DVDizzy Forum

Cordy_Biddle wrote:In the original "Anastasia" play by Guy Bolton and Marcelle Maurette (on which the animated movie is partly based), the Anastasia character also makes a very swift exit with no formal goodbye to her grandmother. I find this quite unsatisfying, but it adds to the tone of the piece, I suppose.

Oh, that makes more sense. I guess I don't have to blame it on animated Anastasia, then. Just on the playwrights.

I love Anastasia! The story, the animation, the atmosphere/setting and especially the music and the songs.

The Swan Princess is also good, I think it's a very funny movie. And I like the songs/soundtrack for this one as well.

Thumbelina has wondeful songs as well, but the story and animation is not so wonderous.

I have them all on DVD, and can't wait for Anastasia to be released on Blu-ray someday!

Linden wrote:

Cordy_Biddle wrote:In the original "Anastasia" play by Guy Bolton and Marcelle Maurette (on which the animated movie is partly based), the Anastasia character also makes a very swift exit with no formal goodbye to her grandmother. I find this quite unsatisfying, but it adds to the tone of the piece, I suppose.

Oh, that makes more sense. I guess I don't have to blame it on animated Anastasia, then. Just on the playwrights.

In the play, Anastasia leaves just before she's due to make her royal debut. Her Grandmother is asked what she'll say at the reception to explain Anastasia's absence, and her airy reply, "The play is over--go home!"

I wish Anastasia's soundtrack CD would get reissued with more score tracks. I want the score tracks for the hijacked train scene and the final confrontation with Rasputin! I can't believe there are two variants of the Journey to the Past song and a variant of the Once Upon a December song taking up room that could have been for other memorable score tracks. Those variant songs together take up 10 minutes and 45 seconds!

I'ts a long time ago I saw Thumbelina but I remember I did not like it (thought it was lame) I've only seen a small part of The swan princess so I cannot properly judge but the animation was only so-so in my remembrance. Artistically I consider Anastasia as the best by far... still I would never feel the urge to purchase any of the three movies to add it to my dvd collection.

Compare Anastasia to Pocahontas for historical inaccuracy I would say the first one is 99.99% inaccurate and the second one 'only' 98%.

I actually wrote two articles about the production of "The Swan Princess" and "Thumbelina"(And soon, one about Anastasia). You can check them out -> www.theredanimation.canalblog.com !

As for my vote, I would not know what to say, I like the three of them but different moods, sometimes I love "The swan princess", sometimes I just hate it and it is like that for the others too. I guess that these movies are pretty good but have a lot of flaws that cannot make me love them on a regular basis. [/url]

Once Anastasia had been reunited with her grandmother Dimitri wasn't needed anymore. Anastasia could have handled Rasputin by herself. She did get back up on the bridge after part of it collapsed somehow? Maybe she had a tardis stashed nearby.

Widdi wrote:The picture of Rasputin's corpse laying on the ground with the bullet hole in his head (that is on his Wikipedia page), scares me more than any picture I've seen of him alive.

Seriously scary man.

AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

I knew Rasputin was scary(I studied the Russian Revolution in my final year of school), but that is just ghastly

That's the last time I act upon curiosity

As for the films, I would say Anastasia. It's not great, but it's much better than the other two abominations.

bradhig wrote:Once Anastasia had been reunited with her grandmother Dimitri wasn't needed anymore.

But Dimitri's got great hair and a winning smile...

i love both movies, are perfect, but Anastasia in my opinion it's more magnificent than The swan princess

Anastasia is the best out of the three, I think, but I really like Thumbelina as well. It's cheesy, the plot flip flops too much and the character designs aren't great, but it was one of my favorites as a kid and so it has nostalgic value for me.
I only saw Swan Princess once, and I don't remember much from it, so I'm not sure about that one.

My only issue with Anastasia is that while the animation is very good, some of the movements look really awkward and forced. Especially the "Journey to the Past" sequence, Anya was skipping around so much I was waiting for her to fall headfirst into the snow.

I really need to rewatch Anastasia and Thumbelina, not to mention see Swan Princess for the first time. I do have Anastasia on Blu, but I haven't watched it, and I bought Thumbelina last year on DVD, not anticipating a blu-ray release. *sigh* Swan Princess I keep intending to buy buy haven't yet. If I buy it, it's sure to come out on blu the next day.

