Anastasia
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: November 21, 1997 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
6
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Stack
A gorgeous piece of work. It pulls every heartstring a good romance should, yet bursts with G-rated fun, wonderfully human characters and several solid and hummable songs. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Picks and chooses cleverly, skipping blithely past the entire Russian Revolution but lingering on mad monks, green goblins, storms at sea, train wrecks and youthful romance. Read full review
88
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Easily the best non-Disney animated movie in recent memory, and it is good enough to rival such titles as “The Lion King” and “Aladdin.” Read full review
80
Film ThreatChris Gore
With A+ voice talent provided by Meg Ryan (Anastasia) and John Cusack (Dimitri), Fox has a winner on its hands. Read full review
75
USA TodaySusan Wloszczyna
Flawed but not fatally, this ambitious epic's strength lies not just with its haunting melodies, pretty pictures, star voices and kid-friendly sidekicks - the usual shtick that makes Disney tick. [14 Nov 1997, p.D6]
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Lavishly produced animation makes imaginative use of familiar formulas, filling the screen with handsome images accompanied by sprightly songs and lively voice-performances. Read full review
70
Time OutGeoff Andrew
Bluth has rediscovered the ingredients of quality mainstream animation: depth and movement are more in evidence, and the action sequences are expertly staged, notably a harrowing train crash. Read full review
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Impressive, big-scale scenes, such as a train derailment from a snow-covered bridge. And the vocal performances of Ryan and Cusack give us a real sense of romance. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
This sumptuous-looking film clearly spared no expense in its visual rendering; its optical flourishes and attention to detail aim for the Disney gold standard and, for the most part, come pretty darn close. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Anastasia has the Disney house style down cold, yet the magic is missing. Perhaps that's because the story's somber emotional hook--Anastasia's thwarted desire for home--is asserted rather than dramatized. Read full review
63
San Francisco ExaminerWalter Addiego
Lacks the spark of the best recent Disney spectaculars, like "Beauty and the Beast." Read full review
60
EmpirePhilip Thomas
Manages to be a charming little movie, nothing to write home about but a perfectly acceptable way to while away a rainy Sunday afternoon with the child, or children, in your life. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Though originality is not one of its accomplishments, Anastasia is generally pleasant, serviceable and eager to please. Read full review
60
NewsweekYahlin Chang
Meg Ryan lends her trademark feistiness to Anastasia, and John Cusack makes Dimitri eminently likable. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
A deeply silly movie, but it is sumptuous to look at, and it never stands still. Its creators, Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, have given the story a lilting rhythm and glittering surface of the most extravagant jewel-encrusted fairy tale. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Decent songs, an amusing script and some surprisingly imaginative animation. Read full review
50
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Lacks the special creative spark needed to lift it to an uncommon imaginative level. Read full review
30
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
A story that holds little suspense; we know exactly how happily this animated musical will end--and the wait isn't very diverting. Read full review
30
The A.V. ClubMaria Schneider
You can set your watch to the musical cues, and the songs themselves are forgettable at best, insipid at worst. Read full review
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