The Fantasia Anthology

Rating:
Summary: A dream come true
Review: I am a classical music lover and this is one of the best examples of portrayal of music I've ever seen. Aside from opera this film is a gem in the music industry. I fell in love with this when I first saw it in the theater. Schuberts Ave Maria sent chills up and down my spine as I sat enthralled by it's beauty and magnifence in this film. This movie is perfect for home theater and a noble way to show it off. To think of this film as anything short oif a masterpiece is to do it an injustice.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful film
Review: A very beautiful film which has not lost its merit through the years. My children (2.5 and 5 years old) love it.

Rating:
Summary: I Love This Film!
Review: This has to be one of the best movies that Disney ever made. I love this movie so much. I saw it first in the sixth grade in my art class and I couldn't stop talking about it. This movie took an idea that I never even thought about before and made it into a great film. The idea of taking classical music which is quite pleasant to listen to on its own already anyway and adding beautiful images which are pleasing to the eye took my breath away. There is a Fantasia 2000 out as well. It came out a while ago. It is nowhere near this film at all but I reviewed that too. So in conclusion great movie that is a cool way to get your kids to hear some of the classics and enjoy it too. The only thing is many of my friends who saw this movie as kids complained about a strange coincidence. Many of them said this movie made them feel sick to their stomaches, nauseated them, or even made them throw up. I don't know about this one as I never saw it as a small child, but it was very strange that so many people reacted to this feature in this way.

Rating:
Summary: Debating the edits in Beethoven's Sixth Symphony "Pastorale"
Review: While I adore "Fantasia" as a profoundly glorious example of Animation As Art, I resent that the Walt Disney Company doesn't release its films in their original, unedited state. HOWEVER, being one of the few people around who has actually seen the character that's been carefully edited out the the Pastorale Symphony sequence, I have to say that while it's fascinating to see the original (considering the historical context of racial humor in the late 1930's), the sudden appearance of the highly-caricatured, big-lipped, pig-tailed, subservient Black centaurette not only demonstrates a HUGE lapse of taste on the part of the Disney artists, but her 3 brief appearances are so awkward and embarrassing that in my opinion, the sequence actually flows better without her in it. Trust me, the scenes are regretable. I'd suggest, in all fairness, that Disney should provide the UNedited segments along with the extra archival material, with a disclaimer, so that viewers can at least see them and decide for themselves.

Rating:
Summary: collective genius
Review: This has got to be one of Disney's best. My kids watch it in batches, and I am astounded at the experimentation and the layers of the experience. Music has, in part through this film, entered their souls. I am never bored by this film and neither are they. It is the ultimate edutainment and it is pioneering as well.

Get it!

Rating:
Summary: It's....good and amazing but...good
Review: Walt had a dream once: to have a marriage of music and images played at once, or in other words, to show you what you might be seeing in your mind if you were listening to the music. Theatres were outfitted with the 1940's equivalent of surround sound, which they called Fantasound. However, it was a costly affair, and some theatres didn't want to be outfitted with Fantasound. Critics were dumbfounded as they was no heros, heroines, monsters(well there is in a way) and typical Disney songs. Re-released quite a bit, it recently started to develop steam as the film is a good example of being ahead of it's time, but that doesn't mean the film is flawless either.

Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor: Starts off with just the silhouettes of the players and conductors until it shows a sky with many violins syncopated to the music. Sets the tone for what's coming. 9/10

Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite: Rather than follow the traditional story, Disney followed a different approach by animating the four seasons in the form of ballet. With mushrooms, birds and these weird little angels skating on ice, it's a classic case of Disney showcasing it's talent in animation...by hand, nonetheless. 10/10

Dukas's The Sorceror's Apprentice: A newly designed(at the time) Mickey Mouse snatches his masters hat and makes a broom do his chores. Only he falls asleep and the broom overflows the room. Mickey tries to break it but the broom multiplies until the master sets things right. Classic scene. 10/10

Stravinsky's Rite of Spring: As Stravinsky said "to show primitive life", Disney animated the life and death of the dinosaurs. One thing that I wouldn't have mind seeing is the meteor theory, but they use the heatwave theory. When the continents seperate though, it's awesome, it just feels long. 8/10

Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: Beethoven's lively music set to mythical creatures. I'm sure someone's already mentioned the edit on here so I won't go through it but it's far from offensive. 9/10

Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours: Dancing hippos and crocodiles(or are they alligators?). Anyway, it's a nice fun scene. 8/10

Moussorgsky's A Night on Bald Mountain: if you've ever played Kingdom Hearts right to the end, chances are he seems familiar. This is where he came from. Parent groups wanted this scene out of the re-release but I'm glad it's still in. By the way, according to Kingdom Hearts, his name is Chernabog. 10/10

Schubert's Ave Maria: a beautiful song and odd but hopeful images. It's basically these things with lightbulb heads walking somewhere until the end when we start from inside a mountain till we get outside to a nice sunrise. This was done with Disney's Multi-plane camera, which allowed for one continuous shot. It's a nice scene and a great end to the film. 9/10

Now you notice each scene got 8 or higher. But I suggest you don't watch them all at once. The movie really feels its length or maybe I'm just tired but the movie felt longer than normal. But it's still something that has to be seen.

Rating:
Summary: Sorry, I can't give this one the raves.....
Review: ...that most others do. As one who grew up watching Disney flicks at the theater every Saturday, this one is my all-time least favorite. The problem with "Fantasia" is that it's a film that adults love because they think they would have adored it as children. In fact, it's hard to keep kids occupied with this film, with its endless interruptions to have Mickey chat up the conductor. Boring for adults and unbearable for youth with short attention spans. I remember being bored to death watching it at six, and so were the other kids, because we had more fun having popcorn fights and running up and down the aisles than we did watching the movie. Try parking your eight year old in front of it and clock how long it takes him to get bored and walk away, and you'll see the real disappointment in this movie.

Rating:
Summary: A Work of Art
Review: Fantasia is a very unique creation, there has never been another movie quite like it, before or since, and I think it's safe to say there never will be. Disney took a risk with creating something so dfferent from the norm; most of the American public is not likely to sit and listen to classical music for two hours, or watch a movie with no words. However, it was a very worthwhile risk, as Fantasia is a beautiful work of art, and has become a classic.
There is a certain captivating magic when the incredible sounds of the world's best musicians combine with the dazzling sights of the world's best animators. The imagery is full of fantasy, rich color, and graceful beauty. It's impossible not to be dazzled as the music washes over you, and you watch the stories of each of these little worlds unfold.