DVD Review: Fantasia 2000

The sequel to Walt Disney’s landmark 1940 animated film “Fantasia 2000” offer classic musical numbers brilliantly married to animated segments that enhance the musical experience. Fantasia 2000 offers such enduring musical pieces as Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite,” Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival Of The Animals,” Shostakovich’s “Piano Concerto No. 2,” George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue,” and Respighi’s “Pines Of Rome,” Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5.” Each of the pieces include an introduction by well-known faces such as Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Quincy Jones, Penn & Teller, and Angela Lansbury. (Laurie Sevano)
Special Notes:

Also available in “The Fantasia Anthology” three-disc set (featuring “Fantasia,” “Fantasia 2000” and a third disc of additional supplements (catalog number 21269/$69.99).

DVD Picture:

The anamorphically enhanced 1.85:1 digital-to-digital Fantasia 2000 exhibits image quality that is absolutely breathtaking, exhibiting sharp and detailed animation with an excellent sense of dimension. Fly above and around a group of humpback whales breaching in the clouds in the "Pines Of Rome" segment. Minor edge enhancement is noticed in "Rhapsody In Blue," but otherwise, the simple animation is intriguing. The "Piano Cocerto No.2, Allegro, Opus 102" segment is revealing of excellent "shadow delineation" as well as excellent detail. While the humorous "Carnival Of Animals, Finale" exhibits more simple animation, colors are rich and vibrant. Viewers will be completely engulfed by the beautiful images and fantasic detail in the "Firebird Suite—1919 Version." Compared to "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice" on the original Fantasia, the version included in Fantasia 2000 is presented in its original aspect ratio (1.33:1), but is anamorphically enhanced within the 1.85:1 frame. While some film grain is evident, the imagery looks great for its age and is sharper than the version on Fantasia. Viewers will be completely engulfed by the beautiful images and fantasic detail in the "Firebird Suite—1919 Version."

While Fantasia 2000 was initially screened exclusively in IMAX® theatres, the film was composed for 1.85:1 projection, and this framing is preserved on the DVD. (Suzanne Hodges)

DVD Soundtrack:

Both Dolby® Digital and DTS® Digital Surround™ 5.1-channel discrete soundtracks are offered for this DVD, and as anticipated from our exclusive review of the samplings on the promotional DVD in Issue 42, what you will experience is excellent movie sound. Of course, the lion’s share of the sonic presentation is music, but the experience of a wonderfully recorded orchestra within the expansive and immersive confines of a holosonic listening space is absolutely wonderful. Fidelity is simply par excellent. The tonal balance is perceptually neutral when listening at reference level, and therefore the need for re-equalization should be obviated. Even during prominent moments, the audio should not be overbearing. The presence of the Chicago Symphony within the listening space is just amazing, with a fullness and richness to the sonic character. The exemplary dynamics really do work to this soundtrack’s advantage in rendering the orchestral performances. A prominent of example can be found in Chapter 16, Stravinsky’s "Firebird Suite." For the classic section of the film, namely "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice," (Chapter 12) the restoration effort is remarkable, despite the noticeable dimensional processing, vintage recording attributes and some background hiss. There’s plenty in the low-end, in both the main channels and the .1 LFE, but what is important to note that what you’ll be experiencing is deep bass that is of a musical nature, as opposed to the loudness and aggressiveness that often accompanies effects. Therefore, systems with full-range main speakers and subwoofers with very good harmonic definition in the low-end will surely benefit from this soundtrack. The scattered passages of dialogue have been well produced, and have a natural-sounding presence. Sound effects, when utilized are effectively placed throughout the soundstage, with an open, wide presence that also enveloping with split surround engagement. The DTS version is preferred choice between the two formats, with a sound that simply sounds more natural, in particular from the tonality and fidelity of the string instruments. In addition, there is a slightly more compelling sense of resolution and texture within the spatial soundfield, and the low-end delivers with subtly yet noticeably greater depth. This is an absolute must-have for fans of the movie and those who favor great movie sound alike, and is an exemplary offering in terms of fidelity and the experience of surround sound. (Perry Sun)

This Disc Contains The Following WSR Superb Qualities:

Collector Edition
Reference Quality
Superb Color Fidelity
Superb Music Score Recording Quality

Picture: 5
Dolby Digital Sound:4.5
DTS Sound 5
Critics' Composite Score: 4

Stars: Steve Martin, Itzkak Perlman, Qunicy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn & Teller, James Levine and Angela Lansbury With The Voice Talents Of Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo & Russi Taylor

This review courtesy of WidescreenReview.com