History Dubious, but ‘Anastasia’ Gets Royal Praise

In the animated film “Anastasia,” Dimitri, an ambitious young Russian, persuades a plucky girl with amnesia and a remarkable resemblance to members of the massacred royal family to go to Paris, persuade the exiled Russian empress that she is the empress’ missing granddaughter, Anastasia, and help him collect a reward. (Rated G)

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Cute little bats. Neon flying creatures. A beautiful headstrong girl without parents. A handsome, reticent young man. An ugly, mean villain. Singing and dancing. Sacrifice and love.

It looks like Disney. It sounds like Disney. As far as most kids--and parents--were concerned, Fox Animation Studios’ “Anastasia” might as well be Disney--a cute and spunky version of an enduring and popular fable.

“I liked the bats,” said Jimmy Jimenez, 7, of Tustin.

“I liked the dancing insects,” said Taylor Girch, 10, of Tustin.

“I just liked the girl,” said his sister Tracy, 6.

Echoing generations of kids after watching their first Disney animated film, Rebecca Welty, 6, of Irvine skipped out of the theater, holding her mom’s hand, and announced: “I want to see it six more times!”

Based loosely on a legend that teeters unsteadily on history, “Anastasia” tells the story of Anastasia Romanov, (voice by Meg Ryan), the youngest daughter of the last Russian czar. She was believed to have escaped when revolutionaries killed the royal family in 1918.

DNA tests proved a woman claiming in real life to be Anastasia was a fake. But never mind.

In this fable, the orphan Anya really could be a princess, probably is, and that hope kept kids rooting for her as she dodges the danger sent her way by the evil, half-dead monk Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd) and cooly assesses opportunistic kitchen boy Dimitri (John Cusack).

Less stereotypical than classic Disney, both hero and heroine struck a chord with youngsters who liked Anastasia’s independent, feminist spirit and Dimitri’s brave but whining personality. When he balks at stopping a runaway train, she complains, “All men are babies.” When she learns he has lied to her about his greedy plan, she decks him with a powerful slap.

“The girl was smarter than the boy,” said Jimmy’s 8-year-old sister, Jasmine. Sometimes, she observed, he rescued her, but often as not she rescued him.

Older girls bringing younger siblings said they were pleased to have an excuse to see the Disneylike movie.

“We kind of wanted to see it ourselves, but we were embarrassed,” said Kristy Anderson, 14, of Irvine, who came with Ashley Jackson, 14, of Costa Mesa. Kristy’s sister, Tiffany, 3, slept through most of the action.

Ashley said she thought Anastasia was “more realistic” than Ariel, Belle, Jasmine or other recent Disney heroines. “She doesn’t just all of a sudden be a princess,” she said. “She doesn’t have manners.”

But she can’t have it all, and in the end, Anya is forced to chose between the crown and the kitchen boy.

Some scenes with the gruesome Rasputin were too strong for some kids, who left in the middle of the movie. One girl was puzzled by his villainous deeds. “Why is he so mean?” she asked her mom.

“The bad guy is a little disgusting,” agreed Shannon Miller, 13, of Santa Ana. Those who stuck with it through the end, however, got the chance to cheer with satisfaction when he gets his comeuppance.

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PARENTS’ PERSPECTIVE: “It’s a good movie for kids,” said Taylor’s mother, Tammy Girch, who said she would have no problem renting it for her children as a video later.

“I was concerned before we got here that it would be more violent because of the Rasputin character,” she said, “but I think they did a terrific job.”

Even if the history is skewed, Girch said the movie opens the door for children to imagine what the Russian Empire under the czars might have been like.

Without a specific reason like this movie as impetus, she speculated, “how many of us would think to look in an encyclopedia or open a book to read about that?”

* FAMILY FILMGOER, Page 17