362012-07-11T14:38:01.885-04:002012-07-11T14:38:01.885-04:00MO, no problem! I'd say the '56 film is pr...MO, no problem! I'd say the '56 film is probably for you. I don't think the history is all that accurate, but it is a nicely appointed and rare 1920s period-piece that doesn't focus on nightclubs and flappers.<br /><br />I think I had that Bartok toy you are talking about! I'm my own sort of animation buff--very narrowly into animated features--so I'm going to have a lot of fun putting out some more articles.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-35247289960460589762012-07-11T14:34:54.128-04:002012-07-11T14:34:54.128-04:00Doc, I think the animated version was designed pri...Doc, I think the animated version was designed primarily to go up against the Disney Princesses, and it shows. Don Bluth's own production company had faltered by this time and Fox scooped it up. Ironically, he lost all of the artistic freedom that he hoped to achieve by leaving Disney. <br /><br />I fully intend to isolate <i>Anastasia</i> '97 strictly as an animated feature, so I don't want to say too much now, but I think what really makes this feature feel workmanlike as you put it is the wholly uninspired musical numbers. All the other shortcomings could possibly be forgiven if the film left you with a catchy tune.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-23510283017378464342012-07-11T14:31:38.067-04:002012-07-11T14:31:38.067-04:00Andrew, I am a fan of Brynner, too, and I don'...Andrew, I am a fan of Brynner, too, and I don't mean to say he does a bad job here. But his demeanor doesn't facilitate the romantic subplot one bit. Bounine isn't an especially demanding role; almost anyone could step into it.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-35438833070291487862012-07-11T14:31:03.129-04:002012-07-11T14:31:03.129-04:00K, Brave will probably have to wait until DVD rele...K, <i>Brave</i> will probably have to wait until DVD release, but it does look interesting to me.<br /><br />Yeah, the animated film does pretty much gloss over the fact that Anastasia's family was assassinated. They turn it into a curse brought upon them by Rasputin, which totally goes against history. Rasputin is probably one of the most slandered figures in history.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-63609166862990032972012-07-11T14:30:26.622-04:002012-07-11T14:30:26.622-04:00Scott, I know what you mean. Russian stuff doesn&#...Scott, I know what you mean. Russian stuff doesn't exactly trip my trigger. This is just one of those things that slipped through. I don't remember the Anastasia reference in <i>Titanic</i>, but given the surrounding facts, it very well could have been an Easter egg. <br /><br />My copy of <i>Anastasia</i> is actually the $5-bin double feature which includes the Bartok movie. But I still haven't watched it.tryanmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09881154741574720094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-16465568335846185342012-07-11T13:56:27.452-04:002012-07-11T13:56:27.452-04:00Should have added that I never saw the '97 mov...Should have added that I never saw the '97 movie because it seemed boring.BIG MOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10556263286375426353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-38190621084850034032012-07-11T13:55:09.146-04:002012-07-11T13:55:09.146-04:00Thanks for highlighting these films. I'll hav...Thanks for highlighting these films. I'll have to see the '56 version, as I am a fan of historical dramas. I've long been aware of the animated story -- mainly via an annoying talking Bartok fast-food toy -- but never watched it. I'll have to give it whirl.<br /><br />And count me among those who appreciate animation reviews.BIG MOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10556263286375426353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-2294699652618497302012-07-11T13:12:05.483-04:002012-07-11T13:12:05.483-04:00Excellent reviews tryanmax. I have seen both and ...Excellent reviews tryanmax. I have seen both and I enjoyed the film, but not the cartoon really. I was expecting more from the cartoon, but it just seemed very flat and workmanlike, like they were just telling a simple story efficiently with no real attempt at making the story more interesting.Doc Whoahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16283308866886912377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-55108588118252617972012-07-11T12:40:52.780-04:002012-07-11T12:40:52.780-04:00tryanmax, I'm a fan of Brynner though I haven&...tryanmax, I'm a fan of Brynner though I haven't seen this film. I am aware of the history of the claim and I think it's interesting they danced around it but didn't resolve it in the film. I think a modern film would feel compelled to tell you definitely what they believed, whether or not that was good for the story.<br /><br />I have seen the cartoon and I did not enjoyed it for the very reasons you mention. There is no mystery, there is no vulnerability. This is just a story about a slightly annoying woman claiming her birthright. And to me, that's ultimately not a great storyline. It lacked the kind of magic that princess stories normally have, it lacked the mystery of the real Anastasia story, and it lacked the happiness of a self-discovery story.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7059293386881623259.post-24751791746517924802012-07-11T12:29:22.563-04:002012-07-11T12:29:22.563-04:00K, We're planning to start doing more animatio...K, We're planning to start doing more animation stuff. We've only recently learned that people want more of that. :)AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.com