“…The world can seem so vast on a journey to the past.”

This might be the most biased page that I write because I ADORE ANASTASIA. The Broadway musical has a special place in my heart and so does this film.

Loosely based on the historical figure of the same name, Anastasia tells the story of a princess who has lost her memory and is searching for her lost family.

Anastasia (known as Anya) decides to take her destiny into her own hands after she leaves her orphanage. The only key she has to her past is a necklace that says “together in Paris.” However, leaving Russia in the year 1916 requires a lot more effort than the average modern vacation. This brings Anya to Dimitri and Vlad; two con-artists who are looking to train a fake Anastasia to gain Empress Maria’s monetary reward for finding her long lost granddaughter.

After noticing Anya’s striking resemblance to the lost princess, the three set out on a journey to Paris while the evil Rasputin hunts down the Romanov who got away.

While not accurate to history, the film is a lot of fun and has an amazing soundtrack. It’s no wonder that there’s a Broadway musical based on this film. The animation is quite good, especially the “Once Upon a December” sequence (although sometimes Dimitri’s face looks… off?? I think his face can have too much detail in comparison to our title character).

Anya, Dimitri, and Vladimir make an enjoyable trio as well! They are easily the highlight of this film. I didn’t personally care for Rasputin or his cheeky sidekick, but his song is still a lot of fun.

Overall, I’d recommend at least listening to the soundtrack. It’s gorgeous.