Review of Fantasia (2004) by Joel A — 24 May 2013

Hosted by music critic Deems Taylor, we learn that Fantasia is not just a movie, but a movie with orchestral music. Walt thought that it would be a good idea to incorporate some heavy animation with some classical music, which would entertain the audience for two hours, and he succeeded.

There are seven segments in the film:

1. Tocatta and Fugue, which showcases some bizarre abstract images, but very impressive.

2. The Nutcracker Suite, featuring dancing flowers, mushrooms, and fairies, plus the changing of the four seasons.

3. My personal favorite, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, where Mickey Mouse attempts to control magic.

4. Rite of Spring, which shows the creation of the Earth and the rise and fall of the dinosaurs.

5. The Pastoral Symphony, a segment featuring Greek gods, centaurs, and cherubs.

6. Dance of the Hours, which features dancing hippos.

7. Night on Bald Mountain, a creepy, disturbing, and emotional segment about a devil who unleashes the dead.

Fantasia is a fantastic movie. The animation is some of the most beautiful animation I've ever seen, and it's really something to hear that it came out in 1940. It's better than some of the recent CG animation in today's time. The music is also a stunning treat for the ears, and without it, Fantasia wouldn't work.

Although this is a Disney movie, I do not recommend this film for young kids. Some of the selections could be too long that it could bore kids, while others would be scarred for life if they saw Night on Bald Mountain at a very young age. Like it's said on recent TV shows, viewer discretion is advised.

In the end, while others rank Snow White or Pinocchio as Walt Disney's greatest achievement, I believe that title goes to Fantasia, a film with hard-to-beat animation and phenomenal music.