Fantasia 2000 (1999) User Reviews

An Almost Flawless Masterpiece

[Robin-58 · 9/10 · 1 September 2001]

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.

Very good, but not as good as the original!

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 1 April 2009]

The first problem was that there was too much introduction between the pieces. Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones were the best, but the one with Steve Martin was unnecessary, as well as Penn and Teller. The film itself was a little short, but I enjoyed it anyway. It is beautifully animated, with good choices of music, but if anything, I wish there was more of it. I love the original, but I thoroughly recommend this as well. The animation was spot on, especially in the Pines of Rome segment. This was my personal favourite, as i thought that baby whale was so sweet. Donald Duck's version of Noah's Ark set to the music of Elgar was hilarious, as was the Carnival of the animals. The most beautifully animated was the Firebird sequence,reminding me of FernGully, telling the story of "Life, death and renewal." I am not a huge fan of Stravinsky, but the Firebird I have always considered his best work. There was also the abstract images in the Beethoven. They were ambiguous but very well done, but I didn't like the chopping of the piece itself. The section they missed out is essential to the movement's development in my opinion. The Pines of Rome sequence was outstanding I thought, I showed it to my year 4 peers 8 years ago, and they all clapped at the end of that segment but were unenthuasiastic about the rest of the film. Then Gershwin treated us with Rhapsody in Blue, telling the story of a typical day in New York. The Shostakovich was very good, but marred by the interesting but overlong introduction. Great animation and music though. The Saint Saens was funny, but the Magic Trick was pointless. Unfortunately Sorceror's Apprentice was one of the highlights in the original, but was for me the weakest segment here. The Elgar was absolutely hilarious, and the Firebird very heartfelt also I had early memories of thinking the Sprite was absolutely gorgeous. The music was very well performed by James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. All in all, 8/10 Bethany Cox.

Pretty good, but I wish it was longer.

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 7/10 · 7 January 2001]

Top quality animation and a sense of humour make this sequel/add-on a formidable animated movie in its own right. The running time of 74 minutes is a bit of a let-down. I would have liked to have seen more pieces and more imagination. And be warned, The Sorcerer's Apprentice remains. As this was the original's ONLY real selling point they decided to stick it back in there, so you're really only get just over an hours worth of new footage. Which feels like a bit of a rip-off.

But my favorite segment is the one with Donald Duck, in fact they were all cool, especially the one with the volcano. The music matches the story perfectly and it has some truly beautiful animation. Far superior to those ugly CGI crap we get these days. And the TV show style introductions were more watchable than the dubbed Deems Taylor segments in the original.

This was the first animated movie to be made for IMAX screens and the digital picture is amazing. See this preferably on an IMAX screen or on DVD. Watching it on VHS would only insult the brilliant animation. It's sad that Disney has abandoned traditional hand-drawn animation for theatrical projects. It's what the studio was built on after all. But Disney is shadow of its former self, we all know that.

Just as good as the original Fantasia, but loses points for not being longer and more ambitious.

Beautiful Sequel of a Classic Animation

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 30 November 2013]

"Fantasia 2000" is a beautiful sequel of the classic animation "Fantasia" (1940). The conductor is James Levine and each segment is introduced by the actor Steve Martin, the violinist Itzhak Perlman, the actress Bette Midler, the entertainer Penn & Teller, the actor James Earl Jones, the conductor Quincy Jones and the actress Angela Lansbury. The audio is in DTS and THX and the program is the following:

(1) Symphony No. 5 in C minor-I. Allegro con brio, by Ludwig van Beethoven.

(2) Pines of Rome, by Ottorino Respighi.

(3) Rhapsody in Blue, by George Gershwin.

(4) Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major-I. Allegro, by Dmitri Shostakovich.

(5) The Carnival of the Animals, Finale, by Camille Saint-Saëns.

(6) The Sorcerer's Apprentice, by Paul Dukas.

(7) Pomp and Circumstance – Marches 1, 2, 3 and 4, by Edward Elgar.

(8) Firebird Suite – 1919 Version, by Igor Stravinsky.

My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Fantasia 2000"

pure beauty

[zetes · 9/10 · 27 December 2000]

Fantasia 2000 has really been screwed over since it was released in January of the year 2000. I was lucky enough to see it on the IMAX screen. I liked it quite a bit then, but never thought about it much. but for some reason, when it was announced that it would be released on DVD, my interest sparked again, and I got it. now, watching it for the second time, i realize just how amazing it was. it is by far one of the most interesting disney projects ever, probably the best and most unique since the original Fantasia. i will go over and rate and criticize each segment now:

1. "Symphony #5" - the battle between good and evil with colorful abstract triangles, unmistakably based on butterflies, being attacked by black triangles in an ethereal setting. this segment did not impress me at all when i originally saw the film, but seeing it again, i am able to appreciate the pastel artistry (the DVD provides a lot of insight on to how difficult it was to create this segment). the segment as a whole may be one of the weakest, but it is very beautiful. possibly the greatness and familiarity of the music diminishes the segment's overall power. it is possibly the single most famous piece of music ever written. 8/10

2. "Pines of Rome" - a family of whales fly around in the air. i actually disliked this segment when i first saw the film last january. personally, computer animation used in an animated film always made me cringe. watching it again, i now love the way the cgi whales move and look against the cell animated backgrounds. now i feel that this is maybe the best segment of the film. the music is the best of all. i had never heard it before. the story is also probably the best of them all. it turns out to be one of the most beautiful and miraculous pieces of animation ever created. 10/10

