Stars: Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Hank Azaria

Director: Don Bluth

Summary: This double feature presents two animated adventures: ANASTASIA and FERNGULLY: THE LAST RAINFOREST<BR>Based on the legend of the real-life daugher of the last Russian czar, ANASTASIA combines imaginative animation and lively songs to tell the story of a princess who escapes a horrible execution and mysteriously reappears after being thought dead. When a team of swindlers, Dimitri (John Cusack) and Vladimir (Kelsey Grammer), recruit Anya (Meg Ryan), a spunky amnesiac orphan, in their plot to defraud the Dowager Empress (Angela Lansbury) with a faux Romanov heir, little do they know their carefully coached fake is the real thing. But the resurgence of the long-lost Anastasia also attracts the attention of the scary Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd), who, with his hilarious sidekick, Bartok the bat (Hank Azaria), schemes to do in the last Romanov. Though much lighter (thankfully for children) than the 1956 Anatole Litvak-directed ANASTASIA adapted from Marcelle Maurette's play, this movie is still packed with thrills, chills, and romance. The first animated feature from 20th Century Fox, the film is directed by longtime collaborators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman.<BR>In FERNGULLY, a cute little sprite named Crysta (Samantha Mathis) lives in a beautiful tropical rainforest. One day she flies above the forest's dense foliage to glimpse the outside world, and while there, she becomes infatuated with a human named Zak (Jonathan Ward). He's a nice enough fellow, but he also happens to be a workman on the logging machine that threatens to destroy the lush and magical forest. Crysta decides to shrink young Zak down to her size so that he can see the world he is about to demolish from a different point of view. A romance develops between the two, and the couple eventually join forces with some of Crysta's wacky rainforest friends to battle the humans. Unfortunately, our heroes have other enemies too--an evil woodland spirit called Hexxus (Tim Curry) has arisen from his slumber and, in between snacks of toxic waste, plans to destroy the forest.

WIN DVDs by rating this DVD

Average User Rating:

WIN DVDS by being amongst the first to review this DVD. Reviewing DVDs earns you bonus entries and lets you WIN DVDs!Please login before reviewing this DVD. If you're a new user, register for free and enter to WIN FREE DVDs!

Stomping out their usual cuteness and carbon copying Disney's grand animation style to a tee, directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman (An American Tail) create a successful musical comedy from the story of the lost Russian princess. Adapting the story of imperialism and revolution is tricky, and subsequently the film's opening is weak. Once Anya (voiced by Meg Ryan, sung by Liz Callaway) is a teenager and on her own (suffering from some degree of amnesia), Anastasia is quite pleasing though never refreshingly new.

20th Century Fox's big-money gamble to horn in on Disney's realm is worthy. The songs, especially the recurrent "Once Upon a December" by Broadway team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, are better than Disney's recent efforts. It's worth picking up the soundtrack. The mix of cell animation and computer work is vivid. The collection of vocal talent is also strong, from John Cusack (as Dimitri, who wants to earn the reward by bringing Anya to Paris) to Hank Azaria as an amusing albino bat. Kelsey Grammer helps turn a roly-poly sidekick into a warm and strong supporting character.

The biggest drawback is Bluth/Goldman's insistence on having a typical villain. Surprisingly, the story would be strong enough without one and the undead corpse of Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd) is unneeded and unoriginal. --Doug Thomas

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen, 2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	The Magical Journey Of Anastasia, The Making Of Anastasia, Anastasia Music Box Favourites, Trailer
Subtitles:	Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Year:	1997
Release Date:	September 9, 2002
Runtime:	163 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	23948 D V D
Keywords:	Last, Family, Anastasia, Two, General, Wide, Screen, Animation, Childrens, Rainforest, Fern, Gully, Discs
Genre:	Family