The Secret of Anastasia

Customer Reviews:

One of our family time favorites.......2007-08-27

Funny adaption of Anastasia and Snow White. Our daughter laughs and sings out loud. This is one of our family's favorites.

A Heart-Rending Rendition.......2007-04-09

This has got to be my favorite adaption of the "Anastasia" story. It has all the elements for a great tale--tragedy, love, and danger. The story begins with our narrator describing the royal family--the kingly Tsar Nicholas II, the beautiful, sunny-haired Queen Alexandra, the adorable, cart-wheel turning Prince Alexei, the "basically all-right" Princess Titania (based on one of the real Anastasia's real sister, Tatiana, probably)...and the youngest...ANASTASIA. When Anastasia is still young the revolution comes, and she's left to grow up in the shambled Big Palace of Moscow. We are then introduced to the Bad Cheka, revolutionaries who are up to no good. They are after Anastasia, the last heir of the Romanovs. They hear her singing a beautiful, moving song. This is one of the most cinematographic parts of the film. Anastasia sings passionately as her instruments gently sway and let out deep tones of music. We soon find out that these instruments--a tuba, a harp, a cello, and an accordion--can talk as well as make music. The tuba is a little gruff, but very fatherly; the harp is Anastasia's comforter and mentor--a mother figure; the cello, Titania, is a little melodramatic; the accordion, the impish Alexei, is a bit wild but extremely funny and lovable. They are all Anastasia's best friends. Suddenly---the Bad Checka comes! They chase the group into a bedroom, where Anastasia, on a whim of fate, grabs her instruments and flies out hanging on to a curtain. They fly over rooftops and end up on a deserted patch of Siberian wilderness. They can never go back--so the only thing to do is to go forward. They stow onto the baggage car of a train, where Anastasia weeps piteously and wonders what will become of her. As a sparkling tear drop falls to the ground, a voice comes from a piece of luggage.

"Oh! Please don't cry! For pity's sake, don't cry!"

The suitcase jiggles around, and it appears that there is a man stowing away inside it. Anastasia opens the suitcase and meets the dashing General Vladimir Vassilionov Iconovich, of the Tsar's Imperial Army. The general gives a double take when he first sets eyes on Anastasia. She is the spitting image of Nicholas' daughter. He goes on to convince Anastasia in a sly tone to impersonate the lost princess--with the incentive of 3,000 pounds sterling of Romanov inheritance awaiting a lucky imposter--or the real thing. Their dialogue at one point is very beautiful:

Iconovich: As it just so happens, I've been looking for the Princess Anastasia.

Anastasia: (sighs) As it happens---so am I.

Iconovich: What a happy coincedince--we just might have found her.

At this point Anastasia offers the general, a sweet, hopeful smile---she believes she IS Princess Anastasia. They leap off the plane into the snow (with the instruments, of course), and walk to Copenhagen, where they must fool the gaggle of Russian emigres, and, most importantly of all, the Dowager Empress, otherwise known as Grandmama. "Oh, she's a tough one," Iconovich tells Anastasia. "She's a stone, that one. Rules the social circles around here with a hand of iron..." It will be difficult for Anastasia to pass herself off to her...but Anastasia isn't worried. She knows she IS the princess, and her beloved instruments affirm her identity. Anastasia gets to stay in a luxurious hotel room, where her instruments make the best of the accomodations. How hilarious, to see Iconovich's expression when he sees Anastasia eating, with cartloads of dirty dishes around her, totally unaware that the instruments have been eating all the food. Iconovich rolls his eyes but remarks sadly, "I've been hungry before. After the revolution, I had nothing. Nothing." He walks briskly over to Anastasia. "But that was then and this is now!" He proceeds to give Anastasia a plethora of lessons on everything from posture to deportment. They sing a charming duet, where slowly, their feelings move from hostility to warmth...maybe even love. The song ends with them dancing, and as they stand in eachother's arms, Anastasia blurts out

"What are you doing?"

With a start, Iconovich asks himself, agahst, "What am I DOING?"

They quickly move away from eachother, and the lesson is over. But then it is proving time...Anastasia gets dressed up in a fancy dress and nervously is presented to the emigres, led by a cynical Duke who's completely skeptical and whose rudeness causes Anastasia to flee the room in despair. But mother harp comforts Anastasia and gives her the courage to go back and Anastasia boldly declares, "I AM the Princess Anastasia Nicholaievna, whether you choose to acknowledge that fact or not." She then goes on to prove her identity by making a candid observation about the Duke. The Duke, in turn, flees with embarrasment, as the emigres dance with joy. Their princess is back! They cheer and cheer. Iconovich gives her hand a lengthy kiss. Anastasia is thrilled...until he says, "I can almost smell that money already!" Hurt, Anastasia pulls away. But then...Prince Paul arrives! Prince Paul is a dashing blonde prince with quirky facial hair. He speaks charmingly to Anastasia, who is enchanted with him. In fact, she arches her face, awaiting a kiss, until Iconovich nervously gets between them. But Prince Paul sweeps Anastasia off her feet as they waltz about. Iconovich watches in disgust and dismay. He then proceeds to stalk them wherever they go, from the zoo to a glittering eaterie, where Anastasia and Prince Paul clink champange glasses and dance to sweeping waltzes. This scene is another example of the amazing cinematography. Anastasia's face is happy and carefree, as she blissfully dances with Prince Paul, who looks dashingly handsome, but a bit unkind. All the while Iconovich watches them, and we see a closeup of his glaring eyes as he looks on jealously. Then the night's over, and we see the Bad Checka in the dark streets of Copenhagen. They are still after Anastasia--and Iconovich as well. Meanwhile Anastasia loses her temper with Iconovich, and Iconovich storms out of the room. Her emotions in a whirlwind, Anastasia breaks down and weeps. Her instruments, and especially mother harp, comfort her. Anastasia decides a bit haughtily that Prince Paul is the only one who cares for her and the only one she can trust. Mother harp reminds her that, "like you, there can be more to a man's heart than there appears."