3. "Rhapsody in Blue" - several stories of unhappy people are told and intersect in New York City. First off, this is a great piece of music and one of the most unique pieces of animation i have seen. Disney here forgot its attempts at realism and just went for charicatures. it is incredible to see animators create a microcosm of a Robert Altman film as a silent film. This was one of my favorites the first time i saw the film, and it remains so now. 10/10

4. "Piano Concerto #2, Allegro, Opus 102" (The Steadfast Tin Soldier) - again, when i first saw the film, I was annoyed at their use of computer animation. now, i see how wonderful this segment really is and how the computer animation works within the beautiful cell animation. the characters in this segment are beautifully made. the tin soldier himself isn't all that impressive, but the ballerina and the jack-in-the-box are amazing creations, among the most effective characters disney has ever created. I love the music in this one, too. i had never heard it before. the only thing i can fault this film for is that the animators changed the ending from a sad or bittersweet ending to a happy one. they claim that the music made them change it, because the music was more upbeat when it ended. this is true, but i also think that they would never have been allowed to end it sadly even if the music had ended so. Disney does not want to depress anyone, and they would slap a happy ending on it no matter what. but, with the music as an excuse, i can accept the ending of the film. 10/10

5. "Carnival of the Animals, Finale" - my least favorite segment, when i first saw it and now. it is only about 3 minutes long, and i'm glad for that. i do like it a bit more now, the art, watercolor, anyway. the story is very formulaic, and it follows the annoying tradition of silly disney animal characters like Timon and Pumbaa and Sebastion the crab and so many others. The segment is merely okay, and its shortness provides those children who are bored (the movie wasn't made for them in the first place) to be entertained a little more. 7/10

6. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" - Who can argue? it is a classic. maybe it shows a little laziness in the filmmakers, to just slap this onto a 65 minute film to pad it to 70 minutes, but who cares. it is wonderful. If you get the DVD, make sure to listen to Mickey Mouse's commetary about this segment. it is awesome. 10/10

7. "Pomp and Circumstance" - this may be the most famous of the pieces of music, only competing with Symphony #5, because of its association with graduation. It works surprisingly well with the story of Donald as Noah's assistant who can never find his wife Daisy on the arc and thinks she was left out. Even though they don't acknowledge it anywhere on the DVD, this is obviously based on Buster Keaton's The Naviagator, a silent comedy. This segment ends up being very funny, almost as good as The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and even touching. It is very worthy, even though i know most people blew it off. 10/10

8. "Firebird Suite - 1919" - probably the best of the bunch, and the best film to end on. the order of the segments is actually quite well planned out, spacing them out interspersing beauty and whimsy quite well so as to never cross over emotions between two segments. each starts afresh. The Firebird Suite is the story of death and rebirth in nature, with a sprite helping nature to bloom after the winter. she awakes the firebird, a volcano, which destroys all that she has created. at the end, after being destroyed, a majestic elk revives the sprite and she revives nature. the only fault i could think of, and it does harm the film for a few people, is the tremendous similarities between it and Mononoke Hime, Princess Mononoke, which disney distributed last year. I have heard this segment called a rip-off of that film, but, with the tremendously long amount of time it takes to produce an animated piece, i will guarantee that The Firebird Suite was in developement over a year before Mononoke was released. Death and rebirth is such a common theme, it is universal. It is done as well here as it is in Mononoke Hime. 10/10

The interstitials - this is surely the worst part of the film, and it completely diminishes the film's value. We do not need famous people telling us that it is okay to listen to classical music. This is an insult to our intelligence. buy the DVD, and fast-forward over these chapters. 5/10.

Overall, 9/10, one of the best films of 2000, one of the most miraculous animated films ever made. It was not well received by critics or audiences, and i think this was a huge mistake. remember, the first fantasia bombed, too. maybe someday in the future, when the minds of Americans become more intelligent and complex again, Fantasia 2000 will get its due.

Walt would'a been Proud!

[pied · 10/10 · 25 November 2000]

Fantasia 2000 is a treat! The animation and music are splendid--whales in the first segment--cartoons set to Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin in the second(the best)--a Noah's Arc montage with Donald and Daisy Duck --and my second favorite--Stravinsky's Rite of Spring with a wood nymph battling the death force of a volcano.

Definitely 4 stars out of Four..... Highly recommended!

Gorgeous!

[frigmeat · 9/10 · 20 January 2001]

I can't stop watching it!!! Four of the seven new segments in this film are alone well worth the admission. Roy Disney Jr. sets the stage for a remarkable departure from the usual animated dreck that Disney has been bogged down by for the last half-decade (Toy Story aside). Disney have hereby restored my faith in them as leading the pack in animated cinema. I want more!!

"Pines of Rome", a marvelous piece set to the "story" of whales leaving the water and eventually the planet, is worth viewing several times for it's symbolism and exquisite look. "Rhapsody in Blue", by Gershwin, is given perfect treatment by a day in the life of New York City. The pace is quick and manages to give each character studied enough depth to make a very satisfying and touching ending. "Pomp and Circumstance", the graduation standard, is humorous and sweet. Creating a love story involving Donald and Daisy Duck into the story of Noah's Ark worked surprisingly well. "Firebird Suite"- WOW. This is the most incredible segment of the film. It's a PERFECT marriage of music and animation and MUST be played loud. Very emotional and powerful indeed.

I had to post another comment because I can't stress enough that it's a worthy successor to the original Fantasia, and Walt would be proud.

