Fantasia/2000 (1999)

An update of the original film with new interpretations of great works of classical music.

Directors:

James Algar, Gaëtan Brizzi,

Writers:

Eric Goldberg (story), Hans Christian Andersen (story),

Stars:

Leopold Stokowski, Ralph Grierson, Steve Martin

4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leopold Stokowski	...	Himself - Conductor (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (archive footage)
Ralph Grierson	...	Pianist (segment "Rhapsody in Blue")
Kathleen Battle	...	Featured Soprano (segment "Pomp and Circumstance") (singing voice)
Steve Martin	...	Himself - Introductory Host
Itzhak Perlman	...	Himself - Host (segment "Pines of Rome")
Quincy Jones	...	Himself - Host (segment "Rhapsody in Blue")
Bette Midler	...	Herself - Hostess (segment "Piano Concerto No. 2, Allegro, Opus 102")
James Earl Jones	...	Himself - Host (segment "Carnival of the Animals")
Penn Jillette	...	Himself - Host (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") (as Penn)
Teller	...	Himself - Host (segment "The Sorcerer's Apprentice")
James Levine	...	Himself - Host (segment "Pomp and Circumstance"), Conductor (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
Angela Lansbury	...	Herself - Hostess (segment "Firebird Suite - 1919 Version")
Wayne Allwine	...	Mickey Mouse (segment "Pomp and Circumstance") (voice)
Tony Anselmo	...	Donald Duck (segment "Pomp and Circumstance") (voice)
Russi Taylor	...	Daisy Duck (segment "Pomp and Circumstance") (voice)

Storyline

In this update of Disney's masterpiece film mixture of animation and music, new interpretations of great works of music are presented. It begins with an abstract battle of light and darkness set to the music of Beethoveen's Fifth Symphony. Then we see the adventures of a Humpback Whale calf and his pod set to "The Pines of Rome." Next is the humourous story of several lives in 1930's New York City, scored with "Rhapsody in Blue." Following is a musical telling of the fairy tale, "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" set to Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2. Then a goofy Flamingo causes havoc in his flock with his yo-yo to the tune of the finale of "Carnival of the Animals." This is followed by the classic sequence from the original film, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" starring Mickey Mouse and followed by "Pomp and Circumstance" starring Donald Duck as a harried assistant to Noah on his Ark. Finally, we see the awesome tale of the life, death and renewal of a forest in a sequence ...

---

Plot Keywords:

new york city | forest | whale | duck | apprentice | 

---

Genres:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Music

---

Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

fantasia2000.com (Disney Pictures)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 December 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fantasia '99

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£49,825 (UK) (31 December 1999)

Gross:

$60,507,228 (USA) (5 January 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures, Richard Purdum Productions, Walt Disney Feature Animation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS IMAX 6-Track

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.44 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Outside of the Pixar films, The "Steadfast Tin Soldier" segment is the first time that lead characters in a Disney animation are completely computer generated. Although the whales in "Pines of Rome" were computer animated, their eyes were all hand-drawn. This was done because the software available to the studio at the time was not advanced enough to create convincing eyes with the expressiveness desired by the filmmakers. This was not a problem by the time "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" went underway, and the CG characters for that segment have fully expressive features.

---

Goofs

In "Rhapsody in Blue", the young drummer/construction worker is alternately sitting and leaning on a steel beam during a lunch break with his left foot on the beam and his right foot off, but his right foot doesn't dangle in the air, it stays in one place, as if meant to be braced against another beam.

---

Quotes

Steve Martin: So let me turn things over to the great Itzhak Perlman, who, I have just been informed, plays the violin. Well, so do I, big deal. Could I have my violin, please? Ahh, thank you. All right, boys, let's...
[Bow slips from his hands]
Steve Martin: Oh! Oh, sorry. Could I have another stick thingy, please? Oh, and camera back on me. Camera back on me. Ca... Am I done?

---

Crazy Credits

Credits are superimposed over preliminary artwork.

---

Connections

Referenced in Hewy's Animated Movie Reviews: Winnie the Pooh (2011)

---

Soundtracks

"Rhapsody in Blue"
Written by George Gershwin
Performed by Bruce Broughton, The Philharmonia Orchestra and Ralph Grierson

User Reviews

An Almost Flawless Masterpiece

Although I was aware of the original plan to renew the Fantasia concept every so often, and that it was visualised as an ongoing project, I felt that going back after 60 years was too much, and that the original classic should be left alone. However, my initial scepticism was dispelled within seconds of the opening sequence. What we have here is a lush, vibrant fusion of animation and music, each fully complimenting the other to perfection. It's hard to pick a favorite sequence, but if really pressed, for personal taste alone, it would be the awesome sequence with the whales. Mickey's Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence is the only carry over from the original, and a worthy match for it in the 2000 lineup is the Donald "Noah".

The only criticism I have of the film is the bridging sequences, featuring Steve Martin, Penn & Teller, Bette Midler and others. I would have preferred that they stuck to one presenter, preferably James Earl Jones or Angela Landsbury. They seemed to take the material and the project far more seriously than Martin and Penn & Teller who's humor detracted from the dignity of the movie as a whole.