Ahhh, Fantasia. Who can forget Mickey on that mountain, conjuring magic and being the mischievous mouse that he is? This film is one of short mini-films set entirely to music. There are some beautiful works in this movie, and it is the third Disney film in our experiment.
Eli
Rating: 5/10
Reaction: As thrilling and entertaining as I'm sure this movie was upon its release, for me, it's just a bit boring. But that doesn't mean there aren't some fabulous parts! Like the little Asian mushrooms dancing, the fairies being useful and changing the seasons, or even the way Mickey flounces while creating a magic broom to carry out his chores. (Lazy Mickey!) I didn't enjoy the first pieces, which was basically a bunch of abstract lines and shapes set to music. My attention span needs something more. And I never really enjoyed the dinosaur segment. Not only does it make me hungry, but it's wicked sad when the stegosaurus gets killed by the t-rex. (At least he gets his comeuppance and dies in the drought with all the other dinosaurs. Wait. Is that satisfying since they all die? Oh well.)
But there are parts I enjoyed. I love that the only ladies in the orchestra play the harp. And they have fabulous hats. I also really enjoy the Greek mythology segment, with the topless centaurs (Disney? Really?) and the naked cherubs (again, Disney? Really?) Bacchus likes to have fun, but Zeus is kind of a dick and ruins the party with his lightning. Jerk. And the Demon mountain guy is ALWAYS scary. But my favorite part has got to be the part with the ballet-dancing animals, which includes ostriches, hippos, elephants and alligators. It's the best segment I think of the whole film, and makes me want to take some ballet. I mean, if hippos can, then WHY NOT ME?!?!?
Regan
Rating: 6/10
Reaction: Fantasia has always been something of a mixed bag for me. I haven't seen it since I was a small child and I remember being thoroughly bored by it then. At the same time, I never forgot the image of Mickey trying to reel in all those brooms, or the hippo in a tutu! All these years later and it turns out my reaction is much the same, though I found myself enjoying some of the sketches that I had completely forgotten existed. Like Eli, I wasn't a fan of the opening sequence, and the droning monologues between each piece (which were not included, I think, in the original tape) were a chore to get through. My favorite parts were still the Sorcerer's Apprentice and the ballet with the hippo crushing the alligator. I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the dinosaur segment (although the animators obviously had never seen Jurassic Park--those velociraptors didn't look at all as if they could open doors!). On the other hand, the demon segment, which I'd forgotten, I found bizarre and boring. Perhaps the icing on the cake was the intermission, which really felt like a charming relic from a different time.
No comments:
Post a Comment