As Great As The First?

[DonaldDooD · 8/10 · 14 November 2014]

I watched this one way more than the original as a kid. I never owned it, but my family must have rented it a dozen times. I kind of know the shorts like the back of my hand, so its hard to remain objective - not that I have too much nostalgia, but it just isn't as good after the twentieth viewing. :P

Whenever Fantasia 2000 exceeds or disappoints compared to the original depends on your tastes, and the mood you're in when you watch them. While they share the same structure, they're quite different movies. The first was uniform in art style, with mostly abstract tales. The shorts in 2000 vary greatly in style, and most do have a concrete narrative. Animation has also changed drastically through the decades, so 2000 feels distinctly modern.

I'd say Fantasia is the more beautiful, timeless of the two. But better? Well...I also like Fantasia 2000's energy, its variety, its attempts to portray character and plot without words as well as atmosphere. I'd love to call Fantasia my favorite animated film of all time...but its a slow, long sit. 2000 is more immediately entertaining, and is significantly shorter to boot.

Two notable flaws - A. The comedians between segments weren't that funny. B. They latched on "Sorcerer's Apprentice" for nostalgia's sake. They're not enough to effect the rating, though.

I don't know which is better. I think they're about equal. 2000 is a fine follow-up. Perfect? No. But its an enjoyable collection of animation. After rewatching it recently, I was still pleased. Even if you think it doesn't have a chance to capture the majesty of the first, its quality and originality make it an important movie for animation buffs to see at least once.

Not as good as the original but fun

[preppy-3 · 9/10 · 30 June 2000]

First off, I could have lived without the little intros from an all-star cast (Steve Martin, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn & Teller, Angela Landsbury, etc.) and the movie was way too short (75 minutes). Still, the music was great (of course) and the animation fit the music perfectly. My favorites were the Tin Soldier one, the flamingo with the yo-yo and Donald Duck helping Noah get the animals on the ark. They stuck to classical music too. I heard they were considering using MODERN rock 'n'roll!!! Thankfully that was no carried out. (I can just picture animated figures dancing to "Like A Virgin"--shudder). Not really for kids--they'd be bored silly. But fun and entertaining for adults. Worth seeing--couldn't it have just been a little longer?

Surprising

[LeRoyMarko · 8/10 · 26 August 2002]

We had two kids at home and I went to rent to one thinking it was a typical Disney movie. I was wrong, but the kids still liked it.

I was surprise by the musical choice in this one. Great classical pieces. And the animation is very well done. Some segments better than others.

I got to see this one on a regular tv-set, but I guess you should try to see it on an IMAX screen, or at least a cinema screen.

Out of 100, I gave it 81. That's good for *** out of ****.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on June 15th, 2002.

CGI Paled To Disney's Old-School Animation

[strong-122-478885 · 5/10 · 26 December 2014]

Released 60 years after the original Fantasia, I found that this ambitious and well-produced sequel from Disney Studios fell quite short of my preconceived expectations.

When I speak of Fantasia 2000 not living up to my satisfaction, it all comes down to comparing it, as I have, to the 1940 original.

What I found was that the original's animated segments were undoubtedly more entertaining and their stories much more well thought out, than were those of the animated segments in Fantasia 2000.

When it came to being more vibrantly colourful, and having a greater richness in style, it was the distinctiveness of the hand-drawn animation of the 1940 film that easily won out over the CGI animation effects of Fantasia 2000. As a true work of art, the former's animation techniques were (and always will be) unsurpassed.

I view the original Fantasia as a literal masterpiece of classic animation. While, on the other hand, Fantasia 2000 may indeed have had its share of spectacular moments, but, it could never be considered anything even coming close to being in the league of a masterpiece.

For the most part Fantasia 2000 did succeed well-enough as being fairly entertaining animation.

Out of the 7 new animated segments in this picture there was really only one that impressed me at all. It was the segment presented along with Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" as its musical accompaniment.

Not as strong but a worthy update

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 8/10 · 30 July 2011]

Back in 2000 when the sequel to Fantasia was released, I have to admit that I didn't see the film just because I thought why would they try to upstage the ultimate Disney classic? Fantasia was what truly introduced me to classical music, I think for any child it's the same way. What beauty, what magic it brought and made you close your eyes afterwards whenever you listened to classical music. But it seems like my generation always feels the need to up the bar a bit and try to compete with the original. I bought Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 on the double disc when Disney re-released it. Fantasia brought back so many wonderful memories I had a child and still brings the same charm that I felt as if I watched it for the first time. I was scared that Fantasia 2000 was going to destroy it, but to my surprise, with its small flaws, this was actually a great update.

60 years after the original Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 was meant to revitalize Walt Disney's goal of a constantly evolving film, with new segments. They decide to keep The Sorcerer's Apprentice, with seven new shorts. Angular, abstracted butterfly-like shapes fly through the air in Beethoven's Symphony; computer-animated whales take flight in Respighi's Pines of Rome; Al Hirschfeld's caricatures of New York life come alive in George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue; Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier is retold with computer animation against Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto, Allegro, Opus 102; frantic flamingos try to stop their yo-young comrade in Camille Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals, Finale; Donald and Daisy Duck play Noah and his wife trying to manage the ark to Sir Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance; and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth are celebrated in Stravinsky's Firebird Suite.

