Disney
sure has been on a much needed upswing lately. In 1999, they put out back-to-back
hits in the form of the beautiful Tarzan and the breathtaking Toy Story 2. Now
they open the new millennium with the stunning Fantasia 2000, a continuation of
the original Fantasia.
For
those not familiar with the original Fantasia, it's actually a series of animated
shorts set to classical pieces of music. This time around, they've kept one of
the pieces from the first film (The Sorcerer's Apprentice starring Mickey Mouse),
and added a few new ones. The catch is, however, that Fantasia 2000 comes to life
in the Imax format, taking it to an entirely new level of color and sound.
The
film is beautifully animated and features many spectacular images; from a family
of dancing humpback whales to a playful flamingo doing tricks with a yo-yo.
Behind
all the incredible images , is the classical music that inspired them. From Gershwin's
Rhapsody in Blue (set to images of a colorful New York City scene), to Pomp and
Circumstance (set to a retelling of Noah's Ark starring Donald and Daisy Duck)
these are timeless pieces of music that we've all come to know and love.
Fantasia
2000 is a stellar achievement and even rivals the original. Perhaps that's because
it's more of a companion piece than a continuation. Obviously it's not playing
here and hasn't made it to Salt Lake, but it is playing at the Luxor in Las Vegas,
and it's very much worth the drive. Maybe if were lucky, it'll open in Zion. At
any rate, if you're not able to make it to Vegas, Fantasia 2000 is slated to open
in regular theaters nationwide later this year.
