My favorite Disney movie is Toy Story, but when considering the animated films that Walt Disney, the man, worked on, then in my view Fantasia is his greatest achievement and a masterpiece.
I first saw Fantasia when I was 11. My uncle used to keep a bunch of children's VHS tapes that his kids either grew out of or stopped watching in my Grandma's garage. I took a few of them over time, one of them being Fantasia. I once viewed it at Grandma's and watched it many times by myself at home after that.
My Mom and sister found it to be a tedious, boring movie, but I found it enthralling. At the time, it was my favorite Disney movie, and it's still in the Top 5 14 years later- I watched it on Disney Plus at my Uncle's today during our family Memorial Day party for the first time in 4 years.
Fantasia is not one coherent plot. Instead, it has an orchestra performing classic pieces of music, such as The Pastoral Symphony, The Nutcracker Suite, Waltz of the Flowers, and Rite of Spring. It also has Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer's Apprentice, who plays around with witchcraft without knowing how to stop the spells that he uses.
As these pieces play, images are shown that match the music. For example, in Rite of Spring, at an intense moment, a stegosaurus and a T-Rex battle each other, with dramatic music playing as the T-Rex bites his opponent's neck to death.
There are intense moments in the movie (the final segment includes Satan dragging demons and ghosts out of Hell), but overall, Fantasia is a dreamy, comforting movie- the cinematic equivalent of getting a spa day. I know that's weird phrasing, but I can't describe it any other way. The only movie I have ever seen that gives this same impact is 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In fact, many of the music bits are so nice that my mind wandered into my own thoughts- I'm not sure if that is praise or a nit-pick...
The animation is also pretty to look at- from the Greek creatures on Mount Olympus, to the magic of Mickey, to the natural bits of Rite of Spring, the animation is beautiful to behold and ranks with Sleeping Beauty as one of the prettiest animated films that Walt has made. (That movie's animation came to mind as I watched it, which is why I am calling that one out specifically.)
Over the years, Fantasia has seemed to be a film with polarizing reactions. People like myself, Steven Spielberg, and film critics like Roger Ebert, Doug Walker ("The Nostalgia Critic"), Ani Mat, and Jay Vaters consider this to be one of the finest animated movies ever made.
However, most of my family and others online have considered Fantasia to be one of the most boring animated movies ever made. To play devil's advocate, I can see how long stretches of no dialogue might cause some people to dismiss Walt's 3rd film, especially if comparing it to a movie like its predecessors, Snow White and Pinocchio.
My advice to those who might find Fantasia dull is to treat it for what it is- a visualization of classical music. It's a concert with compatible images. Appreciate the art and the music and forget about plot. That's what Fantasia is all about.
Walt Disney made many great animated films in his day- from Snow White to Cinderella to Lady And The Tramp to 101 Dalmatians to The Jungle Book. But as great as those are, none of them compare to the grandness and beauty of Fantasia, which was simply his magnum opus, giving room for Snow White.
While all other Disney movies, and animated films in general, tell a story with words and characters, Fantasia creates a unique film experience with animation itself telling a story with the aid of music, and that's what makes Fantasia such a special masterpiece.
I first saw Fantasia when I was 11. My uncle used to keep a bunch of children's VHS tapes that his kids either grew out of or stopped watching in my Grandma's garage. I took a few of them over time, one of them being Fantasia. I once viewed it at Grandma's and watched it many times by myself at home after that.
My Mom and sister found it to be a tedious, boring movie, but I found it enthralling. At the time, it was my favorite Disney movie, and it's still in the Top 5 14 years later- I watched it on Disney Plus at my Uncle's today during our family Memorial Day party for the first time in 4 years.
Fantasia is not one coherent plot. Instead, it has an orchestra performing classic pieces of music, such as The Pastoral Symphony, The Nutcracker Suite, Waltz of the Flowers, and Rite of Spring. It also has Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer's Apprentice, who plays around with witchcraft without knowing how to stop the spells that he uses.
As these pieces play, images are shown that match the music. For example, in Rite of Spring, at an intense moment, a stegosaurus and a T-Rex battle each other, with dramatic music playing as the T-Rex bites his opponent's neck to death.
There are intense moments in the movie (the final segment includes Satan dragging demons and ghosts out of Hell), but overall, Fantasia is a dreamy, comforting movie- the cinematic equivalent of getting a spa day. I know that's weird phrasing, but I can't describe it any other way. The only movie I have ever seen that gives this same impact is 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In fact, many of the music bits are so nice that my mind wandered into my own thoughts- I'm not sure if that is praise or a nit-pick...
The animation is also pretty to look at- from the Greek creatures on Mount Olympus, to the magic of Mickey, to the natural bits of Rite of Spring, the animation is beautiful to behold and ranks with Sleeping Beauty as one of the prettiest animated films that Walt has made. (That movie's animation came to mind as I watched it, which is why I am calling that one out specifically.)
Over the years, Fantasia has seemed to be a film with polarizing reactions. People like myself, Steven Spielberg, and film critics like Roger Ebert, Doug Walker ("The Nostalgia Critic"), Ani Mat, and Jay Vaters consider this to be one of the finest animated movies ever made.
However, most of my family and others online have considered Fantasia to be one of the most boring animated movies ever made. To play devil's advocate, I can see how long stretches of no dialogue might cause some people to dismiss Walt's 3rd film, especially if comparing it to a movie like its predecessors, Snow White and Pinocchio.
My advice to those who might find Fantasia dull is to treat it for what it is- a visualization of classical music. It's a concert with compatible images. Appreciate the art and the music and forget about plot. That's what Fantasia is all about.
Walt Disney made many great animated films in his day- from Snow White to Cinderella to Lady And The Tramp to 101 Dalmatians to The Jungle Book. But as great as those are, none of them compare to the grandness and beauty of Fantasia, which was simply his magnum opus, giving room for Snow White.
While all other Disney movies, and animated films in general, tell a story with words and characters, Fantasia creates a unique film experience with animation itself telling a story with the aid of music, and that's what makes Fantasia such a special masterpiece.
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