Fantasia 2000 (IMAX)

This is actually my first foray into "The IMAX Experience." Sure, I had seen those short snippets that they place at DisneyLand and DisneyWorld, but no full length feature. Once the film started, and I saw the 80 x 100 foot screen envelop my entire field of view, I was hooked. During the previews my jaw dropped and stayed on the floor for a lot of the movie. Fantasia 2000 is often an awe inspiring experience, and at other times it becomes quite a frustrating one too.

Fantasia 2000, like the original Fantasia made so many years ago, is a collection of assorted musical numbers with accompanying visuals. Each segment is (annoyingly) separated by spoken segments by various celebrities including Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman, and others. These interludes are quite possibly the worst possible way to join the musical numbers. It breaks the momentum of the entire feature into pieces. In addition, I can't imagine how kids would enjoy this deviance from the idea behind the picture. It's the main flaw in the film, one that severely cripples its overall impact.

The music of the entire film is phenomenal. I don't think anybody could have chosen better pieces of music to link images to. It's masterfully performed and conducted by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and James Levine.

Since the film is basically (because of the cameos) a collection of parts, I'll try to give my impressions of each one:

Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony" is the opening sequence and features a huge number of shapes moving to the beat of Beethoven's deep, resonating chords. The shapes are usually triangles, becoming birds flying throughout the sky. I thought that the animation in this particular sequence was somewhat lackluster compared to the rest, and I failed to be enveloped.

Ottorino Respighi's "The Pines of Rome" is a complete success. The moody music soars to the sight of whales flying through the sky. It's an awesome sight, seeing majestic creatures fly gracefully throughout the night sky. The scenery in this segment is amazing, the arctic cold is masterfully portrayed.

George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" was somewhat of a let down to me. The animation is purposely crude, drawing us back into the old style of New York comic strips. The segment makes attempts at humor, but to me, most of it didn't connect. This segment is one about hopes and dreams, and how it will all happen one day.

The sole remaining segment from the original Fantasia is "The Sorceror's Apprentice" and it still holds all its mystifying luster. It's still the best segment, one that is hypnotic to watch, and wants you to bob your head with the bucket-bearing brooms. It looks somewhat fuzzy on the IMAX screen, and I thought that it could have used some more restoration, but it's still a sparkler.

Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" is a silly piece; one that is meant to be dramatic and touching but never strikes that elusive chord. The music, of course, is great, but the accompanying story left much to be desired. It follows Donald Duck while he attempts to gather the necessary animals for voyage on Noah's Ark. The visuals are great, but story, unfortunately, failed.

Camille Saint-Saens' "Carnival Of The Animals" is a flamboyant piece, featuring the age old question: "What would happen if you gave a yo-yo to a flamingo?" It's a hysterical number, easily the most humorous of the bunch. It's short and to the point, with no real story to follow. It's just plain, good fun.

Hans Christian Andersen's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" set to Dimitri Shostakovich's "Concerto Number Two," is also a splendid piece. It follows the ordeals of a handicapped soldier falling in love with a graceful ballet doll. Love is sensed immediately, even after 3 minutes of screen time together. It, in a way, gives us a lesson on falling in love.

Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird" is destined to be one of my favorite movie moments of the entire year. Visually it's absolutely awe-inspiring, and accompanies the music perfectly. It's a dark piece, and concludes with a joyous finale, just as the piece of music does. It's a story of birth, death, and rebirth told in stunning fashion. It's also one of my favorite classical music pieces, which undoubtedly added to this mesmerizing experience.

Eight total pieces, seven of them new. It's an completely enjoyable experience, heightened by the majesty of the IMAX screen. It's remarkably uneven in it's grandeur, but I try to forgive Disney as they created something that will undoubtedly cause them to lose money. The funny thing is that they know it too. That's something to be admired.

On a scale of 1 to 10 graceful nature gods : 6