Fantasia 2000
USA 1999
Reviewed by Brian Sibley
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
Eight animated sequences illustrate classical music. Beethoven's 'Fifth Symphony' includes abstract butterfly shapes. Respighi's 'Pines of Rome' depicts a fantasy of flying whales. Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' plays out a saga of 30s New Yorkers. Shostakovich's 'Piano Concerto No. 2' dramatises Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier'. Saint-Saëns' 'Carnival of the Animals' features a yo-yoing flamingo causing mayhem. Dukas' 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' has Mickey Mouse as a would-be magician who brings a broom to life and wreaks havoc. Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance' marches are set to the biblical story of the flood with Donald Duck as Mr Noah's assistant. Finally, Stravinsky's 'Firebird Suite' illustrates a woodland sprite facing the destructive fury of a volcanic eruption.
Review
When Walt Disney released Fantasia in 1940, he described it as "an experiment in seeing music and hearing pictures". It was a revolutionary project for which he had big ambitions. He planned to revise the film regularly with new sequences, but for various reasons, this plan was never fulfilled. Now Walt's nephew, Roy E. Disney, and the Disney animators have dreamed up Fantasia 2000. But in revisiting the premise something vital has been overlooked: although the music and the accompanying visualisations in the first film were undoubtedly eclectic, the diverse sequences were held together by a continuity of style and an overarching vision, both of which are missing from Fantasia 2000. True, the film includes both the comic and the pastoral, just as its predecessor did; but the themes running through the old Fantasia - the struggle between light and dark, the war between chaos and order, the ultimate triumph of goodness - find only a pale equivalent in this new version. In fact, Fantasia 2000 has less in common with the subtle structure of the original, than with the scrambled look of Disney's later compilation movies, Make Mine Music (1946) and Melody Time (1948), where anything and everything co-exist, rather like attractions at a theme park.
A vague attempt has been made to replicate certain aspects of the earlier version, such as beginning with the image of an orchestra, here assembled in a celestial Hollywood Bowl which creates itself in some distant spiral of the galaxy and recalls the heavenly courtroom in A Matter of Life and Death. The Fantasia 2000 programme begins with a homage to its predecessor: an 'abstract' sequence - in the first film, Bach's 'Toccata and Fugue in D Minor', here the opening three minutes of Beethoven's 'Fifth Symphony'. But there is no challenge in these abstractions, which are little more than geometric shapes clearly intended to represent butterflies. The Beethoven is one of several computer-animated sequences which sit uneasily with those created in traditional line animation and which - particularly in the unappealing segment featuring a Shostakovich-scored version of Hans Andersen's 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier' - exhibit neither the personality nor the technical finesse found in the stunning Toy Story movies.
The film also suffers from a chronic unevenness of pace: Respighi's 'Pines of Rome' opens breathtakingly with the explosion of a supernova over a shimmering Arctic sea. Towering icebergs are illuminated by the shifting rainbow light of the aurora borealis, as a family of whales breach the icy waters and fly. The viewer is then abandoned to a tediously slow section in which a cute baby whale gets separated from its parents in an ice-cave. By the time the child is finally liberated and the whales continue their flight to the stars, the magic has been overtaken by chronic boredom. In contrast, the frenetic finale of Saint-Saëns 'Carnival of the Animals', accompanied by the irritating exploits of a yo-yo playing flamingo in a wishy-washy water-coloured pondscape, are so fast and furious they are over almost before they have begun.
Initially Fantasia 2000 was to contain a number of sequences from the first film, however, after various changes of plan, the only item revived from Fantasia 1940 is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice', a sequence which began life as a short cartoon and from which the whole Fantasia project eventually sprang. While the screen quality of the 'Sorcerer' falls well short of today's standards (and particularly in the big-screen IMAX format the film was originally released on), the wit and invention are as fresh as ever.
