FANTASIA 2000 (1999) ***

Reviewed 1/5/00

Sixty years after the first Fantasia, Disney comes out with its sequel, Fantasia 2000. It is a mixed bag. First off, it is too short, coming in at 75 minutes compared to the 120 that was the original. (This is more notable because the movie costs $12 a ticket here in New York.) Whereas the original Fantasia used the full Sixth Symphony of Beethoven, this one uses only the first movement of the Fifth. Disney also has different celebrities such as Penn & Teller and Angela Lansbury introduce the various segments. It diminishes the work and will date it quickly. Only Steve Martin comes off funny. Still, a few segments are marvelous, and the Gershwin section alone makes the film worth seeing. Herewith, are reviews of each segment accompanied with its own rating:

Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 - *1/2
Just the famed first movement of the symphony, this segment following a bunch of butterflies is supposed to mirror the Bach Toccata and Fugue from the first Fantasia in its abstractness. Like the Bach segment, this is the weakest of the bunch. Presumably, the animation is intended to look retro. Bad choice. It simply looks uninterestingly dated.

Ottorino Respighi's "Pines of Rome" - **
Occasionally dazzling to the eye, the Respighi piece concentrates on a family of flying whales. It is horribly flawed however by the impressive computer-animated whales being set against murky 2-dimensional hand-drawn backdrops. Also, the whales have these cutesy anthropomorphic eyes that destroy any attempt to make this segment awe-inspiring. You just feel too manipulated.

George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" - ****
This is far and away the best segment. Inspired by the art of Al Hirschfeld, it hides not only Hirschfeld's famous Ninas, but Dougs (a tribute to Disney layout artist Doug Walker). We follow four different New Yorkers and their dreams. In addition to making seamless and creative transitions between the four characters, the sequence matches their actions to the Gershwin music perfectly and humorously.

Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 - **1/2
Based on Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier, this segment also calls Toy Story to the mind. It is at times striking, particularly with the computer-animated Jack-in-the-Box, but it never quite reaches being visionary. It also does not do much to enhance Shostakovich. Perhaps Disney could be really daring and use his Violin Concerto next time.

Camille Saint-Saëns' "The Carnival of the Animals" - ***
This is a delightful sequence about a flamingo irritating its flock by playing with a yo-yo. Unfortunately, it is way too short, utilizing only the Finale of the Saint Saëns's piece. This is particularly strange in that "The Carnival of the Animals" as a whole is so whimsical and offers so much potential. Using only the Finale feels like a waste.

Paul Dukas' "L'apprenti sorcier" - **1/2
This one returns from the original Fantasia, but Mickey suffers on the IMAX screen. Blown up, the image is very grainy, and since it wasn't created for the IMAX, all of its medium and close-up shots look utterly out of place. Still, the segment works well to Dukas' music.

Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1" - ***
Donald Duck herds animals on to Noah's Ark while he and his love think the other has missed the boat due to a misunderstanding. This one's imagery recalls The Lion King and is mildly amusing. It has one great joke with a dragon, griffin, and unicorn laughing as the other animals board the Ark.

Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird" Suite - ***1/2
This one brings to mind Princess Mononoke. A forest spirit (and an elk) battles the Firebird of the music's title (though of course, not as Stravinsky imagined it). The animation is the lushest of all the segments and a fitting finale.

Copyright © 2000 George Wu