Anastasia

A Disney film, but not a Disney film – in a lateral way, this reminds me of NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, in that it is a reaction against a very successful franchise/company, but basically just apes its inspiration rather well, as opposed to trying anything new (and I suppose in this analogy, Lansbury would be Connery?) The result is a sometimes odd, but entertaining adventure saga which ironically works better if you consider it in the context of Disney’s 90s Renaissance. Rests on the beautiful wide-screen animation and a superb voice cast all having fun (and Lansbury is a genuine highlight, wringing every ounce of poignant regret from her character). Makes some strange adjustments and alterations to its source material, but is still a lot of fun.