Anyway, I still am pretty sure Anastasia is the best of these, and Thumbelina probably second best. I remember liking everything about Anastasia except the way they did the villain. Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin? Should have and could have been great, but they made it too cartoony and silly, and rather unimportant feeling. Though, again, I don't remember it super well. Thumbellina I remember not liking much overall, but it still was Don Bluth animation and Jodi Benson's voice... I really need to rewatch it. As for Swan Princess, I have seen bits and pieces on TV a lot, and it looked pretty unimpressive, despite a lovely lead character. I will reserve judgment on it though.

Incidentally, I keep seeing "We're Back" for 5 bucks. I really should buy it, but I know it's supposed to be terrible... Still, I do want it in my collection, and 5 bucks! For a while, it even had Lorax tickets (maybe it still does). Would have paid for itself since I went to see the Lorax anyway and paid full price... That was a dumb move, ha.

Both films are musicals about Princesses and both of them really lies quite closely to the Disney formula, with a Princess, animals companions, a villain, ect. Heck, if it weren’t for the missing Disney logo, it would be easy to assume them to be Disney productions. But which of them do you prefer? And why?

Personally, I prefer “The Swan Princess”. I know many people prefer “Anastasia”, but I think it’s the more flawed of those two. While “Anastasia” has it’s moments, I think the film does have some serious flaws. The plot about a Princess with amnesia has many opportunities, yet the filmmakers play it safe. In fact, they play it too safe . Sure, it’s a kids movie, but even for a kid movie, the film is wrapped up after an half hour. As for the good components, the animation is good, the songs are really catchy and the voice acting is superb. Heck, Anastasia herself has more personality than the average Disney Princess. But as a whole, it’s not as good as it could have been.

While “Swan Princess” has less substance and depth than “Anastasia”, I think it’s a overall more enjoyable movie. The songs are catchy, the animation is good-looking, the voice acting is fine and the characters are likeable. Odette may not be such a sassy and fun heroine as Anastasia, but her sidekick companions are awesome. In fact, they’re better than Disney’s sidekick. While “Swan Princess” is not unflawed (in fact, the “love is beyond the appearance” plotline could have been more explored), I don’t think that it’s such a wasted potential as “Anastasia”.

What do you guys have to say about it?

The Swan Princess has good looking animation? Which movie did you see?

I'm no fan of Anastasia by any stretch of the animation but it is easily the superior film.

PatrickvD wrote:The Swan Princess has good looking animation? Which movie did you see?

OK, perhaps the visuals are not as superior as other animated flicks, but the animation is not that bad. Please don't answer in a sarcastic manner.

I'm no fan of Anastasia by any stretch of the animation but it is easily the superior film.

Why?

"Anastasia" is by far the better of the two movies. It has gorgeous animation, songs that are not only catchy, but that have lyrical depth, and character that are fun and relateable. "Once Upon a December," and "Journey to the Past" are both hauntingly great songs. While, I think the villian could have been more fleshed out, he's still decent and has a pretty cool number.

"The Swan Princess" has decent animation, but nothing too spectacular. The charaters are okay, songs are meh, and the story is far too simple. Overall it's enjoyable, but dull to a certain extent.

Pokeholic_Prince wrote:"While, I think the villian could have been more fleshed out, he's still decent and has a pretty cool number.

Rasputin was another weak component on "Anastasia". While he at least started out as threatning and dignified in the prologue, he suddenly became whiny and pathetic during the rest of the movie. In other words; Not a dignified villain. While Rothbart in "Swan Princess" was unremarkable, he certainly wasn't as laughable as Rasputin.

Anastasia has Dimitiri. I don't know so much about that guy in The Swan Princess. On the other hand, there's also a lot of shoddy CGI animation...

Did Don Bluth work on the Swan Princess? I know he worked on Anastasia.

Hmm, I need to dig out both and have an non-Disney Disney-style marathon. Maybe I'll throw Ferngully in for good measure.

pinkrenata wrote:Anastasia has Dimitiri.

Well, The Swan Princess has Jack Palance. No comparison there.

bradhig wrote:Did Don Bluth work on the Swan Princess? I know he worked on Anastasia.

No, it was directed by Richard Rich, who also directed The Black Caudron and helped direct The Fox and the Hound.