Why Anastasia is the Best Forgotten Masterpiece

Don't get the problem with bugs with teeth

I didn't and don't like Anastasia.

I smiled so much when the opening showed Treasure Planet while he talked about an absolute masterpiece of a film.
These are two are my all time favorite movies, it’s crazy to think that Anastasia just started off as a rip off of the Disney princess high but it’s an actually really good movie. I’d argue that Anastasia is better then like half of the official Disney princesses.

OH MY GOD; YOU SPEAK OUT OF MY SOUL
I remember having it on VCR as kid and since then i watch it almost every year, it has a special place in my heart like almost no other movie.
And I listen to the songs all through the year as a pick me up!
I can sing along to all of them in 2,5 languages^^

I love this movie so much. It's such a masterpiece and a comfort movie at the same time, which is the best combo. The amount of serotonin this movie gives me is unreal

Side note: Anastasia is part of the reason why I'm into badass redheaded women ❤

alright, its been years since i've seen this... challenge accepted! i'll be back


on a side note... this movie's animation reminds me Titan A.E.
Your thoughts on said animation would be amazing!


ok i'll be back (again)


yup... so re-watched Anastasia ... its as you said, however i think my only take would be that it could work without the intro and just a straight hop to the "10 yrs later" and just sprinkle the begining in the end, but still, rock solid

I absolutely loved this movie as a kid, even if it did freak me the f out 🤣🤣 I had an Anastasia musical diary I got either for Christmas or a birthday which played "Once upon a December". I loved that song and sung it at my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. I still cringe at that but I recently rediscovered the song and I'm glad I did because I need this amazing music in my life!

I always loved this movie since I was a kid. It also looks gorgeous.

This movie somehow completely slipped my radar and I'm a huge fan of "hidden gems." The Breadwinner, Iron Giant, Prince of Egypt, Nausicaa, of the Valley of the Wind, Spirit Stallion of the Cimmaron, and the list goes on. I'll really have to watch this film, I bet I'd love it.

I’ve rewatched this movie twice this week and I was 7 when it came out in 1997. Pure love for this movie ❤

I remember renting this movie every single week at Blockbuster as a kid

Anastasia is the #1 influence on how I draw people now as an adult.

I grew up on the Disney Renaissance and Don Bluth in general which means Fox Animation by proxy. Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Hunchback, Tarzan, Anastasia... all of those films made me want to be a Disney animator.

My freshman year at Ringling was 2003 when Disney shut down their traditional animation. 🙃🙃🙃

I ended up going into illustration instead which I think is a better fit for me anyway since the work is constantly changing so I don't get bored, but that's neither here nor there.

Anastasia, BatB, Aladdin, Hunchback, and Titan AE had a HUGE impact on my drawing style, the way I draw people in particular as I already said. It's Disney but slightly more realistic anatomy-wise.

Even now in my late 30s those influences are still apparent in my work, because I STILL get the odd comment here and there saying "Your stuff reminds me of Anastasia!!" which always amuses me. A friend of mine said it's particularly in how I draw cheeks in profile.

Anyway.

Yes. I fucking adore Anastasia and I lost my shit when an Anastasia mug was spotted in a store in Disney World last year.

DISNEY PLEASE.

PLEASE.

Now that I've finished the video... dude. Ramble some more about this movie. I will wholeheartedly agree and was just a little mad when it ended. lol

I love this film when I was a kid and I still love it today.

yes yes yes, but what about bartock the magnificent??

JUSTICE FOR TREASURE PLANET!

You should do the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Very much underrated imo. 🙌

You sold me. I'm definitely hunting it down. ☺️

Forgotten? Who can forget about it, it's a great film and musical.

I've always loved this movie, although it scared me as well, and I remember having terrible nightmares the day I saw the movie in the theater, Rasputin, the underworld, his demonical minions and the nightmare scene were, of course pure nightmare fuel for a 5 year-old child.

I use to watch this movie at my grandma’s. I stayed there a lot because I got sick do to a weak body. The movie holds a great place in my heart. Even more so when I’ve started to learn history. And some places, names and loosely based events now add up. Even more so the clothes. I know the movie is very lose seeing as ‘child friendly’ and magic. But it does show how you learn a little though the art of animation.

Edit: ‘how is this a kids film’ also movies which openly showed deaths such as burning, run over by trains. Mauled by dogs. Impaled. And shootings were also shown as kids movie, but that was German so I’m not to shocked.

Anastasia is not forgotten, it is well remembered, and was a commercial success.

Right after I clicked on this I started singing the st petersburg song, remembering 95% of the lyrics. Its been at least a decade since I've seen it. True classic. Love Don Bluth. Secret of Nimh as well.

This actually was one of my top movies as a child. Always watched it with my mom (who adores it as well) when it came on around christmas, later buying it on vhs, and frequently thinking about it :) the songs slap, put "once upon a december" on my playlist after watching your vid!

thank you for this video

Examine the current state of the world. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 states "You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. People will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" Jesus is coming back. Are you ready?

