FANTASIA 2000
Rated G - Running Time: 1:15 - Released 6/16/00 (35mm
version)
For many years after I first saw Fantasia (at the age of
about 9), I referred to it as "my favorite piece of art of
all time." I have seen it in the theatre more than any other
film, watching it numerous times upon its every revival, and I
bought the soundtrack and pretty much memorized its eight musical
compositions. Naturally, I had high expectations when I heard
about the release of Fantasia 2000. I am happy, and somewhat
surprised, to say the new film measures up in every way to the
1940 original, with a whole list of new musical pieces (and one
repeat) played over the colorful, beautiful animation of the Disney
artists. Like the original, the music and artwork of Fantasia
2000 is deliciously diverse, with no dialogue or sound effects
except those provided musically by the old masters' original scores,
and each of the eight segments helmed by a different director.
The music is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under
the baton of James Levine, except for the single re-run.
Without going into specifics (I feel a film like this is better
experienced without too much prior knowledge of what's coming
up), I can say that even the most musically inexperienced moviegoers
will recognize several of the pieces, which range from Beethoven's
5th Symphony (1st mvt.) to Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue"
to Elgar's "Pomp And Circumstance." Some of the art
is purely abstract, with little more than moving colors and shapes,
while some tells a definite story. The sole piece resurrected
from Fantasia, complete with the original art and music
performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra and conducted by the late
Leopold Stokowski, is Paul Dukas's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice,"
the most famous part of that film, which features Mickey Mouse
trying to control magic much too powerful for him.
While this film definitely maintains the spirit of Walt Disney's original concept, some wise format changes have been made, mostly to make it more kid-friendly. First, it's only 75 minutes long, considerably shorter than the 2-hour length of its predecessor. Rather than having each piece introduced by the faceless voice of Deems Taylor (who?), this film uses many well-known celebrities like Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Angela Lansbury, and even Penn & Teller to present the pieces, each in his or her own style. The first Fantasia, while rated G, could be quite scary and sometimes downright boring for little ones (I never sat through a showing of it where some kid didn't start whining during Stravinsky's "Rite Of Spring"); this film is shorter, lighter, and interspersed with humor to ensure that most children will be able to view its entire length without fidgeting (in addition to the Mickey Mouse piece, there's also one starring Donald Duck). And it does this without sacrificing any of the beautiful music or artwork that will impress adults. My only complaint is that it was over too soon. *****