While some of the drawings were a little pedestrian and I felt that some of the stories they decided not to go with were completely awesome and that they should have gone with those, the animators still did a great job. Was I upset with The Sorcerer's Apprentice being left in? Not really; I thought it was fun to see it on the screen again and I think if it's not broken, don't fix it. It must have been fun nostalgia to see it on the big screen and makes me regret not seeing this film in the theater. But still, I'm glad that I gave the movie a fair chance. But I think it could have done without the celebrity cameos. I understand what influence the original film had on Hollywood, but it doesn't mean that we need the celebrities to introduce the segments. I preferred seeing the musicians, it also showed their true love for the film that they are creating.

My favorite segment is a tie between the whales and the cycle of life and death. The whales were so astonishing, the way the animation was created around them, it felt like I was flying with them, it was incredible. I kept a smile on my face the whole time I was watching it. Life and Death again was flowing so eloquently, it was impossible not to feel the tension and relief during this segment. The animators worked very hard and created another masterpiece, while it's not as strong as the original I still highly recommend Fantasia 2000.

8/10

The Power Of Animation

[CAMKG · 10/10 · 4 January 2000]

Probably the best animation film I have ever seen. There are no dialogues and it is not really a feature film. It is an assimilation of 8 short stories. The stories are all beautiful, my favorite ones being the one on New York City, "Rhapsody in Blue", and the one on life, death and renewal, "Firebird Suite". The film is about everything beautiful in life; amazingly entertaining. Each score is given a brilliant visual concept. And the animation speaks so much more than 'real life' films or any dialogues could for that matter. Animation, though usually aimed at kids is probably much more necessary for us adults as we lose that sense of imagination, beauty and observation. Kids are so wonderfully innocent, imaginative and creative; everything that does matter to them has an animated feel to it anyway.

Music expertly portrayed in film

[rymozart · 10/10 · 4 January 2000]

Fantasia 2000 presents us with a visual voyage into music that, in my opinion, excels that of the original Fantasia. Not only is the animation itself extremely fluid, colorful, and highly diverse from segment to segment, but the representation of the music is, in itself, sheer genius. As I have come to expect from Disney, at least some research has been done into the texture of the music as well as thematical studies and tonal structure. This much, I believe, is made in evidence of both blatant and subtle use of contrast on screen to highlight the contrast of the music.

In all, this film is of extremely high value and is of an excellent nature. I highly recommend seeing it on the IMAX screen for full effect of sound and light and to be ready for a sonic experience that will have you whistling tunes all week long.

Fantasia/2000 (1999-2000)

[counthenryviii · 10/10 · 9 August 2011]

For the first time in years, Disney finally managed to create a new masterpiece in traditional animation. For me Fantasia/2000, is one of the greatest animated films of all time. It brings such talent and magnificence to screen with its lavish animation and segments. This will be reviewed by each segment.

Symphony No. 5 in C minor-I. Allegro con brio by Ludwig van Beethoven

The first Fantasia 2000 segment starts off to the musical note of Beethoven's Symphony No.5 with some abstract shapes and colours which take the shape of butterflies trying to escape a multitude of bats in spectacular splashes of light. This segment's surrealism gives the film a grand opening and makes it an accomplished segment because the musical number fills in very well with this segment and gives it a different and unknown kind of animation for viewers to see which is surreal art. Surreal art is one of my favourite kinds of art and I was very pleased to see it in brilliant form.

Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi

For the second segment of Fantasia 2000, The Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi was chosen to be played along with the animated story of a group of whales who are able to fly due to a supernova occurring in the water they live in. They are then able to fly into the clouds to another nesting grounds of water. This segment is a grand spectacle of Computer animation as well as traditional animation. The Computer animation which is used in the whales is brilliant because for a time like 1999, this was groundbreaking technology and it is wonderful to see it in animation because it gives animators inspiration to go to new grounds of animation. This segment is my favourite because it has grand tune towards it and the story of it is brilliantly put forward to this animated tale of magnificence.

Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin

The third segment of Fantasia 2000 takes us to the streets of New York during the Great Depression. The musical number is the famous Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin which gives the segment a jazzy and tuneful theme upon itself. This segment's animation was inspired by the animation of Al Hirschfeld whose animated productions have delighted audiences around the world and certainly when it was used here. This segment remains a complete success because it is terrific at relating the perils of the Great Depression with children as well as adults and if anyone could relate trauma and perils in a colourful and charming way then they would become great tellers of harsh times. The whole layout of this segment is brilliant and it deserves a standing ovation. I did not think it was one the best segments but it was not a bad one.

Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major-I. Allegro by Dmitri Shostakovich

Our fourth segment is based upon the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Story of the Steadfast Tin Soldier. This segment is drawn upon traditional animation in classic fairy tale fashion of music and art. I don't have much to say about this particular segment apart from that I thought the music went very well with this tale of animation and I think that is what remains is that the animation is very similar to animated films like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King and that makes it very well known to modern audiences and children. The musical number which comes from Dimitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No.2, creates a connection with this fairy tale in the sense that it becomes almost as similar as the segment itself making it perfect for the task.

The Carnival of the Animals, Finale by Camille Saint-Saëns

The fifth act of the film takes place among a bunch of flamingos who go by their boring routines until another flamingo comes along with a yo-yo to ruin it all for them in comical fashion. This brilliantly built along to the musical tune of Camille Saint Saens' The Carnival of the Animals. Although this segment is short, it does provide a lot of fun for different types of audiences and is created to be very funny as well as being brilliantly constructed to provide a great new segment.

