Publisher: CinemaSerf December 6, 2023
This adaptation is quite similar to the Brynner/Bergman telling of this story from 1956 - only this one features one of Disney's better baddies to liven it up and inject a bit of nasty menace to the proceedings. When Rasputin is cast aside by the Russian Imperial family, he brings down a curse on their heads that results in revolution, murder and mayhem. Shortly afterwards, a young girl is walking past a boarded-up palace one chilly evening and she breaks in. That's when she encounters the sheltering young "Dimitri" and his cohort "Vladimir". The former man takes a bit of a shine to the young girl, and after a few glances at some of the portraiture adorning the walls, concludes that she could be the eponymous Grand Duchess and their ticket to riches in Paris. She's not as willing at the con artistry as they are, but is hungry and cold and desperate so accompanies them to France where an intense course of training, a convenient friendship with "Sophie" and some perseverance sees her in the presence of her would-be grandmother, the Dowager Empress. Will the old and somewhat sceptical lady be convinced...?Meantime, the spectre of their erstwhile spiritual advisor is aware that she is perhaps on the cusp of restoring the Romanov fortunes, and so conjures up all of his dastardly might to ensure that the demise of the family is complete. Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens provide a modestly powerful score but the lavish look of the film, some colourful visual effects (mindful of "Sleeping Beauty" from 1959) and a solid script deliver an entertaining story of just how powerful love can be - even when faced with the lure of an enormous diamond tiara.