Fantasia 2000 (1999)

Fantasia 2000 is a visually sumptuous, family-friendly celebration of animation and classical music that updates Disney’s original concept for a modern audience. The film strings together a series of distinct animated segments set to iconic orchestral pieces, so viewers move from abstract, experimental imagery to character-driven vignettes and sweeping narrative tableaux. Expect to experience both playful comedy and moments of awe as music and art drive the storytelling. Segments include an abstract battle of light and shadow set to Beethoven’s Fifth, a majestic sequence of humpback whales soaring through the sea to “The Pines of Rome,” and a stylish, jazzy slice of 1930s New York in “Rhapsody in Blue.” The movie also adapts “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” to Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2, offers a delightfully silly flamingo routine to the finale of “Carnival of the Animals,” and reprises the beloved “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” with Mickey Mouse. Donald Duck stars in a comic “Pomp and Circumstance” segment as a flustered assistant to Noah, and the film closes with a powerful, elemental “Firebird” sequence that traces the life, death, and renewal of a forest. Watching Fantasia 2000 is like attending a concert and an art show at once: the orchestra’s dynamics are matched by bold color, inventive character animation, and striking choreography of motion and light. The experience ranges from laugh-out-loud moments to stirring, even primordial, emotional highs—best enjoyed with good sound to appreciate the full force of the score. It’s an imaginative, sensory-rich film that introduces classical music to new generations while offering longtime fans fresh, modern animation.

Actors: James Levine, Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman

Directors: James Algar, Gaëtan Brizzi, Paul Brizzi

Runtime: 75 min

Genres: Animation, Family, Fantasy

6.8 /10 59 /100 7.1 /10 6.6 /10