Danya
Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Animation
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Writer: Jacob Jones
Voice Cast: Meg Donnelly, Eddie Murphy, Abi Monterey, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Riz Ahmed, Ruth Codd, Ginnifer Goodwin
Plot: Inside a local bar in Russia, a group of patrons drink and chat with one another. All seems normal until the door swings open. There, the entire bar seems to stop and stare as in walks a beautiful raven-haired woman, complete with a midriff shirt and a tight mini-skirt. Each guy stares at the woman as she slowly struts toward the bar.
Finally, the woman sits herself down on a stool, a bartender asking who he should make this out there. The woman thinks and smirks confidently. Danya Istanov (Meg Donnelly). Upon seeing the atmosphere, she declares that tonight, drinks are on her. The entire bar celebrates as a result.
All throughout the day, Danya parties with the guys inside the bar, sharing drinks, chatting with guests, flirting and provocatively dancing on the dance floor. One especially lucky man gets the opportunity to dance with Danya, her hips swaying to the beat as she leads him on. Before he can touch his waist, Danya’s chest shoves him to the ground. The others around him laugh as Danya saunters off.
That evening, Anna (Abi Monterey), prays to God, before receiving a phone call from a noticeably inebriated Danya inviting her to her 23rd birthday party tomorrow. Anna expresses concern with Danya’s behavior as of late, finding her too reckless. Danya knows, but claims that her looks make her void of punishment. Annoyed, Anna cryptically warns Danya that someday, she’s going to get herself in a world of trouble.
The next day, Danya awakens in her bed, suffering a massive hangover, only to be greeted with some raucous noise outside. Danya takes a gander, finding a group of men all serenading her name. Danya swoons and goes off to change. Meanwhile, Anna is alongside her boyfriend, trying to find a last-minute gift, only to find she doesn’t have enough money.
Later that evening, Danya receives an almost royal welcome, complete with trumpets and an announcement. Danya walks down the stairs wearing a slit cut black dress with noticeable cleavage. She thanks everyone for coming to her party but that she’s not surprised. She’d come too if she knew she was hosting.
Not much is different from her adventures in the bar, except this time, Danya sees Anna with her boyfriend. After welcoming her in, Danya makes some snide comments about her “garish” wardrobe before encouraging her to have fun. When she notices Anna didn’t bring a gift, Danya glances at her boyfriend, opting to take him instead. Anna instead flings him away, wanting no part in her tricks.
Danya sashays off, claiming that she eventually gets her man. As the hours pass by and the drinks flow on, a boozed up Danya emerges on a large stage, unwrapped from a large present and wearing black lingerie.
Danya dances for the eager crowd when she notices Anna walking off to the bathroom. Seeing the opportunity, she calls for her boyfriend to join the stage. When Anna returns, she’s aghast, demanding that Danya leave her boyfriend alone.
Danya calls Anna out for ruining the party. Anna doesn’t want anyone messing with her man. The two argue for a bit before Danya calls her a joke who could never compare to someone like her. Anna sputters out a final insult before storming off in tears, leaving Danya and the others to continue the party as normal.
The Next Day:
Anna sits inside a bar, listening to a group of men discuss how awesome Danya’s birthday party was when she hears a gravelly voice. Anna turns around to find an old man asking what’s wrong. Anna vents about Danya and how she constantly puts others down.
The old man suggests paying a visit to Prokylat (Eddie Murphy), a spirit who curses those who sin. If they redeem themselves, they turn back to normal, but if they cannot, Proklyat takes their soul. His cauldron can be found at the Ancient Museum, though no one’s stepped in decades.
That afternoon, Anna enters the Proklyat’s cauldron, coming across a dark, mysterious room. Inside it is a large vase which, if rubbed, will reveal the eponymous Proklyat. Keeping an eye out for security, Anna rubs the vase three times.
A toxic green smog engulfs the entire area before revealing Proklyat. He makes a loud, bellowing speech about how he has come to right the sinners and show them a better path, asking who comes before him, only to be disappointed when he finds Anna, or as he calls her, “a tourist”.
Proklyat is about to leave when Anna makes an offer. There’s a woman who has given other people a hard time due to her narcissism. She wants Proklyat to teach her a lesson. Intrigued at his first “big catch” since Gorbachev, Proklyat accepts the offer.
