There was a time, not very long ago, when a young princess named Anastasia lived in an enchanted world of elegant palaces and grand parties. The year was 1916 and her legendary family, the Romanovs, was celebrating its 300th anniversary as the ruling dynasty in Russia. It was a joyous affair and no star shone brighter that evening than Anastasia.
Her grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie, was returning to her home in Paris, which saddened the little girl. She begged her grandmother not to go back to the City of Lights. So the Empress prepared a special gift for her beloved granddaughter, a beautiful music box that played their special lullaby. The Dowager Empress had a special inscription placed on the key to the music box - "Together in Paris." But that was not to be, for a dark shadow was descending over the palace.
The evil Rasputin had returned from exile to St. Petersburg seeking revenge. Consumed by hatred, he sold his soul for a dangerous power to curse the family. From that moment on, the fire of revolution began to rage across the country, ultimately destroying most of the Romanov family.
With the aid of a courageous kitchen boy named Dimitri, the Empress and her granddaughter make their perilous escape from the horde which is attacking the Romanov palace. Pursued by the fervent Rasputin, Marie and Anastasia's only hope is to catch the last train from the crumbling capital.
The icy Volga River drags Rasputin to his death, pardoning the lives of Marie and Anastasia. But as they struggle to escape the mob that has become St. Petersburg, Marie and Anastasia are separated when the princess falls from her grandmother's grasp. As the distraught Marie heads toward Paris and safety, Anastasia lies unconscious, alone and anonymous.
And the greatest mystery of the 20 century begins...
A magical mix of action, adventure, comedy, romance and music, ANASTASIA is a spectacular, full-length animated motion picture about the lost Russian princess, the fabled last surviving member of the Romanov family, and her incredible journey to find her identity. During her one-of-a-kind adventure, Anastasia and her companions must battle the evil sorcerer Rasputin, his sidekick Bartok the bat, and a band of ghostly minions - all of whom will stop at nothing to complete Rasputin's curse against her family.
Set against the backdrop of Imperial Russia and the post-revolution Soviet Union to the jazz era of Paris in the 1 920s, Anastasia creates a twentieth century fairy tale inspired by the enduring legend of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Nicholaevna. Long rumored to have survived the devastating effects of the Russian Revolution, ANASTASIA draws on the essence of this mystery and queries "what if,' the princess survived.
(I took this from the Movieweb site)
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