Fantasia 2000 | 
 enlarge | Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
Category: Video
List Price: £14.99
Buy New: £3.76
You Save: £11.23 (75%)
New (9) Used (10) Collectible (1) from £1.90
Rating:  18 reviews
Format: Animated, Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Universal, suitable for all
Media: VHS Tape
Discs: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 71 Minutes
EAN: 5024165903810
ASIN: B00004ZBXI
Theatrical Release Date: December 31, 1999
Release Date: November 27, 2000
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: New and Sealed Despatched within 2 working days Thanks for your custom.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
More ambitious in scope than any of its other animated films (before or to come), Disney's 1940 Fantasia was a dizzying, magical and highly enjoyable marriage of classical music and animated images. Fantasia 2000, originally made for the IMAX large-screen format, features some breathtaking animation and storytelling, and in a few spots soars to wonderful high points, but it still more often than not has the feel of walking in its predecessor's footsteps as opposed to creating its own path. A family of whales swimming and soaring to Respighi's The Pines of Rome is magical to watch, but ends all too soon; a forest sprite's dance of life, death and rebirth to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring too clearly echoes the original Fantasia's Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria sequence. But when it's on target, Fantasia 2000 is glorious enough to make you giddy. Hans Christian Andersen's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" is a perfect narrative set to Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, and Donald Duck's guest appearance as the assistant to Noah (of the Ark fame) set to Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance marches is a welcome companion piece (though not an equal) to The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the one original Fantasia piece included here. The high point of Fantasia 2000, though, is a fantastic day-in-the-life sequence of 1930s New York City set to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and animated in the style of cartoonist Al Hirschfeld; it's a perfect melding of music, story and animation style. Let's hope future Fantasias (reportedly in the works) take a cue from the best of this compilation. The music is provided by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Levine, interspersed with negligible intros by Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Itzhak Perlman, James Earl Jones and others. --Mark Englehart
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| Customer Reviews:
 Very Disappointing February 1, 2002
devlin_peter@hotmail.com
23 out of 31 found this review helpful
I have been a great fan of Fantasia since I first saw it many years ago, and I never fail to be enchanted when I watch it. The original was so imaginative, and the animators' interpretation of the music inspirational! Fantasia 2000 could, and should, have been so much better. Yet with all the modern computer animation technology at their disposal, the Disney team have failed to fire the imagination this time, and produced only a disjointed and bewildering display. To add insult to injury, they prop up this lame duck by presenting the magnificent "Sorcerer's Apprentice" in all it's original glory, which only serves to remind us how much better they did this so many years ago. I am a huge fan of Disney, because they have produced animated movies that will be forever the most Classic. But Fantasia 2000 has to be one of the most disappointing movie sequels I have ever seen.
totally unimpressed April 13, 2005
16 out of 22 found this review helpful
i loved the original fantasia - despite being 20 now, it still has its place on my video shelf. but this had nothing at all on the original - the music scenes were much shorter, and in between there was just a load of minor celebrities who i'm not interested in at all. to be honest, didn't even know who some were, just that they were irritating, and took up far too much time. in the oroginal, the point was the music, and you'd hear the whole thing - not tiny sections from a piece. in this one, was there a point? apart from cashing in from the fans of the original hoping to find something just as good. utterly disappointed. in conclusion, not enough music, not enough originality, and too much celebrity posing.
 Superb!! August 5, 2002
E. A. Redfearn (Middlesbrough)
12 out of 17 found this review helpful
The original Fantasia of course was released in 1940 and it is still popular today as it was then. This new version is superb for a number of reasons. Picture and sound, courtesy of Digital Technology are quite simply out of this world. As for the music, its a bit of a mixed bag to be quite honest. The best sequence is the Whales to Resphigi's Pines of Rome, followed by the Toy Soldier and the Dancer, to Shostakovich's 2 Piano Concerto. However, George Gerswin's Rhapsody In Blue is certainly one of the highlights of the film. If you love classical music, and like to see how this music fares to animation, then you have to see this. Go out and buy, you will not be disappointed.