Pomp and Circumstance – Marches 1, 2, 3 and 4 by Edward Elgar

To start our final two acts, we have Donald Duck appearing in a story based on Noah's Ark with Donald as Noah's First Mate. This is combined with Sir Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches to create grand march between the animation and the music. It successfully attains that goal by making traditional animation fun to watch as we see Donald Duck messing about with the animals while also being reunited with his wife towards the end after believing that she might have died when the flood came. If there was ever going to be a third Fantasia, I believe this one would be chosen as it contains Donald Duck in an unforgettable cartoon.

Firebird Suite – 1919 Version by Igor Stravinsky

Our final piece is taken from Igor Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. The animated story is that of a woodland sprite who is accompanied by a deer to bring happiness toward the forest they live in by having the sprite make everything shiny and wonderful until we come to a nearby volcano where inside a Firebird lives. As we might expect the sprite gets destroyed by the Firebird but is resurrected by her companion to remake what happened earlier but this the sprite manages to spread grass and trees and shiny stuff around the volcano and the forest surrounding it. It manages to gives us one final grand animated tale which combines macabre and fantasy in one huge spectacle of light and destruction.

I listed it as the fifth best film of 1999.

A couple of brilliant pieces make this mixed bag worthwhile

[cherold · 6/10 · 14 January 2011]

I almost stopped watching Fantasia 2000. Starting with a bland take on Beethoven and followed by a mildly cute but rather dull thing about flying whales, I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep going. Fortunately I did, because the next piece, Rhapsody in Blue, combines the visual look of All Hirschfeld drawings with the animation style of Warner Bros. Loony Toons shorts in service of a truly magnificent animated short (according to wikipedia the director, Eric Goldberg, had started this separate from Fantasia 2000 but it wound up in the movie).

After that it was mixed. A thing about a love among toys was cute even though it didn't really connect with the music and would have been better with hand, instead of computer, animation. Another very short piece by Goldberg about a Flamingo with a yo-yo is wildly funny (and in animation style most typical of Disney films of that period). The Sorcerer's Apprentice is re-used in this sequel, and while it wasn't one of my favorites from the first movie it certainly is beautifully done. A Noah's Ark segment, on the other hand, has very little to recommend it.

The final piece, by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, is as wonderful as the Gerswhin number, a poetic, touching piece about destruction and renewal.

In between musical numbers there are little celebrity intros that are distinctly unimpressive, with the exception of a mildly entertaining bit by Penn and Teller.

It is unfortunate that there is so much filler in this movie, because the best pieces are as good as anything from the original Fantasia, but the overall quality of the movie is, alas, week. But the best pieces are so good that I'd recommend sitting through the whole thing, or, if you watch it on DVD, skipping to the good parts.

Surely A Shoe-In as a Future Classic! Great "Sequel" to the 1940 Trail Blazing Animation/Classical Music Extravaganza!

[redryan64 · 10/10 · 12 November 2007]

When the original idea for Walt Disney's FANTASIA (1940) came about, the idea was to keep it in release and have it screened at proper venues like The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall in New York and Orchestra Hall in Chicago. And it was intended to have a dynamic, changing play bill; rather than a static one, with the same segments always being shown. New musical pieces would be substituted for the originals, and new animated stories would be dramatized as interpretations to the Music.

This unrealized dream may help to explain the Disney Studios' post-War foray into musically oriented episodic mixed Live & Animation features MAKE MINE MUSIC (1946) and MELODY TIME (1948). While these were not Classical Music showcases, but rather contemporary popular music vehicles; the same basic concept applied.

It was not until the release of FANTASIA 2000 on New Years Eve, December 31, 1999, that the changing of program idea saw the light of day. Now we had a Feature that was both old and new. It was high brow and common. It was musical and visual, live action and animated.

In FANTASIA 2000, the plan called for many different Hosts, Changing their job as Master of Ceremonies with each segment. Thus we saw such Talent as: Steve Martin, Itzak Perlman, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn & Teller, James Levine and Angela Lansberry.

The film reached back and re-ran The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment from the original movie. It was this story, which grew from being an entry into Disney's "Silly Symphony" series into the full length, melting of Animation, Classical Music and Stereophonic Sound.

The rest of the music was new to a Concert Feature and included: "Rhapsody In Blue", "The Firebird", "Symphony Number Five", "Pomp And Circumstance", "The Carnival Of The Animals".

The Production Crew at Disney realized that the tie with the past is very important, even more so for any project with the iconic word in its title. So there were some very good moves made in both the interest of marketing the film and perpetuating the Disney name and legacy.

First off, they had Walt Look-Alike, nephew Roy Disney, Jr. leading off the film with a sort of Prologue that reaffirmed the purpose, the credo and the goals of the Walt Disney Organization, a sort of "Mousketeers Manifesto".

Next off, we have the images of "FANTASIA" original host, Mr. Deems Taylor in some unfamiliar introductory sequences. It appears that the Disney Production theme had gotten the truly bright idea to make use of some of that previously unused cut or deleted scene material useful to the new project. Whereas the scenes were "new" to the movie audiences, they were all from that first Concert project.

But what is this we are hearing? It's a different voice, more like a voice characterization of the Late Paul Frees, than anybody else. But whoever provided the spoken word here, one thing is for sure; that it is dubbed over the silent speaking of the images of Mr. Taylor.

May we offer a theory as to what must have transpired? Yes? Okay, thank you so much, Schultz! It's apparent that the old, unused footage was intact visually, being sans the soundtrack. Scripts and Shooting Continuities and such, all had the written w3ord that Mr. Deems Taylor spoke. This was a great use of new technologies in bringing us footage that would certainly have just wasted.