Originally, at the end of this sequence, Mickey (speaking with the voice of Walt Disney) exchanged mutual congratulations with conductor Leopold Stokowski (correctly pronounced "Stokoffski") before scampering off again. In Fantasia 2000, a re-dubbed Mickey now thanks a "Mr Sto-cow-ski" before joining James Levine to introduce the next sequence, a conglomeration of Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance Marches', illustrating the story of Noah's Ark with Donald Duck given the job of rounding up the animals. If it's odd to follow one musical joke with another, it's unwise to set such contrasting animation cheek-by-jowl, the confident, polished artwork from 1940 beside the shamefully sloppy animation with which the Elgar sequence opens - the animals processing to the ark, two by two, in an unimaginative reworking of the stunning opening to The Lion King. Fortunately the sequence is switly saved by a succession of great gags: Donald moving a reluctant hippo by whacking it with a porcupine and a group of mythical creatures laughing at the foolishness of the animals going aboard the ark.
Perhaps the two most successful sequences in the film are those which, ironically, hark back to earlier times. A brilliant evocation of 30s New York, set to Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue', draws on the graphic style of the celebrated caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, and recreates the city's stoops, crowded subways, skyscraper building-sites and fashionable hotels with bustling crowds of Algonquin Round-Tablers rushing in and out of revolving doors. The interweaving dreams of a group of 'blue' city folk are told in strong lines and vivid, flat colours that are fashionably retro and recall the limited animation pioneered by UPA studios in the 50s in such films as 'Gerald McBoing Boing'.
The other sequence that securely links the two Fantasias is the concluding interpretation of Stravinsky's 'Firebird Suite' filled with classic Disneyesque effects. The spirit of the forest soars across a snowy landscape, bringing new life in the form of a spreading carpet of flowers and greenery, only to confront the explosive force of the volcanic Firebird in a sequence of exquisite beauty and raw natural violence, images of the kind which abounded in the first Fantasia. It is a reminder that, after all these years, memories of the first Fantasia can still conjure magic in the mind. And will the same be said of Fantasia 2000 in 60 years' time? It's possible, but unlikely.
Credits
- Directors
- Pixote Hunt
- Hendel Butoy
- Eric Goldberg
- James Algar
- Francis Glebas
- Gaëtan Brizzi
- Don Hahn
- Producer
- Donald W. Ernst
- Editors
- Jessica Ambinder Rojas
- Lois Freeman-Fox
- ©Disney Enterprises, Inc
- Production Company
- Walt Disney Pictures
- Executive Producer
- Roy Edward Disney
- Associate Producer
- Lisa C. Cook
- Co-associate Producer
- David Lovegren
- Artistic Supervisors
- Artistic Co-ordinator:
- David A. Bossert
- Visual Effects:
- David A. Bossert
- Layout:
- Mitchell Guintu Bernal
- Backgrounds:
- Dean Gordon
- Clean-up:
- Alex Topete
- Computer Generated Imagery:
- Steve Goldberg
- Shyh-Chyuan Huang
- Susan Thayer