That evening, Danya makes her way to the bedroom, preparing for a good night’s sleep, completely unaware of the smog that now infiltrates her room, a soft, yet wicked cackle filling the air. The same voice gently calls for Danya to wake up. To her horror, Danya finds that she’s transformed into a bear. Proklyat officially introduces himself, accusing Danya for being, “the world’s most extravagant attention-seeker.” and that as punishment, she must learn what ugliness is by being a bear. If she can learn to be more humble within three days, she’ll turn back into a human. If she fails, then she’ll remain a bear forever. Oh, and one more thing, if at any point things get a bit hairy or gray, Proklyat will be around to give her advice. Sort of like a conscience.
After Proklyat leaves, Danya tries to go about her day, even as citizens are repulsed to find a bear in the open, leading one police officer (Nick Offerman) to head out and assess the situation.
Upon finding the bear, the officer starts shooting, causing Danya to run for her life. Eventually, Danya runs all the way to a forest, pausing by a tree to catch her breath and ponder her plight.
“Whoa, I didn’t know bears could touch trees like that. Far out…”
Danya pauses, her eyes catching a glimpse at a plain, yet earthy woman. She asks the woman who she is, leading to them being at awe of the talking bear. Annoyed, Danya introduces herself and explains her situation. Taking pity, the woman introduces herself as Venus (Ruth Codd).
Danya and Venus venture further into the forest, the spiritual girl asking why she feels a need to become more humble. Danya responds that she needs to become a human again. Venus appears unconvinced, stating that looks do not make a person. She emphasizes this by comparing the fox to the crow. Foxes may seem lovely, but in truth, they can be among the most cunning animals. The crow meanwhile is a coarse, but fierce and loyal figure.
Summarizing the matter as her not judging books by their cover, Danya pauses, remembering prior meetings with Anna. From what she recalled, Anna is a quiet, but nice girl. Venus congratulates Danya for understanding, offering to help.
Danya accepts, letting Venus lead a bizarre yoga session, ending with Venus stripping to her underwear. It’s there she hears Proklyat asking what she’s doing hanging about a tree-humper, advising Danya to continue elsewhere. Danya stares at Venus’s body for a second before walking off, admitting that Venus looked good.
Back in the streets, the officer asks Anna if she’s seen any bears. Confused, Anna claims to have not seen anything of the sort. Suspicious, she visits Prokylat’s cauldron for questioning. Prokylat, who had been watching a perfectly fine game of soccer, assures Anna that everything is going smoothly for Danya. Despite her growing suspicion, Anna trusts Prokylat, assuring him that she will follow his plan. She leaves the cauldron, but not before a brief debate on whether or not soccer should be called football.
That evening, A tired Danya wanders in the forest before passing out. Some time later, the bear is awakened by a young woman named Kristyana (Sarah Silverman). She was out hiking by the forest and saw the poor creature all by herself, shocked when Danya reveals she can talk.
Danya and Kristyana walk with one another, the latter learning of her plight. Danya admits that she’s still trying to get used to being a bear, missing her human form, but that maybe it’s not all bad, citing her distaste for creeps. Kristyana sympathizes, her husband has to deal with them all the time, being a rapper.
Astounded, Danya thinks Kristyana should be touting this the world, only to be stunned when she finds a quaint house, Kristyana’s home. By this point, the door opens and out comes a handsome young man named Dmitri (Riz Ahmed) declaring himself to be the “boss”, only to be shocked when he sees a bear.
Kristyana explains the situation to Dmitri, who at first is reluctant to accept a bear in the house. Danya struggles to enter the house, even bumping into a few objects. Fearing she has made a terrible mistake, Danya runs out of the house in tears.
Kristyana comforts Danya, knowing that she made mistakes, but that she is now working to fix them as best she can. Danya wonders, however, how can they be so happy having so little. Kristyana takes her back to the house, going up to her bedroom and revealing a snowglobe her father gave her when she was little. It is better to love the possessions that mean most to you rather than brag about the same gifts. Danya glances at the snowglobe, watching the snowflakes fall.