Okay, enough of the 'bouquets', now for a 'brick bat'! Who does the voice for Studio Icon and Symbol for all things Disney, Mickey Mouse, himself? C'mon Mr. Michael Eisner, Mr. Roy Disney, Jr. and any one else who might be in charge over at WDP! Get a better voice for the Old Rodent! Just who, you ask? Well, there surely must be some one who could do it right! Even this writer can do a very good Mickey and one close to the original; which was, of course, the Old Man Himself, Mr. Walt Elias Disney.

I'm available! Check with my agent.

Excellent -

[ewriggs · 9/10 · 27 February 2005]

Although not quite as groundbreaking as the original (mainly because too much of the older footage is used), this is a fabulous piece of work. The "Pines of Rome" and the "Carnival of the Animals" sequences in particular are my favorites, although all of the new segments are good. The "Pomp and Circumstance" segment brings back good memories of the old Donald and Daisy movies. The "Firebird" segment is probably the least appealing to me, personally, but very well done, technically. I could have done without the Steve Martin segment, but, again, that is a personal bias. The "Rhapsody in Blue" segment was a stroke of genius, and captures not only well-known characters of the 30's, but the "feel" of the era. My hat is off to the creators, producers, cartoonists, editors, and musicians involved in this mammoth undertaking - it makes me want MORE!

An Enduring Legacy

[joliefille411 · 9/10 · 24 August 2007]

The first time I heard about it, I was a little skeptical about another Fantasia, as I am shy of sequels. However, I learned that it was the original intention of Disney to make Fantasia an ongoing project, so I decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did.

Beethoven's 5th Symphony- Probably his most famous work due to the iconic dun dun dun dun's, the opening sequence does not fail to excite. The abstract imagery set against a powerful composition echoes the original Fantasia's opening number. It's simple, it's fun and it whets my appetite for what's coming up.

Pines of Rome- I did not like this one very much at first. The flying whales were just a bit strange to me, and I didn't quite understand the point of the segment. The 3D and traditional animation didn't mix very well either. However, it has grown on me, especially the latter half. The music is quite beautiful and stirring.

Rhapsody in Blue- I love this one so much. The amount of development each character gets for only having a 10 min time slot is staggering. I was able to empathize with each one. The clever beginning with a single line shaping the New York skyline is fun to watch. The quirky caricatures compliment the jazz style very well.

Piano concerto No 2- This is a beautiful treatment of the Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Anderson. The computer animated characters look a bit simplistic, but it helps emphasize they are children's toys: the complexity is in your imagination. The computer and traditional animation mesh much better in this short. As for the "Disneyfied" ending, I thought the original was depressing anyways. If you are still mourning the obligatory happy ending in every single Disney film, you really should have stopped watching years ago.

Carnival of the Animals, Finale- Zany, colorful and quick enough that it doesn't have a chance to get old. The bright watercolors offer a refreshing POP to the program.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice- I'm kind of sad they chose to put this short into the new version. Yeah, I get that mixing old with new was part of the original concept, but it was never my favourite. If you want my opinion on it, check out my review of the original. I usually skip it in Fantasia 2000 anyways.

Pomp and Circumstance-Yay for Donald Duck! A secular company telling the story of the Ark is a tricky thing, but the animators blended in humor without being irreverent. Pomp and Circumstance is a wonderful piece of music, not just for graduations. Despite the usual gags, the subplot of Donald losing Daisy was quite tender.

Firebird Suite- hands down, this is my favourite. Music: superb, theme: classic, animation; beautiful. The cycle of life, death and rebirth through the eyes of a sprite and an elk is poignantly portrayed with the eruption of a volcano. It also echoes the ending of the original Fantasia. LOVELY!

As a whole, I really loved this movie. All the music is truly beautiful and every segment has it's outstanding points. What really annoyed me were the celebrity skits. They got old after the first viewing. I would have preferred much more straightforward, streamlined information. Overall, though, great! I hope to see more someday soon.

Admirers of the original may want to shut their eyes

[Spleen · 4/10 · 7 June 2000]

I can scarcely believe that so much work, so much money, so much love and so much good will, resulted in THIS. Even leaving questions of quality aside, the film is so SHORT. The original `Fantasia' was over two hours; the sequel is just 75 minutes, over ten of which have been borrowed from the original in any case. Segments which are too short individually combine to form a concert that's too short overall. The film huffs and puffs as it's strangled by its own brevity. For instance:

* Beethoven's 5th symphony, 1st movement. The original `Fantasia' gave us ALL of the sixth (well, minus some exposition repeats); this time we get just a single narrow slice of the fifth (again, minus exposition repeats - and we need them more this time). There's SOME congruence between the images on screen and the music they illustrate. Or at least, there WOULD be congruence if these images were illustrating the symphony as a whole. The triumphant blaze of colour which the animators fling at us after a couple of minutes is absent in Beethoven's fifth until the start of the fourth movement. We don't even get so far as the second movement.

* Respighi's `The Pines of Rome' has been shorn of its lovely `pines of the catacombs' sequence. This is a minor point, because the segment fails for many other reasons - I'll get to them later.

* `Carnival of the Animals' (by Saint-Saëns) consists of I don't know how many tiny, delicious musical tidbits. The animators have only bothered to use ONE of them. The result is some vibrant, fresh, funny animation that's over in less than two minutes. Why bother?