- Mary Jane 'M.J.' Turner
- CAPS Supervisors
- Scene Planning:
- Annamarie Costa
- Animation Check:
- Karen Somerville
- Janet Bruce
- 2D Animation Processing:
- Gareth P. Fishbaugh
- Colour Models:
- Ann Marie Sorensen
- Paint/Final Check:
- Carmen Regina Alvarez
- Compositing:
- Shannon M. Fallis-Kane
- Digital Film Print:
- Christopher W. Gee
- Technical Co-ordinator:
- Ann Tucker
- Production Co-ordinators
- Jennifer Booth
- Kirsten A. Bulmer
- Camille Cavallin-Fay
- Stephanie L. Clifford
- Wish Foley-Cohen
- Jeanne Leone-Sterwerf
- Jeffrey Moznett
- Victoria Jeela Stevenson
- Scene Planners
- Scott McCartor
- Thomas Baker
- S.J. Bleick
- John R. Cunningham
- Cynthia Goode
- Mark Henley
- Ronald J. Jackson
- Mary Lescher
- Production Manager
- Angelique N. Yen
- Director of Production
- Dana Axelrod
- Senior Managers
- Production CAPS:
- Gretchen Maschmeyer Albrecht
- Scene Planning/Camera:
- Joe Jiuliano
- Post-production
- Supervisor:
- Patsy L. Bougé
- Co-ordinator:
- Lori Korngiebel
- Engineer:
- Michael Kenji Tomizawa
- Casting
- Ruth Lambert
- Mary Hidalgo
- Story
- Additional Artists:
- Oliver Thomas
- Joe Ranft
- Tom Sito
- Digital Film Printing/
Opticals Camera - William Aylsworth
- Bill Fadness
- Michael F. Lehman
- Stanley E. Miller
- Brandy Hill
- John Derderian
- John Aardal
- David J. Link
- Jennie Kepenek Mouzis
- Tony Poriazis
- Bruce Tauscher
- Chuck Warren
- Christine Beck
- Visual Effects
- Rhythm and Hues
- Visual Effects
- AdditionalArtists:
- Kristine Brown
- Kristin Fong-Lukavsky
- Joey Mildenberger
- Ron Pence
- Phil Vigil
- Daniel E. Wanket
- Technology
- Graham S. Allan
- Richard M. Barnes
- Michael S. Blum
- Michael C. Bolds
- Brad Brooks
- Letha L. Burchard
- Mark Roy Carlson
- Loren Chun
- Lawrence Chai
- Peter L. Chun
- Ben Croy
- Elena Driskill
- Norbert Faerstain
- Robert Falco
- Scott Garrett
- Mark W. Gilicinski
- John D. Hoffman
- Kevin John Hussey
- Le Hua
- Bill James
- Michael Jedlicka
- Maria Gomez De Lizardo
- Mark Jankins
- Kevin E. Keech
- Mark R. Kimball
- Li-Ming Lawrence Lee
- Brad Lowman
- MaryAnn McLeod
- Thomas Moore Jr
- Robert A. Mortensen
- Jack Muleady
- Troy R. Norin
- Alan A. Patel
- Carlos Quinonez
- Todd Scopio
- James J. Sepe
- Jeffrey L. Sickler
- John Stimson
- Charles Stoner
- Joe Suzow
- Scott S. Terek
- Laurie Tracy
- Mark M. Tokunaga
- Derek Elliott Wilson
- CGI Digital Production Managers
- Toni Pace Carstensen
- Jinko Gotoh
- Doug Nichols
- CGI Lighting Artists
- Michelle Lee Robinson
- Yuriko Senoo
- CGI Technical Directors
- Robert Rosenblum
- L. Cliff Brett
- Umakanth Thumrugoti
- Tal Lancaster
- Peter Palombi
- Neil Eskuri
- Mark Hall
- Jason Herschaft
- Craig L. Hoffman
- Jim Houston
- Darren Kiner
- Christina C. Lau
- Stanley Lippman
- Andrea Losch
- Mira Nikolic
- Chiara Perin-Colajacomo
- Tina Price
- Ruth Ramos
- Francine 'Freddi' Rokaw
- Sergi Sagas-Rica
- Kevin Sheedy
- Michael Takayama
- Timothy Tompkins
- James Tooley
- Carolyn Wiegley
- Darlene E. Hadrika
- Heather Pritchett
- Mary Ann Pigora
- CGI Modellers
- Kevin Geiger
- Paul Giacoppo
- David Mullins
- Brian Wesley Green
- CGI Additional Artists
- Roger L. Gould
- Thomas C. Meyer
- Nathan Detroit Warner
- Tod Worden
- Supervising Animation Director
