Fantasia 2000 was either the last movie of the 20th Century or the first movie of
the 21st Century. Like the original Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 comprises of
eight segments set to classical music. However, instead of Deans Taylor
hosting the live-action intervals, they were hosted by a multitude of
celebrities, including Steve Martin, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller,
and Bette Midler. Also, instead of Leopold Stokowski conducting, because
of his death in 1977, the music was conducted by James Levine. The
segments in Fantasia 2000 include:
•Symphony #3, In which a board of Technicolor triangles fly away from ferocious black triangles.
•Pines
of Rome, which featured humpback whales flying over arctic waters. The
whales were done in CGI, and this scene is reportedly influenced by
Hayao Miyazaki.
•Rhapsody in Blue, influenced heavily by
cartoonist Al Hirchsfeld. This segment takes place during the 1930s and
focuses on a variety of characters. They are drawn in a loose style, the
animation quality almost resembling a Saturday Morning Cartoon.
•Piano
Concerto #2, Allegro, Opus 102, based on Hans Christian Andrrson's The
Steadfast Tin Soldier. Like Pines of Rome, hand-drawn animation is
blended with computer animation beautifully.
•Carnival of the
Animals, which answers an age-old question: What would happen if you
gave a yo-yo to a flock of flamingos? This is the shortest segment in
the whole movie, with a running time of 90 seconds.
•The
Sorcerer's Apprentice: This classic segment returns digitally remastered
and even has the same music. What makes this segment magical is that
Mickey shakes hands with both Stokowski and Levine, bridging the
generations.
•Pomp and Circumstance: A reenactment of Noah's
Ark starring everyone's favorite short-tempered waterfowl, Donald Duck.
While the segment is enjoyable and funny, as you'd expect from Donald, I
don't think the music 'Pomp and Circumstance' (the music that plays during graduation ceremonies) fits this segment.
•The
Firebird Suite, the final segment of the film. This segment stars The
Spring Sprite, who I think is the most beautiful Disney character of all
time. I think she's even more beautiful than Rapunzel, my favorite
Disney princess!
Anyway, the Spring Sprite has the ability to
make plants grow in just about any place. Well, almost anywhere. Her
enemy is a flaming kestrel born from a volcano. The bird burns down the
entire forest and disappears, leaving the Sprite in despair. However,
the Sprite's tears sprouted new trees, and encourages her to regrow
the entire forest. However, by the time the forest is completely
regrown, nothing is left of the Sprite but particles of her tremendous
power.
In conclusion, Fantasia 2000 is for the most part
enjoyable, but the only segment that truly feels like the original
Fantasia is The Firebird Suite. However, it should be noted that this
was the final animated feature to be released during the lifetime of the
legendary Charles Schulz, who passed away shortly after the film's
premiere.
Rating: 3 and a half stars out of 5.
