The original Fantasia was intended to be a continual work in progress, constantly adding in new segments to replace old ones, a never ending concert. Unfortunately, it audiences didn’t flock to see it upon its initial release, leading to those plans being scrapped. At the end of the 1990s, though, Roy E. Disney, Walt’s nephew, spearheaded an effort to create a new version of Fantasia with all new elements, and the result was 2000’s Fantasia 2000.
Like the original, each segment of Fantasia 2000 features a different art style and a different musical style. Also like the original, each of the segments is masterfully directed and choreographed. The two most impressive are the Rhapsody in Blue and the Firebird Suite, and they couldn’t be more different, ranging from Firebird’s ultra-realism to Rhapsody’s Hirschfeld-esque design.
Whether Fantasia 2000 is as much of a masterpiece as the original may be up for debate and is likely a matter of taste, but the fact remains that it is in itself a masterpiece. The youngest viewers may find their attention wandering due to the somewhat abstract nature of the stories, but for everyone else this is a film which must be seen.
Up next: Dinosaur (2000)
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