Rating: 
Summary: Another Disney Disgrace
Review: While Walt Disney's Fantasia (1940) expanded the animation frontier and was also the first film to have a stereo soundtrack (for this film, it was called "Fanta-Sound"), this new sequel to Fantasia is a poor excuse for a film and is another fine example of Disney studios' drop in producing quality films. While the choices of music for this film were wonderful, the combination of computer animation and cell animation created a very bizzare looking mess for one to view. The introductions by people such as Steve Martin and Penn & Teller only cheapened the film and Walt Disney's original intentions of creating a visual concert. The only highlight of this film for me was Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue set to animation done in the style of Herschfield. With all that has been said, I personally do not reccommed this film. Instead watch the original Fantasia or Snow White.
Rating:
Summary: So close but yet so far
Review: *Fantasia 2000 (G)- Walt Disney always envisioned Fantasia as a series of never ending films. With the failure of the original at the box office, the dream was stashed away. Disney the studio has finally taken the dream out of the cupboard, dusted it off and brought it to beautiful if not complete life. While Walt Disney put more emphasis (at least on the film Fanatasia) on the art form rather than the commercialability of the product, the factory that his studio has become is too afraid to go the extra mile. Thus we get an all too short and less mind blowing rendition of its 50-year-old successor. Don't get me wrong. Fantasia 2000 is gorgeous, it is beautiful, and at one point I was fighting back tears. But the abstract beginning of the original film is less abstract, having a storyline even! The already short running length is shortened even still by including The Sorcerer's Apprentice from the original film. By all means go see this film (well, rent/buy it now). Love it, you should, I certainly did. I just felt it was like a jigsaw puzzle you have spent days putting together, just to realize you are missing that final piece.
Rating: 
Summary: beautiful in sound and in vision
Review: With one small flaw, this is a wonderful, relaxing and exciting series of animated vignettes set to classical music. The only segment repeated from the original 1940 Fantasia is Mickey Mouse in The Sorceror's Apprentice. All the others are new and of inconsistent quality. Donald Duck is a Noah-esque hero set to Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance; butterflies dance to Beethoven's 5th Symphony; whales fly as we hear Respighi's Pines of Rome; Al Hirschfeld-esque drawings animate Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue; Saint-Saen's Carnival of the Animals is accompanied by flamingos with a yo-yo; Nature battles destructive forces to Stravinsky's Firebird Suite; and Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 lends itself to a depiction of The Steadfast Tin Soldier. The only weakness is that there are short celebrity introductions which are entertaining but it would be nicer to be able to play the DVD without the interruptions, particularly if you've seen the disc more than a few times. Extras include: narration or captioning in English or French; two commentary tracks that include comments by the executive producer, producer and conductor or each segment's director and art director; a highlights program; a Making Of feature; and two 1953 cartoons that take place in a bird school and have to do with music (melody and rhythm). This is a lovely dvd that will stand up to many viewings. Nice selection of animation and music. Very enjoyable indeed.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Disney Classic!
Review: I couldn't wait until this one came out, and watched it immediately when I received my copy. I think it was well-written and well-produced. But of course, being a big music fan, I may be partial. To me, music and colors, dancing, lights, humor, and story telling go together, and it was all finely tuned in Fantasia 2000. I was delighted to once again laugh along with "magician" Mickey as he confronted overflowing water and animated brooms. Hilarious! (Bonnie Turner, author of THE HAUNTED IGLOO)
Rating:
Summary: my 15 month old baby loves it
Review: Well actually, she only likes to sit through the following: Track 2: Beethoven
Track 10: Flamingos/yoyo
Track 14: Donald/Noah's Ark (sometimes) I'm getting a lot of replayability on this DVD, at least those tracks. Personally, I like the above 3, plus 3 other pieces: The one with the Tin Soldier, Sorcerer's Apprentice and Rhapsody in Blue. Steve Martin was hillarious, even if it was for just a minute. I don't really like the other pieces.
