Fantasia

Composite Score: 86.53

Starring: Leopold Stokowski, Deems Taylor, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and Walt Disney

Directors: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., Norman Ferguson, David Hand, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, and Ben Sharpsteen

Writers: Joe Grant and Dick Huemer

Genres: Animation, Family, Fantasy, Music, Musical

MPAA Rating: G

Box Office: $76.41 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                Fantasia is the Disney animated film comprised of a series of eight animated clips set to classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski and performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, with introductions to each piece delivered by Deems Taylor. It is considered a classic of animated cinema and truly is a marvel of its era, containing beautifully animated segments, directed by the best directors of so many of Disney’s classic films, some telling stories and others simply putting the music into visual images. It’s unlike just about any other animated film that’s ever been made, and for that, it stands the test of time, containing some of the most iconic sequences of animation, including Mickey as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice with the walking broomsticks and the story of Chernabog and Bald Mountain. It is arguably the least family-friendly of all of the studio’s animated films, featuring some frightening sequences and very little plot to keep less engaged audiences entertained, but it remains one of the most lauded of Disney’s films. It can be slow at points, but the animation continues to live up to the hype, and it generally deserves its recognition among the Greatest Films of All Time. You can currently stream this one on Disney+ if you’d like to check it out for yourself.