Fantasia 2000
When it was part of the original 1940 animated feature "Fantasia," the short "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" somehow stole the whole show. Sixty years later, it manages the same feat in the long-awaited sequel, "Fantasia 2000."That's as much a tribute to this timeless melding of classic cel animation and Paul Dukas' insistently memorable tune as it is a reflection on the inconsistent quality of both films.
Like the original "Fantasia," this follow-up compilation of animated shorts and classical music has its share of duds, particularly a couple of segments shown at the beginning. But when the shorts are good, they are very, very good, particularly those in which the animators actually try to tell a story.
Also, it should be noted that though the movie has now been converted from the 70mm IMAX format to the traditional 35mm format, it still plays pretty much the same on the big screen as it does the big, big screen. So if you missed the film in its earlier, large-screen run, you didn't really miss that much.
A big draw for some will be the music itself, which is performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of James Levine. Refreshingly, the animation teams have accompanied it with work that is a bit more experimental or at least more eclectic than that we've gotten from the Mouse Company of late.
Among the other minifeatures are:
Again, on the whole, the package is a mixed bag. The weaker segments ("Pines of Rome" and a somewhat abstract piece based on Beethoven's Symphony No. 5) have too little plot and subscribe to the same storytelling formula.
Also, as beautifully animated as it is, some of the visuals in "Firebird Suite" (performed to the strains of the Igor Stravinsky piece) look eerily familiar to those in the Japanese animated feature "Princess Mononoke."
But the better pieces more than make up for it, especially "Rhapsody in Blue," which is performed and animated beautifully, as well as "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," which is always a joy.
However, one thing that could improve the film greatly would be removing the host interludes, performed by the likes of Steve Martin, Bette Midler, musician Quincy Jones, Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones.
While Martin's silly bit is in the right tone, other attempts at humor fall flat, particularly those by comic magicians Penn & Teller, who are extremely unfunny introducing "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."
"Fantasia 2000" is rated G, though it does contain scenes of violence and other violent images. Running time: 74 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com