Cheap The Fantasia Anthology (3-Disc Collector's Edition) (DVD) (Leopold Stokowski) (T. Hee, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen, Ford Beebe, Jim Handley, Paul Satterfield, Hamilton Luske, James Algar) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Fantasia Anthology (3-Disc Collector's Edition)

See the music and hear the pictures!
FANTASIA is a wonderful movie that can truly be called a masterpiece. I'm not sure that some little kids would appreciate it, though; I know that as a kid I liked certain parts, but I didn't really understand what it was all about. It's pretty long, too, and there's a little bit of...um, things you wouldn't normally expect to see in a Disney movie. I mean, in the mythological Beethoven segment, those half-lady horses are swimming with *GASP* no tops on! But, hey, if it's what the animators saw by listening to that piece of music, it's fine. FANTASIA really is very, very beautiful. The Sorceror's Apprentice, with Mickey Mouse as the star, is a terrific and famous segment with a musical selection that fits it absolutely perfectly. They could not have picked a better one; in fact, it's like that piece was written just for that purpose. The beginning is an abstract song with abstract art, that is, no characters or plot, just shapes. I find it quite beautiful, and at times quite scary. Or at least, it used to scare me. The part with the rolling striped hills and that rock thing moving through the tunnel freaked me out. But you have to see it for yourself. I LOVE the second piece, with the dancing fairies. The best parts are the pretty goldfish with the silk fins, the Chinese mushrooms (which rule, like, the whole movie! Who doesn't love them?), and those Russian-looking dancing weed things. The segment with the dinosaurs is amazing. It really shows the theory of evolution very plainly. Then there's the segment in which we see ballet dancing elephants, hippos, swans, and alligators-a humorous animal one similar to the Carnival of Animals in Fantasia 2000. For those who didn't see it, it depicts the flamingoes playing with the yo-yo, and is probably my favorite part of the sequal. And, of course, there's the finale of Fantasia, with that frightening devil creature pictured on the back of the box. I love this movie, so chances are you will too.

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Disney's True Masterpiece
Never a big fan of Disney animation, this reviewer has always made Fantasia a major exception in his catalogue. And it's safe to assume that most people in the same boat (those who favor Kubrick and Scorsese over Cinderella and Snow White) will feel the same way. Sure, Fantasia has its share of cute, furry animals and ferries to boot. But the animation / classical score combo is simply awe-inspiring. How many features start things off with a series of brilliant abstract images matched to Bach's "Tocata and Fugue in D Minor"? Mickey Mouse has rarely been as enchanting as he is in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", and "The Rites of Spring" sequence is as close to naturalism as classic animation has ever reached on film. But it's the film's finale, the "Night on Bald Mountain"/"Ave Maria" sequence, that is truly breathtaking. Never has evil been personified in motion picture history as it is here, and it is unlike anything Disney has attempted before or since. Forget every other Disney "masterpiece"; this is the real deal!

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A Work of Art
Fantasia is a very unique creation, there has never been another movie quite like it, before or since, and I think it's safe to say there never will be. Disney took a risk with creating something so dfferent from the norm; most of the American public is not likely to sit and listen to classical music for two hours, or watch a movie with no words. However, it was a very worthwhile risk, as Fantasia is a beautiful work of art, and has become a classic.
There is a certain captivating magic when the incredible sounds of the world's best musicians combine with the dazzling sights of the world's best animators. The imagery is full of fantasy, rich color, and graceful beauty. It's impossible not to be dazzled as the music washes over you, and you watch the stories of each of these little worlds unfold.