DAC 38: Fantasia 2000

Fantasia 2000 - 8.1/10

Much like The Rescuers Down Under, it is impossible to talk about this film without comparing it to its predecessor, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Let me say right away that I did like this film. As I mentioned before, the original Fantasia was a favorite of mine growing up, so when I heard about this film I was really excited. But while I did like it, as I said, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. Maybe it has something to do with the old one being all hand-drawn. With that film, you constantly had this sense that you were witnessing something amazing and wonderful. With this one, it's more like "Oh, animation set to music? Cool. Just like everything else I've ever seen." It feels less unique. Also, it's much shorter than the original as well about half the length - and so are the segments, which are also fewer in number.

Let's talk about those segments, shall we? The intro with Beethoven's 5th was great, and the sole example of the "abstract" style used in this film. It's a shame too; I like it when they do that. Pines of Rome with the whales never did anything for me honestly, though I can tell they at least put some effort into it. Rhapsody in Blue is one of my all-time favorite pieces of music, so I'm pretty much obligated to like that segment. I do, too. It's just that it feels more like something out of Melody Time than Fantasia. Not that that's a bad thing; I liked Melody Time. It just has a different atmosphere than what I imagine Fantasia should have.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier segment is another one I really enjoy, though again that's largely in part to really liking the music. I have to admit, they fit the story to the music extremely well. Carnival of the Animals was fun, but ridiculously short and felt more like a goofy cartoon than a Fantasia segment. I really, really liked Pomp and Circumstance. Again they managed to fit the story to the music really well, and there were a lot of really funny gags that had me laughing. To name a few: Donald's double-take when he notices a pair of ducks boarding the arc, the dragons and unicorns laughing at everyone, Donald telling off the woodpeckers for putting holes in the arc, and the rabbits disembarking with a huge family following them.

The final segment, The Firebird, was the one that felt most like Fantasia to me. The animation was simply gorgeous, the themes of life, death and rebirth were just the right blend of subtle and overt, and the colors were extraordinary. It was very reminiscent of The Nutcracker Suite in many places. For the first time since the intro, I really felt like I was watching Fantasia. Too bad that was the end. And even it was pretty short.

Having celebrities introduce the various segments instead of a single host was an interesting choice, and I personally liked it. It was cool to learn about the history of some of these pieces in a more fun, relaxed setting than the almost academic vibe provided by the original. That's the one area where you will hear me express preference toward the newer film. The original host was just a little too stiff for my tastes.

Please note that none of the above comments make this a bad film, just not quite on the level of its predecessor. Few things are though, so it's not really fair to hold that against them.