Anastasia (1997)

Anastasia feels like the kind of old-fashioned animated adventure we don’t get enough of anymore: lush, romantic, and swept along by a story that treats wonder and longing with real sincerity. Don Bluth and Gary Goldman paint a glittering world of snowy St. Petersburg and storybook Paris, then let it come alive through warm, witty voice work from Meg Ryan, John Cusack, and Kelsey Grammer, plus songs that lodge in your memory like a half-remembered dream. The tone balances cozy fairy-tale charm with just enough shadowy menace to give it bite, especially whenever Rasputin’s supernatural threat creeps in. If you prefer your family films strictly light and modern-snarky, the darker imagery may not be your flavor—but if you want a heartfelt, musical, globe-trotting romance with gorgeous animation, this one earns its place among the ‘90s greats.

Anastasia is aiming for a sweeping, Disney-adjacent fairy-tale: a lost princess, a romantic road trip, and a big bad villain, all wrapped in glossy late-90s animation. The problem is it can feel a bit calculated—like it’s hitting the familiar beats because that’s what these movies do, not because the story earns them with real emotional punch. If you’re hoping for historical weight, sharper originality, or genuinely transporting “magic,” you may find it pretty and pleasant but oddly lightweight. That said, the songs are catchy, the Paris-set finale has real charm, and Rasputin brings enough spooky flair to keep it from being bland—just don’t go in expecting it to rival the very best animated classics.