“Fantasia 2000” Blu-ray Combo Pack Review

I remember seeing the original Fantasia back when I was a kid.  My grandma took me to the movie theater to see it and it was quite an experience.  I was really excited to share a similar experience with my boys in the comfort of our home with Fantasia 2000.  Fantasia 2000 was released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 30th, 2010 from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.  This is an amazing Combo Pack because it includes Fantasia and Fantasia 2000.  If you haven’t experienced Blu-ray yet, I highly recommend you check it out as soon as possible.  The quality of the picture and sound are amazing!  You can purchase Fantasia 2000 on DVD and Blu-ray in stores and online.  The Blu-ray Combo Pack retails for $45.99 and the 2-Disc DVD retails for $39.99.

SYNOPSIS:

The dreams and visions of Walt Disney come to life in Fantasia, which blends music and film magic into an exhilarating movie-going experience.  Unforgettable images are brought to life by some of the world’s best music, and highlighted by the comedy of Mickey Mouse as a troublemaking sorcerer’s apprentice, along with the beauty of winged fairies and cascading snowflakes, the majesty of Noah’s ark and even plump hippos performing ballet in tutus.

Motivated by his uncle’s foresight, Roy Disney continued the magic with Fantasia 2000 which begins where its predecessor left off.  There are seven completely new segments, and viewers watch a bustling Depression-era metropolis in the style of Al Hirschfeld’s famous cartoons, a flock of flamingos with slapstick yo-yo talents, an ark full of animals gathered by Donald Duck as Noah’s first mate, and musical life breathed into a family of flying humpback whales.

FANTASIA DVD BONUS FEATURES:

– New Audio Commentary with Disney historian Brian Sibley

– Disney Family Museum (running time: approx. 5 minutes) – Walt’s daughter Diane Disney-Miller takes viewers on a tour of the new Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, California featuring a very large exhibit on Fantasia and most importantly, the Schultheis notebook with long lost Fantasia production notes found in more recent years in the walls of a convent.

FANTASIA BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES:

Everything on the DVD plus:

– Disney View – The viewing mode maximizes the Blu-ray viewing experience with a 16 x 9 aspect ratio.  Original artwork created by a Disney artist, in a style that complements the beauty of the film.

– The Shultheis Notebook:  A Disney Treasure (running time: approx. 14 minutes) – An in depth look at the recently discovered Schultheis Notebook.  The detailed log was created by Herman Schultheis, an effects man on Fantasia, and intricately breaks down the film from a technical view.  Many of the special effects used in Fantasia were a mystery to modern day animators until this notebook was recovered.

– Interactive Art Gallery and Screensavers – Viewers can explore the artwork of Fantasia as never before, in HD resolution with unique Blu-ray interactivity and programming.

– Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection

— With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, animation historian John Canemaker, and Scott McQueen, manager of film restoration.
— Audio commentary with interviews and story note recreations by Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker.

FANTASIA 2000 DVD BONUS FEATURES:

– Musicana – Walt’s Inspiration for a Sequel (running time: approx. 10 minutes) – This documentary reveals rarely-seen art created for Musicana, a late 1970’s project intended as a Fantasia sequel with a focus on exploring other cultures via their greatest musical compositions.  Viewers are offered a look at the origins of pieces that were started by Walt, such as “The Emperor and the Nightingale” which was then taken over by a very young John Lasseter.  Ultimately, Musicana was stopped to begin production on “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” but the memories of this piece still live on with the animators who conceived it.

FANTASIA 2000 BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES:

Everything on the DVD plus:

– Dali & Disney: A Date With Destino (running time:  82 minutes) – This feature length documentary explores the collaborative relationship between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, revealing how and why the Destino short came to fruition under the lead of Roy E. Disney in 2003 so many years after the inception in 1946.

– Destino (running time:  approx. 7 minutes) – The legacy of Walt Disney and Salvador Dali lives on in this highly anticipated short film.

– Disney’s Virtual Vault — BD-Live Feature

— Original DVD Bonus Features from Legacy Collection

– Audio Commentaries from Fantasia Legacy Collection (total running time:  84 minutes)

— With executive producer Roy E. Disney, conductor James Levine, and producer Don Ernst.
— Audio commentary with the directors and art directors for each segment.

FANTASIA 2000 FAST FACTS:

Street Date:  November 30, 2010
Pricing:  4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack: $45.99 SRP / 2-Disc DVD: $39.99 SRP
Feature Run Time:  125 minutes – Fantasia; 75 minutes – Fantasia 2000
Rated:  G
FastPlayTM:  FastPlay Enabled

Blu-ray Discs:

Aspect Ratio:  Fantasia – 1.33:1, Fantasia 2000 – 1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks:  7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 DEHT / French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles:  English SDH, French and Spanish

DVDS:

Aspect Ratio:  Fantasia – 1.33:1, Fantasia 2000 – 1.78:1
Sound/Language Tracks:  5.1 Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT), 5.1 DEHT / French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles:  English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

FANTASIA 2000

Rebirth of Destino (Bonus)

Destino (Bonus)

Walt’s Perfect World (Bonus)

Musicana (Bonus)

FANTASIA

Schultheis Notebook (Bonus)

Walt’s Importance (Bonus)

MY THOUGHTS

This is an amazing Disney Combo Pack!  I love Blu-ray!  I’d heard about the quality of sound and picture for a long time, but didn’t really appreciate it until I watched a Blu-ray myself.  Wow!  I love that this Combo Pack includes the original Fantasia, as well as Fantasia 2000.  The Bonus Features were incredible!  “Disney’s Family Museum” on the Fantasia DVD was a lot of fun to watch, as was “Musicana” and “Destino.”  Thanks to Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for another amazing Combo DVD Blu-ray Pack!!!

I received a copy of the “Fantasia 2000” Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.