Meanwhile as Iconovich walks through Copenhagen, muttering to himself about that "shallow, obnoxious girl," the Bad Checka gets him! They punch and pound the poor general till he is bruised and badly banged up. However, the next day arrives. Anastasia is waiting restlessly for Iconovich. She's about to see Grandmama, but she can't do it without Iconovich, can she? Of course she can, Prince Paul says. He brings her in, and she attempts to speak to the Dowager Empress with the natural affection a grandchild has for its grandmother. But Grandmama is stone cold--she goes so far as to deride and mock Anastasia, call her a charlatan, from the streets, the gutter. "The things you charade before me are a deep personal tragedy to me," she says furiously.
"I see," Anastasia says, coolly, but very angry. "Forgive me if I presume to wonder how that tragedy is more yours than mine."
Hot, angry words follow from Grandmama. Anastasia has had enough. "Your heart is closed so tightly you can't feel anything!" she cries, as she storms out of the room. Outside in the antechamber she breaks down in tears. She then starts to sing her song, in heartbreaking tones. Grandmama is deeply moved in the other room when she hears the first few bars.
"Catchy tune, isn't it? I've never heard it before," Prince Paul remarks.
"That's because I've never sung it to anyone but Anastasia!" Grandmama says in trembling tones. She rushes out and embraces Anastasia once she finishes her song. Then, Anastasia learns that she has been engaged to Prince Paul since she was too! This comes as a shock to Anastasia, although she's made no secret of her partiality to Prince Paul. Still, she has her reserves...and so does Iconovich, who is agahst at the idea. "What can you see in that royally slick?" he moans, putting an ice pack on his bruised head. Anastasia is in a particularly haughty mood and sweeps off to dinner with Prince Paul. Her instruments sigh. It's not like Anastasia to put on airs and be so haughty. Meanwhile playful accordion Alexei's been rooting around the hotel kitchen, much to the (hilarious!) chagrin of the chef. As Prince Paul and Anastasia enjoy a luxurious candlelit dinner, the Bad Checka storms in and takes Anastasia away. Prince Paul reacts extremely calmly, and says, "I'll come and rescue you when the moment is right." Meanwhile, Alexei goes after Anastasia, hanging on to the car, and watches through the window as they tie her to a chair. He runs back to the hotel to alert the others. Meanwhile, Anastasia is in for the biggest shock of her adventure--her beloved Prince Paul is actually THE BAD CHECKA!! He goes on to sing a catchy song about what a "charmless" "Prince Charming" he is. Anastasia is in great danger.

Meanwhile, at the hotel, Iconovich is dazed by the instruments speaking to him, begging him to go help Anastasia. He gets huffy.

"I don't care about her! I only care about the money. Why don't you get Prince Paul to help her? I'm sure HE cares about her."

"But Prince Paul's the one whose taken her captive!" Alexei shrieks.

Iconovich bolts up. "I never trusted that guy!" He flies out the door, crying "Come on! We've got to save Anastasia!"

"Wait a second," mother harp says with a smile. "I thought you only cared about the money."

Iconovich stops.

"Well," he says finally. "I never said I didn't! let's go!"

Off they go! They manage to distract the guards, and Iconovich flies to untie Anastasia, and they both put aside all their pretenses and declare their love for eachother. But "Prince Paul" comes out of the shadows and tries to shoot Iconovich. They begin to fight wildly, until they both fly out the window, and land in a rushing river. "Prince Paul" meets his watery death, but the tuba and Alexei manage to pull the dying Iconovich onto dry land. Anastasia holds him in her arms, and sobs real tears as she sees the love of her life slip away. But it's not too late for a happy ending! In the most touching & heart moving part of the movie, Anastasia's beloved instruments reveal who they really are. I won't give away the surprise ending but---Tuba is Tsar Nicholas, Anastasia's father. Dear mother Harp is her real mother, Queen Alexandra! And Titania & Alexei are none other than Titania & Alexei, her dear siblings! But since they have now revealed who they are to Anastasia, they must leave her. It's the rule. Anastasia is heart broken. Now she is losing everyone dear to her--Iconovich, her family...BUT! Her family, when they leave, will open the way for the general's life to come back. But in order for this to happen, Anastasia must sing to him--sing to him from the bottom of her heart. Her love goes beyond everything--even death itself. As Iconovich begins to come back to life, and sings the last lines of Anastasia's song with her, her glowing family say farewell to her, assuring her that they will always be with her. With a flash they are gone.

"Darling," Iconovich mumbles dazedly "I had the strangest dream..."

Anastasia laughs with pure joy. "Oh, so did I darling!" she says, hugging him and rocking back and forth. "So did I!"

So they live happily ever after, because Anastasia knows her family will always be with her---in her heart.

THE END

kind of out there... a girls opinion.......2005-12-17

I watched this movie when I was younger and I liked it then. obviously, adults won't like it, but it's a kids movie... . I watched it a lot, but when I think about it, I'd say rent it, don't buy it.

Cute, juvenile version.......2003-11-19

This cute juvenile version is very light and funny. My four year old son loves the comedic sayings like, "I'm not the pizza man.." The songs are light. It ends happy. I think it is a good dvd for young children.

Great.......2003-06-09

I found this film good because i like the singing that is involved in it and the plot is also kinda twisting at the end but u have to watch it to see what happens :)

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