Steve Martin Movie:

Editorial 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 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 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. 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

Fantasia 2000 [Region 2] Reviews:
Fantasia and Fantasia Again
2009-07-01 - Any Disney fan who has Fantasia will this updated version as a companion to the original. Fantasia was intended to be a work constantly in evolution, showcasing both music and animated technology in concert. Fantasia 2000 showcases the evolutionary process of both mediums and still maintains the unique Disney charm that has made the animated creations of this studio classics for all generations.

Decent, if slight
2009-06-27 - The Bottom Line:

Going into Fantasia 2000 I knew I was going to get animated sequences (some mediocre, some standout) set to classical music, but I didn't know I was also going to have to deal with interludes in which celebrities painfully introduce the next piece--maybe Disney needed to pad the tiny running length, but it detracts enough from the film to make me dubious about recommending it.

2.5/4

A great walt disney movie.
2009-05-17 - This is a great walt disney movie.From steamboat willie to now.I wish walt was here to see what his creations are now.


Fantasia 2000
2009-03-30 - I was extremely pleased with the cost, quick delivery, and excellent condition of this DVD. I highly recommend this vendor, and would use them again!

Fantastic Fantasia
2009-02-11 - I was not new to this video. I saw the original on a huge surround screen in Columbus, Ohio. While critics say this is not as good as Fantasia "1", it is something original and beautiful and may not have passed muster with Walt (he was a perfectionist) it is a continuation of the art/music thematic material of original Disney...not the totally "commercial cutesy" that "makes a buck". I am shocked that very young kids "get it" as well as adults. Not many keep a dry eye with the Donald Duck/Daisy Duck "Noah" theme. And if one does not have Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, you have it on this disk and updated in color and sound. A collector's item, yes. And it will not collect dust over time with family interest.
The used, like new, condition from the vendor was perfect.