 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Fantasia 2000
- Review Date: May 19, 2003
- G
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 2000
Common Sense Media says
Delightful, but may scare more sensitive kids.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the dark, scary images in this film, combined with some thundering, ominous musical selections, may be frightening to very young or very sensitive viewers. There are several evil characters: an overpowering jack-in-the-box with glaring eyes and scary teeth, some marauding rats, soaring and threatening eagles, raging fires, giant waves, and one Penn & Teller trick depicting an axe and a severed hand (immediately shown to be pretend). In addition, a young whale is momentarily separated from its parents, and Donald Duck loses track of Daisy for a period of time to their great dismay. Fantasia 2000 is a sequel to Fantasia, which was originally made in 1940 and has been released numerous times. This newer film is a shorter, modern version with computer-generated images, a faster pace, more humor and more of the slick animation today’s audiences expect.
What's the story?
FANTASIA 2000 begins with glimpses and sound clips from the original floating into view, and then suddenly we are in the midst of Beethoven's Fifth, accompanied by an abstract battle between groups of triangles. Then Steve Martin comes on to make a joke, and we're off to the next episode, whales in moonlight, to Respighi's "Pines of Rome." The light on the water, the stillness, the dignity and grace of the whales in the water and as they float up into the sky are magnificent. Other segments include a rollicking Al Hirschfeld-inspired look at 1930's New York, to the music of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," a very romantic "Steadfast Tin Soldier" set to Dimitri Shostakovich's second piano concerto, and a mystical tale about death and rebirth in the forest, to Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite." From the original, we get Mickey as the Sorcerer's Apprentice, even more sensational on the huge screen, with glowing colors and dazzling detail. And Donald finally gets his chance, as Sir Edward Elgar's famous "Pomp and Circumstance" accompanies not a procession of graduates to their diplomas but a procession of animals to Noah's ark. Celebrities like Angela Lansbury, Quincy Jones, and James Earl Jones provide smooth transitions.
Is it any good?
Disney called the original Fantasia "a grand mixture of comedy, fantasy, ballet, drama, impressionism, color, sound, and epic fury," and that well describes the very worthy successor. This charming film is funny, imaginative, and really dazzling, and probably a better entertainment choice for young kids than the original.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the way that music makes pictures in our heads, and experiment by asking children to draw pictures as they listen to music. How does the movie's music match each of its segments?
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AGE
Beautiful and Exciting for Parents and Kids (who aren't overly sensitive)
I've been really big into exposing our kids to all different types of genre of music. This not only exposes them to some different styles of music, but different styles of animation as well. My kids have been watching this since the ages of 2 and 4 years old. Yes, there are some scariness issues for some more sensitive kids, like an evil jack-in-the-box with a freakishly large head trying to get rid of the tin soldier, Donald and Daisy duck thinking the other had perished in the flood, or the forest nymph being "eaten" by the gigantic lava bird. My kids have never been bothered by those images, though. They love the music and the stories told with them!! I grew up with the original Fantasia and I honestly prefer this 2000. We have the original and my kids were completely bored with it. I highly recommend this movie to kids who enjoy classical music that aren't overly sensitive to somewhat scary material.
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Kid, 10 years old
November 28, 2009
AGE
I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!! I COULD WATCH IT NONSTOP!
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AGE
Inferior to the original Fantasia, but still satisfying.
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Kid, 11 years old
July 3, 2011
AGE
love it!
very well done with beautiful music. amazing!
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AGE
music 2 everybodys ears
excellent movie, i like the way the music filled my head with a lot of pictures, but there were already pictures on the movie, that made it even better. there is only one part you need to be concerned about, in the one where the girl is forced to go to a lot of schools and learn stuff, toward the end, the ball she was playing with, falls down through the window and has to go get it, the ball ends up in the middle of a very busy street, she goes onto the road and almost gets run over by a semi-truck. Otherwise, its an excellent movie for kids to watch.
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AGE
Great Music, Great animation
This is the favorite movie of my 2 year old. He loves the music, and often uses it as background music while he plays with other toys.
Some things are slightly scary, but he doesn't watch it alone.
Some of the older segments do show their age.
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AGE
better than the first, with a lot of friendly celebrity faces, including from some Disney charecters.
More advanced since the origanal. If your one of those people who thought the first was a little dull, this one is more cheery. If your a music teacher though or a person who wants to grasp a better look at Fantasia's outlook on music, I would suggest the first one. Steve Martain and the guy who did the voice of Darth Vader are speakers, and Micky, Donald, and Daisy are featured in this musical film
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AGE
perfecto!
an excellent piece of art and filmmaking. the impressive score and over-the-top visuals are enough to make this film OK for everyone. there are some disturbing, and sometimes a little graphic and dark scenes.
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AGE
The Better of the Two Fantasias
This movie is much better than its predecessor. There isn't really anything to worry about, except maybe the demon-like creature at the end, destroying things with fire. I am too young to recognize some of the celebrities, but the whole point of the movie is the music. I first watched this in music class at school in 1st grade.
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy, music and sing-along |
| Studio: | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Directors: | Hendel Butoy, James Algar, Paul Brizzi, Pixote Hunt |
| Cast: | Angela Lansbury, Bette Midler, Steve Martin |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 75 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 16, 2000 |
| DVD release date: | November 30, 2010 |
| MPAA rating: | G |
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