- Hendel Butoy
- Animation Additional Artists
- Tony Anselmo
- Ruben A. Aquino
- Roberto Casale
- Alain Costa
- Dave Kupczyk
- William John Thinnes
- Visual Development
- AdditionalArtists:
- Jean Gillmore
- Fara Rose
- Sherri Vandoli
- Tanya T. Wilson
- Bruce Zick
- Compositing
- Timothy B. Gales
- Dolores Pope
- Michelle A. Sammartino
- Supervising Effects Animator
- Ted C. Kierscey
- Effects Animators
- John Allan Armstrong
- Bruce Heller
- Jeff Howard
- Tom Hush
- Gordon Baker
- Graham Bebbington
- Joan Doyle
- James Menehune Goss
- Paul Lewis
- Brice Mallier
- Madoka Yasue
- Sari Gennis
- 3D Effects Animators
- Michael Kaschalk
- Roberta Kirkpatrick
- Tonya Ramsey
- Amie Slate
- Effects Airbrush Artist
- John Emerson
- 2D Animation Digital Mark-up
- Corey Dean Fredrickson
- Lynnette E. Cullen
- Gina Wootten
- 2D Animation Processors
- David Braden
- Jo Ann Breuer
- Val D'Arcy
- Kent Gordon
- Michael Alan McFerren
- David J. Rowe
- Stacie K. Reece
- Richard J. McFerren
- Robert Lizardo
- Layout Journeymen
- Mac George
- Kevin Nelson
- Jeff Beazley
- James Beihold
- Allen C. Tam
- Kevin R. Adams
- Billy George
- Scott Caple
- Karen A. Keller
- Daniel Hu
- Blue Sketch
- Madlyn Zusmer O'Neill
- Cyndee La Rae Novitch
- Noel C. Johnson
- Monica Albracht Marroquin
- Backgrounds Journeymen
- Barry Atkinson
- Allison Belliveau-Proulx
- Mannix Bennett
- Miguel Gil
- Carl Jones
- Michael Kurinsky
- Dan Read
- Maryann Thomas
- Christophe Vacher
- Daniel Cooper
- Kelvin Yasuda
- Backgrounds
- Additional Artists:
- Sunny Apinchapong
- John Watkiss
- Layout
- Additional Artists:
- Marek Buchwald
- Ray Chen
- Colour Model Mark-ups
- Cindy Finn
- Christine Ng Wong
- Grace H. Shirado
- Debra Y. Siegel
- Sherrie Cuzzort
- Beth Ann McCoy-Gee
- Bill Andres
- Additional Editing
- Ellen Keneshea
- John Carnochan
- Curtis Freilich
- Title Design
- Brian King
- Music Performed by
- The Chicago Symphony Orchestra
- Music Conductor
- James Levine
- Special Arrangements
- Bruce Coughlin
- Executive Music Producer
- Peter Gelb
- Recordings Producer
- Jay David Saks
- Music Production Supervisors
- Tod Coope
- Andrew Page
- Music Production Manager
- Tom MacDougall
- Music Production Co-ordinator
- Deniece LaRocca
- Music Editors
- Kathleen Bennett
- Mark Green
- Additional Music Editing
- Earl Ghaffari
- Music Recording Engineer
- Shawn Murphy
- Editing Engineer
- Kenneth Hahn
- Additional Recording Engineer
- Joseph Magee
- Music Consultant
- Chris Montan
- Soundtrack
- "Destino" by Armando Dominguez
- Sound Design/Supervision
- Gregory King
- Co-sound Designer
- Yann Delpuech
- Re-recording Mixers
- Terry Porter
- Shawn Murphy
- Mel Metcalfe
- Dialogue Supervisor
- Darren King
- ADR Supervisor
- Darren King
- Foley Artists
- John Roesch
- Hilda Hodges
- Film Extract
- Fantasia (1940)
- Voice Talents
- Wayne Allwine
- Tony Anselmo
- Russi Taylor
- Sequence Credits
- Symphony No. 5
- Director
- Pixote Hunt
- Story Development
- Kelvin Yasuda
- Animators
- Wayne Carlisi
- Raul Garcia
- Art Director
- Pixote Hunt
- Soundtrack
- "Symphony No 5" by Ludwig Van Beethoven
- Host
- Steve Martin
- Pines of Rome
- Director
- Hendel Butoy
- Story Development
- James Fujii
- Francis Glebas
