Very well executed

good back-story, and good acting

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

I grew up loving the immortal, timeless story of "Swan Lake" and I still love it to this day. I also adore the ballet by Tchaikovsky, that is just as magical and as enchanting as the story it is based upon. Then there are two movie versions that I saw, one was the 1994 film "The Swan Princess" by Richard Rich, while charming and a childhood favourite it isn't the Swan Lake that I love. Then there is this 1981 anime, which follows the story more closely while putting its own spin on it. The result is a beautiful, captivating and heartfelt film, that while it has its minor fault is definitely better than "Swan Princess".I really do need to mention the beautiful artwork of "Swan Lake". This film, like Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" (also based upon the fairytale and another one of Tchaikovsky's ballets) does have a gorgeous stylised look, with convincing character features, breathtaking background art and lavish colours. There are stunning images of Odette in swan and human form and the haunting images of Rothbart's castle. In regards to the lip-synching, it was good in most parts but there were other parts where it was sloppy. While Odette's monologue about where she came from and how she came to meet Rothbart was beautifully written and sad, the lip synching was a lot of the time behind the speaking so it was a little distracting.Tchaikovsky's music as always is absolutely outstanding, I heartily concur with the reviewer who said that it is the heart and soul of the film,for me it is by far the best asset of the film, and the main reason why I wanted to see it. Of course it is quite melancholy, but it is also enchanting, charming and haunting. So many standouts, including the adorable Dance of the Baby Swans, the heart-rending finale and the beautiful and haunting Pas De Deux(here done as Siegfried following Odette in a very effective scene). But I would also like to give special mention to the music accompanying the scene where Siegfried meets Odette for the first time in swan form, it is so gorgeous and really adds to the atmosphere.I have already said how good the story is, and I also thought the dialogue was not at all bad. I particularly loved Odile calling Siegfried "a dreamboat on wheels", and Rothbart's dialogue in the climax is delicious. It avoided being clichéd which was gratifying, as much as I like "Swan Princess" some of the dialogue is clichéd there.I also love the characters, and the voice acting was strong. The Media Home Video dubbing is indeed awful, but the one I am more familiar with and much prefer is the Samuel Goldwyn Co. one. This is more superior, because it suits the dark, enchanting and sombre tone of the film better. Christopher Atkins is appealing as Siegfried, and portrays him as handsome, headstrong and somewhat naive. Odette isn't the feisty and vivacious woman she is in "Swan Princess", instead she is beautiful and pure yet fragile and delicate. Pam Dawber brought some vulnerability into Odette, and it worked wonders. Kay Lenz is brilliant as Odile, who is possibly my favourite character, because she is so cool and seductive. And David Hemmings positively relishes the role of Rothbart; instead of the really sinister and imposing villain he is in the ballet or the threatening yet humorous one he is in "Swan Princess" he is a bit of both here. His climax scene see him at his most frightening, and his scenes with Odile, which accentuates his flaws as awkward and reluctant to hurt Odette because he does genuinely love her border on hysterical. Then there are the squirrels Hans and Margherita, who are both engaging and don't interrupt the flow of the story too much.In conclusion, this is a brilliant anime, that I recommend strongly. If you love anime or if you love the music of Tchaikovsky, I promise you are in for a treat! 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

I have to say that, as a child, I loved this movie. I found it absolutely spell-binding and was even known to watch it several times a week. As an adult fan of anime, though, watching it becomes a very different experience.The dubbing in this was very bad. In fact, the dubbing was down-and-out terrible. It's not exactly the story ballet-enthusiasts are accustomed to seeing, either. Still, there are a lot of charming additions to the story, and most of the changes were probably just to make it a little bit more child-friendly. There is an extremely cute little sub-plot involving the relationship between two squirrels; and, quite frankly, Tchaikovsky's music is set to animation absolutely beautifully. If I were to see this movie in the original Japanese, and had they left the ending the way it is in the more traditional tellings, I would probably rate this an absolute masterpiece. It is still VERY enjoyable for children, though, or anyone who loved the story as a child. I would also say it is a must-watch for anyone interested in anime from the 1980s, when the industry was relatively new to American audiences and it really didn't get a whole lot better than this.If I saw the movie for the first time today, I'd probably rate it around a 6.5 or a 7. If you'd asked the little girl I was 15 years ago, she would have definitely told you it was a 9. :)

I saw this anime in 1992 in Swedish when I was 8 years old. Now I am 20 and I bought this on ebay last year (2003) and I really enjoyed watching it again. Now I am watching it in English but that is OK because I understand the language. One day i decided to buy this anime film but it was difficult to find in Sweden so I checked on ebay and there it was so I bid on it and finally I had won the item. I was very pleased about it because now I was going to see Swan Lake again for the first time since 1992.The film was released from Japan in 1982 but I was not born at that time, only 2 years later I was born and had no clue about this film until 1992 when I was 8.Swan Lake is about Prince Siegfried and a mysterious Swan who is reallu an enchanted princess called Odette. Odette is hold captive by an evil wizard called Rothbard and his daughter Odile. Siegfried and Odette falls in love but Rothbart has asked Odette to be his wife but she refuses because there is only one man in her heart, Siegfried. So one day there is a ball at Siegfrieds castle and he vows Odette to be his wife. Although there is one problem, Odile and Rothbart knows about this and Odette is locked up in the tower. But two squirrels helps her to escape, Hans and Margarita. Siegfried discovers he has been fooled and follows Odette to the castle. There he and Rothbart fight and finally Rothbart and Odile are defeated with true love. And Odette and Siegfried live happily ever after.

I am thrilled to find one of my all-time favorite pieces of anime! This is an excellent education in the story and music of "Swan Lake" for those with short attention spans and/or an adversity to ballet/orchestral music. After all, we're talking about one of the fundamentals of Western cultural literacy. This movie tells the story with all of the adventure of anime while incorporating the rich historical feel of the piece as well as the breathtaking score. I remember back when I first saw this, my mother, who is a musician and music teacher, watched it with me and went on for days about how wonderful it was as a means of introducing new generations to "Swan Lake". True!