Rating:
Summary: The Concert Feature Returns
Review: When Walt Disney first created FANTASIA (originally entitled "The Concert Feature"), it was intended to be a constant work-in-progress receiving many updates. I think he thought the updates would occur more frequently then every 60 years, but that's the way it is. FANTASIA 2000 sticks closely to its predecessor. It is again a series of musical segments married to classical music of different flavors. And like FANTASIA, some of it is very successful, and some is not so enlightening. The films Highlight is a family of flying whales synchronized to THE PINES OF ROME. It is the most inventive and gorgeous offering this time around. Also a great accomplishment is an Al Hirschfeld inspired tale of the Big City supported by Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Donald Duck gets a leading role in a short based on the story of Noah's Ark and a CGI steadfast Tin Soldier tells a dark Toy Story. Other stories feature the spirit of Spring and a flamingo with a yo-yo. Returning from the 1942 rendition is Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerers Apprentice. With the wide range of offerings comes the films only drawback, 5 to 15 minutes is not always enough time to capture your heart. Although all of the pieces are beautiful to watch, some seem a bit mechanical. James Levine conducts the orchestra for this film with greater reverence to the original compositions then the 1942s re-arrangements. Each piece is introduced by celebrity appearances from Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Penn & Teller, James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Roy Disney and Quincy Jones. They are brief but offer a brief laugh and a theme connecting the stories together... The DVD is a tremendous offering with amazing DTS sound and a beautiful widescreen transfer (Except SORCERERS APPRENTICE which has a different aspect ratio). Included on the disc is a plethora of making of materials that makes watching an animation workshop. This disc was also made available in the three-disc FANTASIA ANTHOLOGY set.
Rating:
Summary: Luckyly not too commercial
Review: I don`t agree with many reviewers who said that Fantasia (1940) was better than this one(some people are too nostalgic I guess). Both movies are different, but regarding visual quality, Fantasia 2000 is far better and the music selection is more interesting, not to mention is all digital.(Get the DVD version) I'm not a very emotional person, but this movie made me cry the first time I saw it. Some tracks are incredibly beautiful and even mystical, and the images transport you to another world.
But the key element to enjoy this movie is the music, you have to really love the music without the images in order to understand what has been done. Definitively not a movie for kids, that's why I don't understand why they included Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. (To make it look more appealing to kids...?) If that was the reason I doubt it worked, it's a waste of space that could have been used for something original. At least something not excessively commercial from Disney. I wish they would keep doing movies like this instead of so much junk...
Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointing quality and length
Review: The actual fanastasia 2000 'movie' was very short. Most of the moviettes were not of the current high quality of visuals, characters and storylines that Pixar is generating lately for Disney. This was all the more apparent by 1. including a 're-run' of Mickey's 'Sorcorrer's Apprentice' from the first Fantasia (what, ran out of ideas did they? - they only had 70 years to think of some) and 2. this 're-run' was much more charming and had better visuals than the new material. I did like the "Stravinsky, Firebird Suite" moviette however. And the rest of the DVD is not horrible, just very dissapointing, so 3 stars it is.
Rating:
Summary: The THERAPY!!
Review: I have FINALLY seen this film and all I can say is that the music and animation are SUPERB...magical and soothing. Unlike Fantasia (1940), the minutes flew by, and I was able to groove to each piece. The baby whale was such a character! When he/she got lost I nearly cried...but Disney stayed faithful to a love for animals and he was reunited with his family. I also loved the flamingos because they were just FUN. Imagine...a flamingo with a yo-yo?! Donald and Daisy in "Noah's Ark" was fabulous! I was very moved by their love for each other...I've never seen Donald be so...so connected with real feelings. He hardly got ticked off. And the grand finale! Wow! What a story...it was beautiful to watch "the firebird" as she created a wonderful spring and fought against the volcano. It was triumphant! Great job Disney!! I hope there will be another...the animation is stunning.
Rating:
Summary: Fantasia 2000
Review: After many years of waiting, 'Fantasia 2000' was released in the cinemas, and the cinema experince was outstanding, I saw it in a 'Cinemaxx' cinema in Berlin in autumn 2000, and my favorite highlights are 'Pines Of Rome', 'Pomp & Circumstances' and 'The Firebird'.
You have to watch this movie on a very big screen, and some good loudspeakers to enjoy 'Fantasia 2000' at the fullest.
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