- Original Concept
- Brenda Chapman
- Christopher Sanders
- Animators
- Linda Bel
- Darrin Butts
- Darko Cesar
- Sasha Dorogov
- Sergei Kouchnerov
- Andrea Losch
- Teresa Martin
- Branko Mihanovic
- William Recinos
- William Wright
- Visual Development
- Francis Glebas
- Kelvin Yasuda
- Character Design
- Tina Price
- Rick Maki
- Art Directors
- Dean Gordon
- William Perkins
- Soundtrack
- "Pines of Rome" by Ottorino Respighi
- Host
- Itzhak Perlman
- Rhapsody in Blue
- Director
- Eric Goldberg
- Co-producer
- Patricia Hicks
- CAPS Supervisors
- Animation Check:
- Barbara Wiles
- 2D Animation Processing:
- Robyn L. Roberts
- Colour Models:
- Karen Comella
- Paint/Final Check:
- Hortensia M. Casagran
- Compositing:
- James L. Russell
- Artistic Co-ordinator
- Dan Hansen
- Production Manager
- Loni Beckner-Black
- Story
- Eric Goldberg
- Story Development
- Jim Capobianco
- Roy Meurin
- Visual Effects
- Mauro Maressa
- Animators
- Tim Allen
- James Baker
- Jared Beckstrand
- Nancy Beiman
- Jerry Yu Ching
- Andreas Deja
- Robert Espanto Domingo
- Brian Ferguson
- Douglas Frankel
- Thomas Gately
- David Hancock
- Kim Sang-Jin
- Bert Klein
- Joe Oh
- Jamie Oliff
- Mark Pudleiner
- Michael Show
- Marc Smith
- Chad Stewart
- Michael Stocker
- Andreas Wessel-Therhorn
- Theresa Wiseman
- Anthony Ho Wong
- Ellen Woodbury
- Phil Young
- Effects Animators
- Colbert Fennelly
- Michael Cadwallader Jones
- Dorse A. Lanpher
- Dan Lund
- David J. Mildenberg
- Layout
- Rasoul Azadani
- Layout Journeymen
- Douglas Walker
- Antonio Navarro
- Jeffrey Purves
- Blue Sketch
- Bill Davis
- Backgrounds
- Natalie Franscioni-Karp
- Backgrounds Journeymen
- Gregory C. Miller
- Tom Woodington
- Art Director
- Susan McKinsey Goldberg
- Music Editor
- Patricia Carlin
- Soundtrack
- "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin, conducted/supervised by Bruce Broughton, piano: Ralph Grierson
- Artistic Consultant
- Al Hirschfeld
- Host
- Quincy Jones
- Piano Concerto No. 2
- Director
- Hendel Butoy
- Story
- The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen
- Animators
- Tim Allen
- Doug Bennett
- Eamonn Butler
- Darrin Butts
- Sandro Cleuzo
- Steve Hunter
- Ron Husband
- Mark Kausler
- Kim Sang-Jin
- David Kuhn
- Roy Meurin
- Gregory G. Miller
- Neil Richmond
- Jason Ryan
- Henry Sato Jr
- Visual Development
- Hans Bacher
- Guy Deel
- Caroline Hu
- Character Design
- Sergei Kouchnerov
- Gary J. Perkovac
- Nik Ranieri
- Art Director
- Michael Humphries
- Soundtrack
- "Piano Concerto No 2 Allegro, Opus 102" by Dmitri Shostakovich, piano: Yefim Bronfman
- Ballet Choreography
- Kendra McCool
- Host
- Bette Midler
- Carnival of the Animals
- Director
- Eric Goldberg
- Story
- Eric Goldberg
- Original Concept
- Joe Grant
- Conceptual Storyboards
- Vance Gerry
- David Cutler
- Animation
- Eric Goldberg
- Yo Yo Tricks
- Mike Gabriel
- Water Colourists
- Jill A. Petrilak
- Emily Jiuliano
- Fara Rose
- Mary Jo Ayers
- Christina Stocks
- Jennifer Phillips
- Art Director
- Susan McKinsey Goldberg
- Soundtrack
- "Carnival of the Animals (Le Carnaval des animaux) Finale" by Camille Saint-Saëns
- Host
- James Earl Jones
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice
- Director
- James Algar