Back in the museum, Proklyat stews in her own frustration. Day 1 is now complete and Danya is making great progress. He opts to take the shape of a fly, zooming towards the cabin and peaking into Dimitri’s mind. As it turns out, there’s a concert happening tomorrow night. With an idea brimming, Proklyat heads back to scheme.
The next day, Kristyana, Dmitri and Danya watch as construction workers put the finishing touches on a set, only to find no one is tall enough to finish the set’s top part. Kristyana tries, but fails to do so. Kristyana then suggests Danya give it a try. This not only works, but proves to be the perfect height for the set-piece. Danya, to her surprise, gives the credit to Kristiyana.
As Danya heads off, she gets in contact with Proklyat again, commending her growth over the past day. Danya feels weird but imagines it’s part of the process. Proklyat claims that the fun has only begun, reminding her to keep sturdy and trust in him. That evening, Dmitri looks out from the crowd for the concert. Danya wants to come out and enjoy the concert, but Dmitri suggests she stay in the back for moral support when needed.
During the concert, however, Danya hears Proklyat’s voice again, asking what she’s doing sitting out in the back, tempting her to go on stage and dance for her fans. Danya tries to fight the inner voice as best she can, but Proklyat presents his case:
“Ain’t no one seen a dancing bear before...”
With that, Danya glides onto stage, terrifying the crowd as she dances about, only to trip on the wire and fall on top of several fans. Little does she know, watching all of this play out is the police officer, having stepped in as security at the last minute. Seeing the opportunity, he picks up the big net and catches Danya among the screaming crowd.
Kristiyana tries to follow after the officer, explaining the misunderstanding only for Dmitri to stop her. The bear is ugly on the inside and outside. As Danya is driven off to the zoo, Proklyat mockingly wishes her farewell.
The next day, Anna walks the streets of Russia when she sees the police officer celebrating his bounty. Overhearing this, Anna asks the officer what he’s talking about. Delirious, he blabs about capturing the bear. Realizing what he means, a horrified Anna rushes to the cauldron, taking the officer to Prokylat’s realm with her, only to find him showering. Annoyed by his alone time interrupted, he takes pleasure in finding the officer, or as he calls him, his “old friend”, thanking him for his “determination” and “servitude”.
Concerned, Anna asks Prokylat what he’s talking about and what it has to do with the officer. With the facade dead, Prokylat gladly shows Danya’s fate, stuck inside a zoo with only other animals to talk to, crediting the officer for making it happen. Horrified, Anna tells him that she’s breaking the deal.
Prokylat claims that it’s too late, the third day is almost over, and would you believe it, it’s become a special day! He’s done some math and has learned that he only needs one more soul and he will be freed from his vase and able to roam the world. When asked why, Prokylat explains in song that he “generously borrowed from mouse theater” that he was once a troubled man who, after dying, was sentenced to spend eternity inside a vase, harvesting souls all the with the catch that, if he were to harvest one-hundred souls, he could break free.
After Prokylat makes his exit, the officer looks on, stunned and mortified by what he’s done, begging Anna for forgiveness. Anna makes a deal, if he helps her find Danya and break the curse, then he’ll be forgiven. The officer and Anna set off, entering the car and speeding off, praying to God that Danya is alright.
Back inside the zoo, a forlorn Danya looks at the outside world, watching children observe the animals with delight. Slowly coming to terms with her own demise, Danya breaks into sobs…
“Now what’s all this crying about?”
A voice echoes from the cave, revealing another bear, the Mama (Ginnifer Godwinn). Danya doesn’t want to tell her story again, but is eventually coaxed by Mama to tell her. Realizing that the plight is all on her, Danya admits fault to everything. Mama hugs Danya, telling her that it’s alright. Sometimes, people, and especially animals, do things that they shouldn’t. You know what happens? They learn and grow from it. Mama asks Danya if she feels this way.
Danya thinks back to everything that’s happened and realizes that she has learned a lot from this. It’s there Mama offers to help her get back to the museum and end the curse, whistling in an entire bear army to help out.
As Anna and the officer swerve about on the Russian road, a whole group of police cars chase after them. Needing a distraction, Anna spins the car, turning on a red light and speeding the opposite direction. This causes a massive crash as several cars pile up on one another. Unfortunately, Anna soon loses control of the steering wall and the car spirals into the forest, just barely avoiding a collision with a tree.