Man, I loved that film. I recall basically having it on repeat over Christmas break whilst I played the Rogue Squadron demo on pc

Being a little Russian girl named Anastasia, I loved this movie as a kid, but Rasputin scared the sht out of me, so i watched it rarely haha. And then growing up and learning our history added a whole new level to this movie

At the beginning before you even start talking, I have ALWAYS LOVED this movie. Ever since I first watched it.

Mine is how to train your dragon 1 to 3.

It almost feels like I haven't seen this movie before but it feels like I have watched it

Loving the Vlad appreciation!!! Definitely one of my favorite childhood movies (and still stands up today)!

There are several movies from this era of film and animation that were just amazing. Atlantis, Mulan, and a few other of the Disney classics come to mind, and they just… enchant. They lay out these beautiful worlds, that today we just… don’t see. No one produces films depicting a beautiful countryside. It’s all dingy, dirty, the moral palette of charcoal soot, and acidity with sarcasm and millennial humor. I want more things of this era, if the background details and

I saw this when I wasn’t quite as interested in history, but now I’m interested in going back and seeing that which I missed as a kid.

Then we have the prince of egypt

This movie has always been one of my favorites ever since I was a little girl. It always makes me sad that it gets so little love compared to other animated movies! Maybe because it wasn’t originally a “disney” movie until they bought the rights to it. But Mulan and Anastasia were always me favorite “princesses” because they were strong, independent, smart, resourceful, funny, compassionate, heroic, and so many other great things. Thanks for making a video about how much you love this movie!

Another comment to add: I also was enthralled by all the songs/music in this film from the very first time I watched it as a kid. I’d even sometimes randomly get the songs stuck in my head, especially “Once Upon a December”. And the witty dialogue is top tier. I agree that it’s a movie that never gets old!

I LOVE this movie & it beats out all Disney Princess stories for me! And of course there will be no judgement from me about anyone having a crush on Anastasia. I, along with I know many, had a crush on Dimitri.
Ha, I say "had" like it's still not there.

I love this movie and always have since I saw it for the first time as a kid! I went and saw the Broadway show for my 22nd birthday with my dad and my mom found me a Bartok plush for Christmas that year.

My wife and I are going to watch this movie for the first time today. We are both 90’s kids and this one happens to fly under our radar. I’m exited now! Thank you!! 🙏

My wife and I are going to watch this movie for the first time today. We are both 90’s kids and this one happens to fly under our radar. I’m exited now! Thank you!!

If you think this is bad, then you haven't watched The Black Cauldron

Nostalgia?

The movie that everyone mistakes for a Disney movie.

My dad and I just danced to once upon a December for my wedding. He used to sing me to sleep singing it cause it was one of our favorite songs from our favorite movie ❤ thank you for the kind review, this movie will always hold a cherished place in my heart

So I have a bit of a conspiracy theory with this movie (and please don’t take it as gospel because I admit it’s not perfect).

One thing this movie is famous for is being the movie that got director Don Bluth “out of his financial funk.” While that may appear to be true judging from the $140 million gross from a $53 million budget, you have to realize that the film had a marketing budget almost as large, at $50 million. That’s a total of $103 million.

In addition, you have to assume that revenue costs (things like theatrical sales, TV profits, Home Entertainment profits, etc) were about $100-115 million, as the film had similar gross margins to Everything Everywhere All At Once, and it’s possible Anastasia had similar revenue margins as well. Rounding the revenue margins out to $110 million, that means that Anastasia would have lost about 7 million dollars for Fox. Not much of a loss, especially not when compared to Titan AE, but it’s still a loss nevertheless.

But hey, that’s just a theory; an animation theory! Thanks for ignoring this comment!

This video just makes me smile because it's so obvious that you love this movie just as much as I do (and let's face it, probably more since you took the time to make this video). It wasn't ever a favourite of mine as a kid (I think my mum didn't like this movie for some reason so we didn't watch it much), but I LOVE it now so much. Amazing music, fantastic characters, gorgeous animation (great backgrounds and use of CGI), connection to one of my favourite time periods (as a history nerd), and I am absolutely obsessed with all Anastasia's outfits.

It also just ticks a lot of boxes for me in terms of niche things I like in movies. Princesses, boats, trains, Europe, rags-to-riches, quests, grandmas that always know what's up, the 'turning up in a gorgeous dress' bit (this movie does it FOUR times at my count, love it every time - 'Once Upon a December,' on the boat, at the ballet, and when she puts on the crown and it transitions into her princess look), criminals that are still likeable, real dates and locations, to name a few.

Honestly, I think it shocks a lot of people how much I love this movie because I'm one of those people that when you're watching a movie says stuff like 'oh, in the book they did _' and I think people expect me to have a problem with the historical inaccuracies - I mean, not even a single second of this movie is accurate in the slightest. But I really couldn't care less if the movie is entertaining - FYI, historical inaccuracy is a completely valid reason for someone not liking a movie, it just doesn't bother me personally.

This movie is one of MY childhood movies… it was so impactful to me. The once upon a December scene was transcendent for toddler me. I love it so much, rewatched so many times.

this movie was my childhood

I know this is the equivalent of me rambling about why I like a movie. But I hope you found the video entertaining and will go out and watch this wonderful film.