I almost stopped watching Fantasia 2000. Starting with a bland take on Beethoven and followed by a mildly cute but rather dull thing about flying whales, I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep going. Fortunately I did, because the next piece, Rhapsody in Blue, combines the visual look of All Hirschfeld drawings with the animation style of Warner Bros. Loony Toons shorts in service of a truly magnificent animated short (according to wikipedia the director, Eric Goldberg, had started this separate from Fantasia 2000 but it wound up in the movie).
After that it was mixed. A thing about a love among toys was cute even though it didn't really connect with the music and would have been better with hand, instead of computer, animation. Another very short piece by Goldberg about a Flamingo with a yo-yo is wildly funny (and in animation style most typical of Disney films of that period). The Sorcerer's Apprentice is re-used in this sequel, and while it wasn't one of my favorites from the first movie it certainly is beautifully done. A Noah's Ark segment, on the other hand, has very little to recommend it.
The final piece, by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, is as wonderful as the Gerswhin number, a poetic, touching piece about destruction and renewal.
In between musical numbers there are little celebrity intros that are distinctly unimpressive, with the exception of a mildly entertaining bit by Penn and Teller.
It is unfortunate that there is so much filler in this movie, because the best pieces are as good as anything from the original Fantasia, but the overall quality of the movie is, alas, week. But the best pieces are so good that I'd recommend sitting through the whole thing, or, if you watch it on DVD, skipping to the good parts.
After that it was mixed. A thing about a love among toys was cute even though it didn't really connect with the music and would have been better with hand, instead of computer, animation. Another very short piece by Goldberg about a Flamingo with a yo-yo is wildly funny (and in animation style most typical of Disney films of that period). The Sorcerer's Apprentice is re-used in this sequel, and while it wasn't one of my favorites from the first movie it certainly is beautifully done. A Noah's Ark segment, on the other hand, has very little to recommend it.
The final piece, by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, is as wonderful as the Gerswhin number, a poetic, touching piece about destruction and renewal.
In between musical numbers there are little celebrity intros that are distinctly unimpressive, with the exception of a mildly entertaining bit by Penn and Teller.
It is unfortunate that there is so much filler in this movie, because the best pieces are as good as anything from the original Fantasia, but the overall quality of the movie is, alas, week. But the best pieces are so good that I'd recommend sitting through the whole thing, or, if you watch it on DVD, skipping to the good parts.