Bartok the Magnificent (1999)

Overrated

Absolutely Fantastic

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

I had seen Bartok The Magnificent several years ago and I recently re-watched it. Along with The Pebble And The Penguin and A Troll In Central Park, Bartok The Magnificent is not as good as An American Tail, All Dogs Go To Heaven, The Land Before Time, and especially The Secret Of NIMH. While re-watching it, I expected to be really corny but it's by no means awful and there are actually some good things about it. The animation is quite nice and there are some pretty cool characters. Baba Yaga is suitably menacing, Pilaf is adorable, and Zozi and the skull crack me up. On the flip side, the script/story suffered from being somewhat predictable and I don't care for the songs. Also, Bartok is kind of annoying but is actually less annoying here than he is in Anastasia. Not the best movie ever but nowhere near as bad as it could have been. PS: The way Baba Yaga reacts to being hugged is absolutely hilarious.

1st watched 2/2/2013 – 3 out of 10(Dir-Don Bluth): Disappointing follow-up to very well done 1997 film "Anastasia" by Director Don Bluth and Producer Gary Goldman. This straight-to-video release takes one character from the previous mentioned film, Bartok, voiced by Hank Azaria, and places him into an older setting where the Romanov's still reign and Bartok is a traveling entertainer in Moscow with his bear friend voiced by Kelsey Grammar. He fakes the crowd into thinking he has powers – so when the current Prince appears to be kidnapped – the people want Bartok to rescue him from the clutches of a strange witch. Technically this movie looks very good, and the animation holds up against the 1997 film. The music was created by the original team from "Anastasia", but the songs do not hold up, and are not memorable at all. The main problem with the movie, though, is the story and screenplay – which is not funny, and seems like it was pieced together. Bartok is irritating at times and pretty much all of the secondary characters are pretty lame(although the bear voiced by Grammar isn't bad). One of the villains of the piece is a strange witch that turns out to be very un-scary even though the initial music makes it seem like she's just the opposite. She hands out three simple tasks to Bartok before she supposedly hands over the prince, and then ends up not having him?? What was with this plot twist?? It was done primarily to reveal the real villain which ends up being the backup person to the Prince's throne(how original was this??). Sorry about the plot revelations, but if you watch this movie you won't really care about this anyway. If you think the movie is OK for kids, it's not…it's a little too creepy in some scenes and has some adult humor. So basically, this movie is definitely a flop in many ways. Avoid it.

As a sequel/prequel to "Anastasia", Don Bluth's infamous Disney rip-off and one of my personal favourite animated flics, "Bartok the Magnificent" *does* fall short, but it still stands on its own with its own sentimental qualities; cute humour, great voice acting, and endearing (albiet childish) animation. Even though Bartok is a pseudo-villain in Anastasia (he faithfully assists Rasputin without really seeming evil), he makes a great hero.The plot flows thusly - Bartok (played once more by the incomparable Hank Azaria) has a road-side, travelling show, in which he portrays himself and sings about his (completely made-up) heroic doings, while staging the dramatic killing of a vicious bear (portrayed by Bartok's partner-in-crime, Zozi - played by Kelsey Grammar). Through these antics the little white bat gains quite a fan-base, including the young Czar-to-be, Prince Ivan. And so, it is no surprise to anyone (except perhaps Bartok himself) when he is begged to rescue the Prince from the evil witch of Russian folklore, Baba Yaga (Andrea Martin). In his journey, Bartok meets a wonderful cast of characters, including a snake-thing called Piloff (Jennifer Tilly) and a riddling skull (Tim Currey), and discovers the hero in him he never knew.While the ending leaves a few things unanswered (for example; if Bartok becomes a beloved hero in Moscow, as he does, how did he end up falling in with the wicked Rasputin?), "Bartok the Magnificent" gives for good fun for the whole family - kids will laugh at the corny jokes (maybe their parents too) and the talking animals. Adults will enjoy the use of great voice actors like Azaria, Grammar, Martin, Tilly and Currey, as well as Catherine O'Hara, cast as the voice of diabolical Regent Ludmilla (a character so hilariously over-the-top that she becomes just as "magnificent" as the title character).All in all, yes, "Bartok the Magnificent" fails to live up to the very high standard set by its predecessor, but it remains a cut and entertaining addition to Don Bluth's resume.

This film, about a circus bat in Russia, off to save the prince from the "evil" Baba Yaga, will no doubt have a great appeal on children. It is sure to entertain them and they will be likely to sing and dance along with it as soon as they know the words of the songs.As an older person, such as a grown-up or teenager, this film may fall flat on its face. It is quite babyish and the animation - including the backgrounds, could possibly do with a little bit more work. However, this film is likely to entertain the older anyway. The songs are very charming and so is the plot. The characters are also very lovable. One thing that can be said happily, is that they use a very English actor to voice - not a baddie - but a goodie, a thing which many American films do not have (including "The Lion King")! The other voices are good too. So, enjoy "Bartok The Magnificent", who is the specifically, terrifically magnificent!