As Anna and the officer regain their bearings, they come across a bikini-wearing Venus meditating. After explaining the situation to her, Venus immediately hops in and the gang step on it. Back in the zoo, the group of bears do their best to hide Danya and Mama as they sneak off, finding the steel mesh that holds their cage together. Mama fudges with it for a bit before Danya nudges it the right way. With that, Danya makes her escape, but not before thanking Mama for her help.
As the runaway police car tries to find their way out of the forest, they find Kristiyana and Dmitri outside their home, Anna screaming for them to look out. Kristiyana opts to help find her. Dmitri refuses at first, but after hearing about Danya might die if they don’t do something, he hops in.
Danya glances up at the sun as it starts to set, only to be cornered by a group of zookeepers. Danya growls at them, trampling one of them with her paws and chasing the others away, unaware that a car is heading right towards her.
Danya hops on top of the car, finding the police car’s lights. She’s about to jump off when she sees Anna and all her other friends. Danya tries to get her attention, succeeding when she lets out a loud roar. After embracing her friends, Danya apologizes to Anna for what she did, calling her kickass for coming to her aid. Anna forgives her, having been deceived by Prokylat as well. Danya hops on the car, making a run for the museum.
When they teach the museum, however, they find that it’s locked. In a cruel twist, the museum closes at 8 PM. The time right now? 8 PM. Refusing to give up, Danya bullrushes through the door, letting Anna take the lead on finding Prokylat. Upon entering his realm, Danya calls to him.
Sure enough, Prokylat appears, sarcastically congratulating Danya for bringing everyone together. Unfortunately for her, she’s too late. The museum closes early, so by default, he’s won. Danya refuses to accept this, declaring that he made a deal. Amused, Prokylat snaps his fingers, causing the earth to shake and trapping everyone in large shield-like cocoons. If Danya wants her body back, he’ll have to fight him.
From there, Prokylat throws fireballs at Danya, the bear dodging them all. In an attempt to psyche her out, Prokylat teleports to other parts of the museum, pretending to be different objects so that Danya can do damage. He makes a fatal mistake however when he returns to his vase, causing Danya to charge up to and smash the vase into pieces.
The earth shakes again, the vase rebuilding itself and revealing a gigantic Prokylat. The demon throws multiple objects at Danya, the fatigued animal trying her best to dodge, only to finally fall victim to a mirror. Danya collapses onto the ground, bloodied and bruised. Prokylat steps up to Danya, making one final deal. Either she can watch her friends burn into a fiery grave or sacrifice herself and become his 100th soul.
To everyone’s dismay, Danya accepts the deal, explaining that she has been ungrateful to many people, because she truly felt she was better than everyone. Yet, they all came together to help her break the curse. If sacrificing herself means they stay alive, then so be it.
Prokylat throws the biggest possible fireball to Danya, causing a massive explosion in the process. When the smoke clears, Danya is left a lifeless husk. Prokylat celebrates, proclaiming that he’s about to become immortal, only for nothing to happen. The room is illuminated with a blinding light and everyone on the tree is set free. Out from the distance is a shadowy figure, revealing themselves to be…
…Danya.
Everyone is shocked, including Danya. Prokylat reads through a spirit manual, discovering that if a cursed soul willingly sacrifices themselves, that person comes back to life. Realizing his plans have been foiled, Prokylat flees inside his vase, locking the cover with a plug.
Anna declares Danya a hero, but Danya refuses the claim. The real heroes were everyone else. In fact, now that Danya is human again, she might have something in mind for everyone…
An evening later, a group of people chat with one another when Danya enters the stage, thanking everyone for coming, saying that she’s been through a lot as of late before revealing everyone who helped her along the way, even Mama. Special notice goes to Anna for wearing a beautiful flowing gown.
Danya steps aside, letting the group decide what to do. Anna looks around her setting and breaks out a big smile:
“LET’S PARTY!”
As the credits roll, there’s a big dance sequence featuring each character, highlighted by Danya dancing with Anna. The girls exchange a hug as the party goes on through the night.
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