* The constant tin soldier story has been set to a tiny, one-movement Shostakovich piece that, whatever they tell us, doesn't suit it at all. I can understand why they chose Shostakovich, but this particular piece never settles down to give the images time to breathe. Why not, say, the ninth symphony - complete, of course ...? At least that has one or two slow bits.

Oh dear. But it gets worse. Remember that the original `Fantasia' was a masterpiece. Look at Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker suite. Not only do the images express whatever of value lay in the ballet; they soar with the music in a way that no ballet ever could. But it's not just Tchaikovsky. Every movement is like this. -Well, there is one exception: the second movement of Beethoven's sixth. But apart from that, the images, however surprising they may initially appear, flow DIRECTLY from the music. The animators working on the sequel have tried hard; I'm sure they have; but to no avail. It's as if animators of today can no longer listen to music at all.

For proof, consider `The Pines of Rome'. Were they TRYING for a mismatch? Respighi's tone-poem suite illustrates what it claims to illustrate: the mood of four pine-laden parts of the city of Rome. It's bright, sharp, sunlit, Mediterranean music. If this had been part of the original Fantasia program the animators would have STARTED with Rome, although they may have gone on to something else (a Rome of the past, or of the future, or a fantasy city, or the insects inhabiting the pines of Rome, or something). What do we get instead? Plastic computer-rendered whales, swimming around lugubriously in an Arctic winter. They just don't fit, and there's no way to disguise this. The final movement of the Pines suite is a march. WHALES CAN'T MARCH. There's no way to disguise this, either.

This is just the most extreme instance. The film as a whole is a flop. (Anyone who has read my reviews of other Disney efforts will know how much it hurts me to say this.) It falls even further beneath `Allegro non Troppo' than that film, for completely different reasons, fell beneath `Fantasia'. I must mention one thing, though: the `Rhapsody in Blue' segment, created hastily at the last minute, is superb; not QUITE worthy of `Fantasia', but close.

don't bother

[kdkdi · 4/10 · 6 January 2000]

I just went to great lengths to see Fantasia in an IMAX theater, and I was disappointed. Little use is made of the new screen size, and I would have been just as content to have waited for the wide release this summer. The animation itself is just okay. The Donald Duck segment is less entertaining than the Mouse Factory saturday morning show. Most awful are the little embarassing intros by Bette Midler, Penn & Teller, etc. Those damn space whales were cool at first, but gradually began to remind me of those Lisa Frank sticker books for little girls. It seems odd that after fifty years they couldn't come up with something as simple and entertaining as the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment. The Steadfast Tim Soldier segment is entertaining and pretty, but the stuff that was supposed to get an emotional response (will Donald find Daisy? Who cares?) didn't work for me. Go see Toy Story 2 or Princess Mononoke, and hold out for the dollar show on this one.

A worthy successor

[neil-476 · 8/10 · 4 May 2011]

Fantasia 2000 is a belated follow-up to the original Fantasia concept: another concert of classical pieces, once of which is taken from the original.

I mostly liked this a great deal (especially Stravinsky's The Firebird, which was the final piece). But there were several elements I thoroughly disliked.

1. I hated the choral work in the Elgar piece as well as some of the musical additions.

2. The programming was generally good, except for putting three humour-based pieces in succession.

3. A number of the links grated, especially Steve Martin and Penn and Teller. James Earl Jones was a good choice for a link, but his link was badly written.

Liked it... a lot.

[frigmeat · 9/10 · 22 November 2000]

Since the idea of Fantasia was to be an evolving piece, I found the inclusion of some computer generated animation in the right place here. Perhaps they could have done away with the celebrity segment introductions, but I LOVED almost every new piece. Favourites were Pines of Rome, Rhapsody in Blue (that was probably the best one), and Pomp and Circumstance. I don't remember the name of the final piece, but what a fabulous finale! Well worth the meager 74 minute viewing time, and listen closely to Angela Lansbury refer to Walt Disney's animation as "Walt Disney's AMINATION"... how did they miss that one?

Uncle Walt would have been proud!

[Brogan · 10/10 · 3 January 2000]

The last years of the 20th Century there was so much build-up and hype over sequals. LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, BATMAN movies, and the biggest one, STAR WARS: EPISODE ONE. Some people loved the sequals, others didn't that is for another time. Then Disney decided to do some follow ups from their successful features. There were sequals to ALADDIN and LION KING, which went straight to video, and were properly placed there. Then when the 20th Century came to an end, Disney gave the movie audience of the planet Earth, a powerful one-two punch! The one punch was TOY STORY 2, a sequal that left most of the fans of the original with thier mouths agaped, and the kiddies wanting more! Now the second punch, and this was one to knock out any Disney fan, the long awaited follow-up to FANTASIA. FANTASIA 2000 isn't really a sequal, since there really isn't any story. Like the origianl classic, it's a film that shows the brilliance of mixing animation with music. And it always works out with artistic genius. It's no wonder that the American Film Institue chose FANTAISA as number 58 of their top 100 movies of the 20th century. Yet I think that it was too early to decide the top 100 films, since they are leaving this classic out of the list (among many others). This FANTASIA seen on a HUGE IMAX screen does leave quite a impression, and I do applaud the Disney studio for making FANTASIA 2000 a "event" picutre. It's not yet playing in the 20 screen mulitiplex in the local shopping mall or center. It's only playing on one screen IMAX theaters, where it's the only movie showing there, and it just gets the viewers even more excited about seening this picture. But let me talk about the movie itself. The first piece is Ludwig Van Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5 in C minor." Like Bach's "Toncca In D Minor" it's just abstract animation that blends in well with the music. There are no real images, just drawings that move with the music. Then there is Ottorino Respighi's "Pines of Rome" which

