---
title: "Anastasia: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/anastasia/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/anastasia"
critics_score: 53
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Anastasia (1997): what the critics said

Critics' score 53 from 7 reviews: 1 positive, 3 mixed, 3 negative.

The reviews are split down the middle, and the praise clusters almost entirely on the look of the film. Most critics admire the animation: the widescreen backgrounds, the carefully rendered settings, the blending of computer work with traditional cels, and a general lift in quality over Don Bluth’s recent films. Rasputin’s anarchic villainy draws some warmth too, and several find the central love story engaging enough to carry the film for children.

The reservations are about everything underneath the surface. The songs are called weak more than once, the plot is judged predictable and built from familiar animated-film conventions, and the liberties taken with the Romanovs trouble more than one critic. Variety and The AV Club go furthest, finding it formulaic and short of a creative spark. Radio Times draws the line by age: children will enjoy it, adults may not. The spread is wide, from a firm recommendation at RogerEbert.com to plain disappointment, with no single view dominant.

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Rating 3/4. 21 November 1997. 

Ebert gives the film a positive review. The page content is blocked, so its specific praise cannot be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/anastasia-1997)

## Empire — Phil Thomas

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Thomas finds the film charming and entertaining, though ultimately unremarkable. He particularly objects to its idealised portrayal of the Romanovs.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/anastasia-review/)

## Time Out — DA

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review presents the film as an engaging love story, though its songs are a notable weakness. It praises the animation as a major improvement over Don Bluth’s recent work.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/anastasia)

## Radio Times — Joanna Berry

Rating 3/5. 

Berry says historical liberties may disappoint adults, while children are likely to enjoy the sweet adventure. She singles out its appeal to children as its chief strength.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-kwsbda/anastasia/)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 1997. 

McCarthy finds the film ambitious but only moderately effective, lacking the creative spark to rise above familiar formula. He praises its colorful widescreen visuals and some dramatic moments, while criticizing awkward story elements and uneven animation.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1997/film/reviews/anastasia-2-1200451949/)

## The AV Club — Maria Schneider

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 4 April 2002. 

The critic finds the film disappointingly predictable and overly reliant on familiar animated-movie conventions. Its sumptuous settings and carefully rendered backgrounds are praised, especially the blend of computer animation with traditional cels.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/anastasia-1798196308)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 July 2007. 

The critic finds the film entertaining in flashes but ultimately too formulaic, with too many weak songs. He praises Rasputin’s anarchic villainy and the animation’s imaginative flair.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/anastasia-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/anastasia.md