Fantasia 2000

I received this movie within a decent time and it was actually a wonderful movie. I am satisfied with my purchase.

The original Fantasia is two hours long. Fantasia 2000 is only 75 minutes long. Sure, it's more attention-grabbing, but this is even less compelling than the original.

Beethoven's 5th is underused (only four minutes worth of music compared to the twenty minutes of the 6th). The second movement of "Pines of Rome" by Ottonio Respighi is entirely cut out. WHY? The Finale to "Carnival of the Animals" is more bombastic than it should be. "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin has some good points, so no loss there. "Pomp and Circumstance" by Sir Edward Elgar is a hit and miss. Donald Duck is supposed to be a nonchalant, hot-headed duck, but I guess political correctness got its wish here. Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto" is uninteresting, and it lacks the beauty and charm that's found in the original. And finally, they could've used the complete 1910 version of Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird" rather than the 1949 suite. The villain of the sequence is awe-inspiring, however.

So the animation is much better-looking than the original, but it lacks the intrigue and extreme risk-taking that was found in the original. So I give this a C+.

I know that "Fantasia" was suppose to be a continual work-in-progress, but this is several decades too late to capture Walt's true vision, I'm sure. Still, I think it warrants 4 stars for beautiful music and some great animation.

Roy E. Disney has worked tirelessly to bring Fantasia 2000 to the big screen. Created as a continuation of the dream of a concert movie experience created by Walt Disney 60 years ago with the original Fantasia this new film provides eight more animated segments presented with classical music.

The musical selections are unique. Many of them first broached by Walt Disney himself when making selections for the original film in 1940. Starting with an abstract rendering of Beethovan's Fifth Symphony, the selections include Ottorino Resphighi's Pines of Rome showcasing flying whales, Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (a New York story rendered in Hirshfeild line drawings); Piano Concerto No. 2, Allegro, Opus 102 by Shostakovich; Carnival of the Animals (Le Carnaval des Animaux), Finale by Saint Saens; Dukas Sorceror's Apprentice (the lone holdover from the original film); Pomp and Circumstance, Marches #1, 2, 3, & 4 by Edward Elgar and Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, 1919.

The animation techniques are quite good and varied in style and technique. The film was designed to be viewed on the Imax system and the print is nearly flawless. The sound carries over quite well on the Dolby DTS track that I listened to. The disc features quite a few outstanding extras including an hour long making of feature called Fantasia the Legacy Continues; two excellent commentaty tracks featuring Disney, Conductor James Levine and Producer Don Ernst and the second featuring the animators and art directors; a production reel and two shorts.

This one is well worth seeking out to complete your collection.

As much as I enjoyed the original Fantasia, this new installment tops it. Fantasia 2000 is much more bright, entertaining, and re-watchable. 2000 prefers upbeat and even humorous animation to the slow and often gloomy sequences that saturated the original. The vibrant colors and dramatic song intros are welcome and significant improvements over the dark animation and dry, dull silhouettes of the first. The animation matches the music to a much greater level of detail, offers drama and humor, and does not demand nearly as much patience. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is really the only piece that could stand up to Fantasia 2000's selection, and even this classic reveals the weaknesses of the original Fantasia.