has a group of whales in the Artitc Ocean. At first one wonder's "what's going on here?" But by the end of the piece, it turns out to be a beautifully told story with a nice surprise. George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" tells the lives of four different people in 1930's New York City. THIS WAS ONE EXCELLENT WORK OF ART!!!!!!!!!! When the piece goes into the dreamy chords of the strings and shows the character's ice skating, I almost jumped up and shouted, "YES! YES! THAT IS THE WAY TO PROTRAY GERSHWIN'S MUSIC!!!!!!!!" Instead, I sat there with tears of joy steaming down my face. Dmitri Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto No. 2/ The One Legged Tin Soldier" was a very beautiful piece, and story. It is similar to TOY STORY, however, it's more passionate and romantic. Then there is the shortest piece, Camille Saint-Saens "Carnival of the Animals" which asks us the long time question, "what do you get when you give a flamingo a yo-yo?" Answer: a very funny and amusing piece. There were more laughs is this two minute short, than there were in all of AUSTIN POWERS 2. Next is the only piece from the original, Paul Dukas' "Sorceror's Apprentice." I always did enjoy Sorceror's Apprentice, and I always enjoy watching Mickey Mouse as I do enjoy watching Rober DeNiro. This was neat to see on the IMAX screen, yet it has aged a bit. But I personally felt that the Disney studio should have put it's best piece from the original FANTASIA along with or instead of Sorceror, and that is "Night on Bald Mountain and Ave Maria." Then there is Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" staring Donald Duck as Noah's assistant by getting the animals into the ark. This short shows us a different picutre to the song that many of us identify as "the graduation song." Now I will not

only think of "Pomp" as the graduation song, and the song being played when the Royal government officals visit the prision in Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, but as the piece where Donald leds the animals into the ark. And how was this short? A CLASSIC!!! This short has the ingredients of a major Hollywood film: humor, bravery, romance, pain, honor, witty humor, and a grand climax and epic closing. I now personally see this short better than Mickey's Sorceror's. And like the original FANTASIA, this one ends with a BANG!! and it's Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite of 1919." It has the tale of birth, giving life to trees, and animals, then.... BOOM! A volcano errupts and gives death and destruction, like Chenerborg in "Night On Bald Moutain." Then after the destrction, there is rebirth and redemption, like "Ave Maria." Where the films ends with light and hope for the future. That is how I felt when I was done watching FANTASIA 2000, was hope for the future of Disney. Sure Disney has made some stinker's in the past (i.e. INSPECTOR GADGET, MY FAVORITE MARTIAN, etc.) and have made some poor judgements with their theme parks (i.e. FANTASMIC, a cruise ship, etc.) But with FANTASIA 2000, it shows like at the end of the "Firebird Suite" that there is still life in the company, and that one day they will be in the top form making unique and excellent classics similar to what they were like in the 1940's and 50's. Not that they are bad now, but FANTASIA 2000 shows that Disney is starting to lead the parade of original art, instead of following it. Which is why I think that if Walt Disney were alive (he would be very darn old), but if he was around, he would have stood up and applauded after seeing FANTASIA 2000, that is why I did that after seeing this classic. I urge for you to see this on a IMAX screen when you can, you have until April 30th to do so, you'll thank me for it. ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF ALL TIME!!!!!!!!! ***** (out of five)

I Keep Thinking About It...

[GEM-20 · 26 December 2000]

Obviously, the original "Fantasia" was the state of the art when it was released in 1940. In fact, it remained there for many years. From an animation standpoint, I think Disney finally topped it when they released "Sleeping Beauty" in 1959. Still, as an accomplishment, I believe that "Fantasia" was Walt Disney's finest achievement.

He certainly wanted the idea of "Fantasia" to continue, but as time went on, it seemed that it would never happen. Our tastes in animation became more and more sophisticated along with the greater advancements we have seen in animation in the last decade. When Disney released the original "Fantasia" on video in 1991, many who had seen it criticized the film as being too arty, with long segments that would not appeal to children.

Perhaps many people thought that the word "Disney" always should be associated with kids. That is unfair, for Walt would have wanted all ages of people to enjoy his films.

When Roy Disney announced a few years ago that Disney was making a new "Fantasia", I was surprised and excited. In the time that movies like "The Lion King", "Aladdin", "Toy Story", and "A Bug's Life" were taking in huge sums of cash, it seemed that Disney was willing to take the risk again and make the film anyway.

What a treat it is! Most of the segments of the film stayed in my memory for days, as did the music. There is true genius in "Fantasia 2000" in the connections of imagery to music. For example, the combination of Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" the Al Hirschfeld-style caricatures was so perfect that the music seemed written for that type of visual presentation.

"Fantasia 2000" left me breathless and practically speechless. I even enjoyed the celebrity introductions throughout the picture.

Using my preferred four-star rating system, I would give "Fantasia 2000" this:

****-

The minus is there for the only criticism I have of it: Too short! The original "Fantasia" was a two-hour event, while "Fantasia 2000" was only 74 minutes. That is the same length as most other Disney animated features. Was 74 minutes determined by: a. Expense of the budget, or b. The expected length of children's attention spans?

From the depth of my heart, I recommend "Fantasia 2000". It left me wanting more. George