Fantasia

I can't lie, I actually skipped Fantasia. I know, I know--that ruins the integrity of the whole experience, but I'm over it. I did go back and watch it sometime between Fun and Fancy Free and Cinderella, but I didn't finish it. I couldn't--it was so boring!
I actually had seen Fantasia before. When I was a very small child, I remember it was the only kids movie that my grandmother had, so I think I watched parts of it. Obviously I didn't watch the whole thing as a child when I couldn't even get through it as an adult! Anyway, I didn't have any real clear memories of the movie itself.
This is the thing that I don't particularly like about a couple of these early ones--there is no story! It's just like Disney was so impressed with himself and the animation technology that he just wanted to show everyone what he could do, not tell a story. The first part is the very worst--the part with the conductor, the lights, and the shadows of the instrumentalists. Don't get me wrong, it is a very cool video effect and would require precise staging and cinematography, but that does not make up for the fact that it is boring as heck! The next sequence started out fun with the fairies and the flowers, but it also quickly became old.
I think that there is supposed to be a story created with the animation within each of the compositions. This is easy to distinguish in the magicians apprentice, but not in any of the other ones that I saw (keeping in mind that I didn't make it through the whole movie).
The one thing that I do think I got out of watching this movie is an urge to start listening to classical music. I bought the London Philharmonic Orchestra's 100 Most Essential Pieces of Classical Music, and I have enjoyed every minute of it!
So, that's about all I have to say about that. I think that this movie would be a good one to show really young kids who wouldn't understand a story line anyway. It might hold their attention with all the bright colors and animated choreography, and it will promote higher cognitive function through the classical music!