Movie Reviews: Fantasia 2000

A sequel to the original, Fantasia 2000, is a series of animated shorts based on eight works of classical music, including one segment from the original Fantasia: The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Review by Joshua Marinacci.

In 1940, Walt Disney released a new type of movie: a series of short films tied to classical pieces of music. At the time, it was revolutionary and breathtaking. The combination of color, sound and animation thrilled some audiences but took many years to become a commercial success. Now in the year 2000, Disney and has released a sequel of sorts which once again breaks the boundaries of technology and visual art.

Fantasia was originally supposed to be a dynamic work of art; one that would change over time, removing some parts and leaving some sections in as the film progressed throughout the years. Untouched since the its release, Fantasia has finally made it back the really-big screen in IMAX format.

spoiler warning:

At this point I should give a spoiler warning. Now these aren't spoilers per se. The movie is essentially plotless so there really isn't a plot to give away, but many of you may want to simply go see the movie and have it be a complete surprise.

The film consists of eight segments: seven original and one, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," from the original 1940 film. In between each piece there is a brief monologue by modern actors, including Penn and Teller, Steve Martin, James Earl Jones, and Itzhak Perlman. They also kept the original sequence where Mickey shakes hands with Leopold Stokowski. This is the order of the segments as I remember them. (Disney's site isn't much help):

Ludwig Van Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony in C minor, Opus 67". This was probably my favorite piece because it was so abstract that the visuals really blended with the music to create a purely emotional connection with the viewer. There is no logic or story, just rich music.

Ottorino Respighi's "The Pines of Rome". It's got ice and whales and it's breathtaking. To say anything more would ruin the surprise.

George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". This segment follows the intertwined lives of disparate people during the Great Depression in New York City. The black and white line animation is very reminiscent of political cartoons from that era.

Dimitri Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto No. 2". This segment has the most plot. It's an adaptation of the "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," by Hans Christian Andersen; a delightful story about a one legged toy tin soldier in love with the clock ballerina and his quest to rescue her from an evil Jack-in-the-box.

Camille Saint-Saens' "Carnival of the Animals". This is a nonsensical piece, similar to Dance of the Hours from the original (the one with the gators and hippos). A bunch of pink flamingos play with a yo-yo.

Paul Dukas' "The Sorceror's Apprentice" starring Mickey Mouse. This is the one everyone remembers. While the photographic quality doesn't compare to the modern sections, it remains one of the most innovative pieces of animation in the history of film.

Sir Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance". This is Donald Duck's first feature since the 50s. He and Daisy work for Noah, helping to herd animals into the Ark before the flood comes. Be sure to look for the ill-fated unicorns and dragons goofing off in the background.

Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird". An tale of death and rebirth featuring a tree sprite as Mother Nature and a "Firebird" as a volcano. This is a nice successor to the "Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria" sequence from the original. It has a fiery intense section in the middle and ends on a calming peaceful note. This chunk is directed by the Brizzi Brothers, who were responsible for a lot of the design of Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

What I liked: The music and visuals are amazing to begin with, and seeing it on a four-story screen with 15,000 watts of sound makes it only more so. The choice of pieces helps to round out their survey of western music, and the familiar face of Donald Duck will play well with the children.

What I didn't like: Since the ultimate target of the movie is 35mm and video, it didn't take full advantage of the IMAX format. Only a few of the pieces truly filled the screen with color and motion. (The first and last segments come to mind). Also the actor host parts don't seem to add much. The musical choices are pretty conservative compared to the original. Nothing as daring as the "Rite of Spring" is found here. Plus they are still lacking a piece by Mozart.

Fantasia 2000 is the first IMAX film by a major studio and at 80 minutes doubles the length of the average IMAX film. Because of its long running time and the lack of IMAX capable screens in general, there are only 70 theaters worldwide which can show it. Disney had originally planned to release it on 35 mm in April, but have moved it back to a summer release because the IMAX version has been doing so well.

The original score was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra with Stokowski at the podium. This time, the score is performed by the Chicago Symphony with Metropolitan Opera conductor James Levine. Known for his steadfast interpretations of Wagner's operatic work, Levine brings a special shine to the pieces in Fantasia 2000.

Overall, Fantasia 2000 is an amazing visual work, showing that Disney can still produce an animated film worthy of their legacy. Also, I am glad to see IMAX becoming a more accepted medium. After Everest made $60 million, IMAX started getting mainstream coverage. Then they built 30 more theaters just for Fantasia 2000 and have attracted the attention of several other major studios. Both James Cameron and the Star Trek crew are rumored to be working on IMAX films. Fantasia 2000 is a triumph for both Disney and IMAX. I hope to see more their artistry in the future.

Slashdot Author Emmett Plant contributed to this article.

Comments

Why you won't see this movie everywhere

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At least in the Boston area, it'll be hard to catch this movie, as it won't be shown at the Boston Museum of Science. Why (one asks naively)? Money of course. Disney has been a real bitch and set unfavorable demands: a large percentage (can't remember the exact number) of the receipts go to Disney, and no other films can be shown during the complete run of Fantasia. Needless to say, many theaters have balked.