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Rating:  - Fantasia
I had the original of this and someone stole it. I was thrilled
to get another copy of this and it also being the 60th anniversary
edition made it even more special. I highly reccommend this DVD
if you love classical music and Walt Disney!
Rating:  - It's pretty good considering the age of the original.
Fantasia has always been a favorite movie of mine and it still is. The quality of the artwork is not up to today's crisp standards, but it is true to the original. I was worried when I saw reviews that Disney had cut up the Pastoral piece, but it was okay. I didn't even notice it. The part I did notice is that Disney included the extended parts where the narrator speaks. While he does go on and tell you the whole story about the next piece, you can pick up your remote and skip it.
Overall very good job. Overall really pricey too.
Rating: - Awesome- but THX sound is weird
I bought this DVD with The Fantasia Anthology. When I watched this disk, I was amazed. The color quality was amazing, the sound was great, The " Making of Fantasia" segment was excellent. The only problem I had was with the THX optimode sound selection. When I tried it, it set to a default sound, like on a scratchy TV channel, and was compleatley weird. I just decided to watch it in the normal sound. Now, I'm thinking that I should've tried out the video optimode. Anyway: this is a great movie that has been finally put out on DVD. If your a Fantasia fan, this is for you.
Rating: - oooo...so close
There is no denying that Fantasia is my favorite film of all time. The music is magnificent, the artwork is beautiful, and the way the two mesh together without any other use of sound effects is just beyond compare. However, GOD DAMN THE DISNEY EDITORS! It claims that this film is restored and uncut, when of course, the Pastoral Symphony sequence remains edited. How I wish this weren't the case, how I wish I could give this release a perfect rating. But alas, because of this flaw, I cannot. *sigh* Edits or no edits, here's why I like this film so much.
-Firstly, three of my very favorite classical pieces are included within this film: Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, and Mussogrsky's A Night on Bald Mountain. Now, whenever I hear these numbers, I envision the settings that are used in the film.
-The artwork and the style of some segments remind me of later Silly Symphonies (Moth and the Flame, Farmyard Symphony, Merbabies, Old Mill, etc.). This is truly great for me because Silly Symphonies are quickly becoming as significant to me as Mickey Mouse, me being the music enthusiast that I am.
-The choice of setting for each of the 7 pieces is certainly not what you might initially expect, which is nice. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is almost sort of an acid trip; the Nutcracker has many different settings; the Sorcerer's Apprentice is a Mickey Mouse cartoon, plain and simple, but focuses more on music than action; The Rite of Spring is used to tell the story of how life began on our planet; the Pastoral Symphony is set in a Greek Myth; the Dance of the Hours is a comical ballet of Ostriches, Elephants, Hippos and Alligators; and A Night On Bald Mountain is set in a hellish environment controlled by a monstrous demon.
-The idea of using musical instruments to represent any sound effects that may be used (an oboe is used to represent the sound of a baby unicorn's cry for help, for example) is truly not like anything seen at the time it was made.
-Can you imagine, simply try to imagine, how a simple Mickey Mouse short expanded into a 2-hour masterpiece with seven epic cartoons told through symphony? Only Walt Disney could have done such a thing.
With the exception of those stupid edits, there is no denying that this is my favorite film of all time, as you can see. It's all the proof one needs to show that Disney was at it's best when a man who bears the company's name himself runs the company. But if this has you wanting more proof of that, then the Silly Symphony collections are just for you. Whether it be the crudely animated, black-and-white, rhythm-minded cartoons of the early days, or the beautifully painted, colorful, majestic pieces of musical art of the final few years of the series, they are just what you need to put the icing on the cake of this fine film, the finest of all Disney's feature-length animations: FANTASIA!
Rating: - A fantastic gem
The 60th anniversary DVD of Fantasia is a gem and a great find. The DVD has the original narration, not the 1962 re-release narration (which is on the VHS version), and everyone who has seen both has preferred the original.
The sound and video quality, while not exactly Pixar quality, are never the less impressive considering the age of the original.
This film is one of those timeless classics that endures very well.
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