A fitting compilation for an unrivalled masterpiece May 11, 2005
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Disney's groundbreaking film "Fantasia", released in 1940, stands today as one of the most incredible films to come out of the studios glittering array of films. It symbolises Walt Disney's pursuit for experimentation in the art form he did so much to create. Disney's dream was to turn Fantasia into a constantly changing film that audiences would return to year on year, much like a live concert, to see different pieces set to music. It never happened... that is until "Fantasia 2000".In Fantasia 2000, Disney's new generation of animators got their chance to carry on that legacy. It is of course a legacy almost impossible to surmount, but the miracle is that at times they achieve it. Eric Goldberg's animated versions of "Rhapsody in Blue" and Carnival of the Animals", hit the mark perfectly and the Brizzi brothers electrifying adaptation of the Firebird Suite has rightly been referred to as the 'Sistine Chapel' of Disney animation. Other segments, such as "Pines of Rome" and "Pomp and Circumstance" (Fantasia 2000's answer to "The Sorcerers Apprentice") fair less well and the interstitials are more frivolous that the original. However in my view, the short films that succeed are worth the DVD by themselves. It certainly is no surprise to see the original Fantasia standing proud and undiminished, and after seeing it previously on VHS, the DVD transfer reveals details and colours previously never seen. Baring in mind "Fantasia" is one of the few colour films made in the era and the first to experiment with a surround sound score, to see and hear the film in this quality is, I think, stunning. The bonus disk, "Fantasia Legacy" is a treasure chest of achieve material, viewing galleries, interviews and rare animation footage, one of those rare bonus disks you find yourself actually returning to. Echoing the history of Fantasia, another new Fantasia was going to be made after this, but recent changes at Disney have put all of that on hold. Sadly two completed award-winning short films for this new Fantasia, Mike Gabriel's "Lorenzo and Salvador Dali's "Destino" have as yet no distribution outside the festival circuit. Perhaps it will be for the next generation of Disney artists to take up the challenge of leaving their mark on Disney's masterpiece. Let hope so. For now, it makes this DVD compilation all the more special.
An excellent out of this world experience October 28, 2000
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
When word came out that Disney will be updating a film classic, I was euthastic about it and my wonderment was put to rest. The repotoire chosen was just simply amazing and the selection featured ranges from simplistic to breathtaking imagery. Music wise, we are served with composition from the romantic era right to modern renaissance, resulting in a perfect blend of superb animation and wonderful music. I am a fan of the original and when I saw the new Fantasia, I was totally blown away. Animation was never been so wonderful and cleverly crafted and neatly interwoven with great music, resulting a magnificient display of sight and sound. Like the original, Disney's animators conjures little short stories to compliment the music and some just abstact images. It is this abstract segment that opens this Fantasia programme and uses Beethoven's 'Fifth Symphony'. Some stories literally soars with the music especially 'The Pines of Rome' by Reshigi which incidently is the second piece and 'The Firebird Suite' by Stravinsky segments which closes the programme. Hightlight of of the film is Gershwin's 'Rhapsody In Blue'and it is here where simplicity is used to portray life in New York. Shostokovich's 'Piano Concerto' was used in a Hans Christian Anderson fable, 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier', which uses CGI to tell the story and it is brilliant. Then we have a fanciful trip with Saint-Seans's 'Carnival Of the Animals' segment which focuses on some flamingoes and a yo-yo. As a tribute to the original Fantasia, we have 'The Sorceror's Apprentice' to cherish and it is still a joy to watch even after all this while. Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstances Marches' was superbly use as a vechicle for Disney's under-rated character, Donald Duck to have his turn in the limelight. This segment uses the story of Noah's Ark and it is rather delightful. Fantasia 2000 closes with 'The Firebird Suite' and I have to admit this is the best segment to me. The animation was ingenious and the story was uplifting. Unlike its predecessor. Fantasia 2000 is presented in IMAX and it boast a array of artists to co-host the entire preceedings. The music performed by The Chicago Symphony Orhestra conducted by James Levine certainly does justice to these well beloved music treasures. Even on video it is still a gem to behold. A thumbs up for the Disney folks. Fantasia 2000 is another milestone for the world of animation and a great salute for classical music. A MASTERPIECE!
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