- Production Supervision
- Ben Sharpsteen
- Story Development
- Perce Pearce
- Carl Fallberg
- Story Development
- Joe Grant
- Dick Huemer
- Animation Supervision
- Fred Moore
- Vladimir Tytla
- Animators
- Les Clark
- Riley Thompson
- Marvin Woodward
- Preston Blair
- Edward Love
- Ugo D'Orsi
- George Rowley
- Cornett Wood
- Backgrounds
- Claude Coats
- Stan Spohn
- Albert Dempster
- Eric Hansen
- Art Director
- Tom Codrick
- Charles Philippi
- Zack Schwartz
- Music Conductor
- Leopold Stokowski
- Musical Director
- Edward H. Plumb
- Symphonic Transcriptions
- Leopold Stokowski
- Musical Film Editor
- Stephen Csillag
- Recording
- William E. Garity
- C.O. Slyfield
- J.N.A. Hawkins
- Soundtrack
- "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Paul Dukas
- Film Restoration
- Cinesite, Inc
- Host
- Penn & Teller
- Pomp and Circumstance
- Director
- Francis Glebas
- Story Development
- Robert Gibbs
- Todd Kurosawa
- Don Dougherty
- Terry Naughton
- Patrick Ventura
- Stevie Wermers
- Lead Character Animator
- Donald/Daisy:
- Tim Allen
- Animators
- Doug Bennett
- Tim George
- Mark Kausler
- Kim Sang-Jin
- Roy Meurin
- Gregory G. Miller
- Visual Development
- William Frake III
- Derek Gogol
- Character Design
- Jeffrey R. Ranjo
- Peter Clarke
- Art Director
- Daniel Cooper
- Soundtrack
- "Pomp and Circumstance - Marches 1, 2, 3, and 4" by Edward Elgar, arranged by Peter Schickele, choral performance by The Chicago Symphony Chorus, featured soprano: Kathleen Battle
- Host
- James Levine
- Firebird Suite
- Director
- Gaëtan Brizzi
- Written by
- Don Hahn
- Irene Mecchi
- David Reynolds
- Story
- Gaëtan Brizzi
- Paul Brizzi
- Concept for Death & Re-birth
- AdditionalArtist:
- Elena Driskill
- Lead Character Animators
- Sprite:
- Anthony DeRosa
- Elk:
- Ron Husband
- Firebird
- John Pomeroy
- Animators
- Tim Allen
- Sandro Cleuzo
- David Hancock
- Kim Sang-Jin
- Greg Miller
- Joe Oh
- David A. Zaboski
- Visual Development
- Kelvin Yasuda
- Design
- Gaëtan Brizzi
- Paul Brizzi
- Art Director
- Carl Jones
- Soundtrack
- "Firebird Suite - 1919 Version" by Igor Stravinsky
- Host
- Angela Lansbury
- Host Sequences [Live Action]
- Director
- Don Hahn
- Story Development
- Kirk Hanson
- Assistant Directors
- Bill Hoyt
- Steve Fernandez
- NY:
- Paul Bernard
- Terry Ham
- Script Supervisor
- Mary Mannix
- Director of Photography
- Tim Suhrstedt
- Additional Photography
- James Weisiger
- Visual Effects Supervisor
- Richard Hollander
- Digital Supervisor
- Eric Hanson
- Visual Effects
- Rhythm and Hues
- Executive Producer:
- Lee Berger
- Line Producer:
- Gary Nolin
- Production Supervisor:
- Dan Foster
- Character Animator
- Mickey:
- Andreas Deja
- Design
- Pixote Hunt
- Art Director
- Alison Yerxa
- Costume Supervisor
- Susan Kowarsh
- Make-up Artist
- Linda Barcojo
- Hairdresser
- Renate Leuschner
- Sound Mixer
- Crew Chamberlain
- Certificate
- U
- Distributor
- Buena Vista International (UK)
- tbc feet
- tbc minutes
- IMAX
- Sonic Systems
- In Colour
- Prints by
- CFI
- [1.50:1/1.37:1]
- 107,318 feet
- 74 minutes 32 seconds
- 35mm
- Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS
- In Colour
- Prints by
- Technicolor
- [1.85:1/1.37:1]
- 6,696 feet
- 74 minutes 24 seconds