Bartok the Magnificent

The film's songs were written by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, both returning from Anastasia.

Musical numbers

In late 1999, pancake purveyor IHOP started selling two versions of Bartok, as part of promotion. The company planned "to sell about 500,000 of the six-inch-high toys - Bartok Puppet and Turban Bartok - for $2.99 with any food purchase". It was "also offering $2 mail-in rebate coupons for the $20 video...and free activity books for children".[4]

Bartok the Magnificent was first released on VHS and DVD by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment on November 16, 1999,[1] and was later re-released in 2005 as part of a 2-disc set alongside Anastasia entitled Family Fun Edition.[5] Bartok the Magnificent was also included as a special feature on Anastasia Blu-ray, released in March 2011.

The tape and DVD conclude with sing-along segments that reprise the ... original tunes by Stephen Flaherty ... and Lynn Ahrens"[2] - "Bartok the Magnificent", "A Possible Hero", "Someone's in My House" and "Once Upon a December" (from Anastasia).[6] Other DVD extras include also include Bartok and Anastasia trailers, and a Maze Game that features three ... mazes that you control with your remote control".[6]

Visual and audio

The aspect ratio is 1.33:1 – Full Frame. The DVD release has the original aspect ratio, and it is not anamorphic. As the source is video and not film, and because there is no widescreen aspect ratio available, the quality is at the same level of the original film. Digitally Obsessed says "The colors are nicely rendered, with a minimum of bleeding" but when viewed on "a 115 foot projection screen through a progressive scan player...the image was fairly grainy and uneven".[6] The film has English and French audio. Digitally Obsessed says "The DS2.0 mix is more than adequate for this fun little bat romp [though there is a] lack of directionality in the mix. The dialogue is clear and center speaker weighted". It concluded by saying "This is a great DVD for kids, because besides just watching the movie they can enjoy the three sing-alongs or try to find Prince Ivan in the mazes. Bartok teaches moral values in a way that kids can understand"[6] According to LoveFilm, the film has been dubbed into: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, and Dutch. It has subtitles in: Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish.[7] Fort Worth Star-Telegram implied this was one of the rare direct-to-video films that is great quality, saying "the made-for-tape bin can yield an undiscovered bargain [such as] Bartok the Magnificent".[8] Lexington Herald-Leader said "to my surprise...the movie overall [is] quite good."[9]

The film received neutral reviews. In a review written on January 1, 2000, Dan Jardine of Apollo Guide gave the film a score of 71/100.[10] On December 8, 2004, Michael Dequina of The Movie Report wrote a review in which he scored it 1.5/4, and wrote "This uninspired, but mercifully short, adventure will hold some amusement for little kids but bore everyone else".[10] Family Video said "The film is marked by imaginative scenery, catchy songs, comic characters and Bartok's own funny and neurotic commentary".[11] Hartford Courant described the film as "enjoyable".[12] Indianapolis Star said "'Bartok' is quite good for video-only release".[13] Digitally Obsessed gave the film a Style grade of B+, Substance rating of A, Image Transfer rating of C, Audio Transfer rating of B, and Extras rating of B+ - averaging out to a B+ rating of the film as a whole. It said "Stephen Flaherty's score is very nice".[6] On Love Film, the film has a rating of three of five stars based on 222 member ratings.[7]

In a 1999 review, John Laydon of Variety explained: "Tykes will likely be charmed by the brisk pacing, vibrant (albeit stereotypical) characters and engaging storyline, while parents may be especially grateful for a cartoon with much better production values than Pokémon. He noted "even very small children will notice early on that Ludmilla...a duplicitous regent, is the real villain of the piece". He said co-directors Bluth and Goldman "do a respectable job of establishing what promises to be a new direct-to-video franchise", adding that "though certainly not as lavish as its bigscreen predecessor Anastasia, the sequel is attractive and involving, with Tim Curry and Jennifer Tilly well cast as supporting-character voices". He said Azaria has "amusing brio", while Grammer "is the real scene-stealer this time". He described the songs as "pleasant but unremarkable".[2] Also in 1999, Fort Oglethorpe Press described the film as "spectacular", "frolicking" and "fun-filled", adding that it is "loaded with breathtaking, feature-quality animation", and "spectacular music", and "enchanting new songs".[1]

The Trades questioned its existence, saying "I am unsure what reason this spinoff was made, but regardless, it was a well done one". It added that "the same team directed and produced the second movie, and unlike many direct to video movies, it is animated as well as the first and uses a healthy portion of CGI, something many movies of that nature tend to lack. Backgrounds have the same detail as the original movie, making this a definite worthwhile watch".[14] The Dallas Morning News notes "Bartok the Magnificent does even more disservice to Russian history than Anastasia did".[15]

Bartok the Magnificent was nominated for "Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production" at the 28th Annie Awards in 2000, losing to Disney's An Extremely Goofy Movie.[16] It also received Gold Reel Award nominations for "Best Sound Editing" for both television films and direct-to-video presentations from the Motion Picture Sound Editors that same year, beaten by Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story and Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein, respectively.[17]