Parents' Guide to

Anastasia

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Beautiful, not factual depiction of missing Russian duchess.

Movie G 1997 94 minutes
Anastasia Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 13 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
October 31, 2022
age 7+

A bit violent and very un-historic, with pleasant songs

Quite a bit violent for a young children's film. This is definitely not a film that is historically accurate. In fact, quite the opposite, the liberties taken are wide and loose. It is definitely a fantastical story and the songs are catchy and the mascots are cute. The romance is predictable but not distracting. It's pleasant but violent, I would say appropriate for kids maybe 7 and up.
radu_cloud
radu_cloud Adult
August 28, 2021
age 12+

Good but with strong horror scenes

Very beautiful music, scenes, story. But the Rasputin scenes are plain horror for a kid, even if just cartoon. So I think it's not for children of any age.
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In this retelling of the mystery surrounding Russian Tsar Nicholas II's daughter, little Anastasia and her adored grandmother (voice of Angela Lansbury) are separated after escaping the execution of the royal family during the Russian Revolution. Years later, "Anna" (voice of Meg Ryan), who remembers nothing of her early years, leaves the orphanage where she has been raised and goes off in search of her family. She's discovered by a couple of con men who have been searching for a young woman they can pass off as Anastasia, to get a reward from the dowager grandmother, who now lives in Paris. They convince her that they are just trying to help her find out whether she is in fact the missing Anastasia, never suspecting that she really is. Trying to stop her is the evil spectre Rasputin, who becomes so angry that pieces of his face and body fall off and have to be reapplied.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13):
Kids say (48):

A sumptuous (if completely inaccurate) animated story about Anastasia, this movie will captivate kids and their families. The animators learned their craft at Disney, and it shows. Other than the mostly forgettable score, the production is first-class, with an appealing heroine, exciting action, glamorous settings, and a tender love story.

Anna is smart, brave, and loyal. She is also a rare leading lady who vanquishes the bad guy on her own. This film may prompt older kids to learn more about the real story of the Romanov family.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Anastasia (as depicted in this film) compares with other royal film characters, such as Princess Fiona of Shrek, and Sleeping Beauty's Princess Aurora.

  • How do you feel about the scary parts of Anastasia? Does the funny bat character Bartok help make the scenes with evil Rasputin easier to watch?

  • Families can also use this film as a springboard into further research about the real Anastasia and Russian history.

Movie Details

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