I think we can safely say, in this day and age of dumbed-down animated kiddie flicks, money-grubbing studios, and lackadaisical audiences, that there would be no one brave enough to release something like Walt Disney did with 'Fantasia.' Let's imagine, just for a moment, that a trailer pops up on your TV for a brand new, one-of-a-kind animated journey into classical music. In a world where a movie like 'Avatar' makes billions, do you think people would be flocking to the theater to check this movie out? I doubt it.

Now I know what you're thinking, "Aaron, there's another movie in this set called 'Fantasia 2000.' That came out in our time and it was relatively successful at the box office. What gives?"

While 'Fantasia 2000' harkens back to the 'Fantasia' of old, it has been modernized. The formula has been tweaked to attract more viewers. Is this a bad thing? Not really. But, a movie like the original 'Fantasia' just wouldn't work nowadays. It was originally conceived that 'Fantasia 2000' would contain at least three segments from the original film. After test screenings all but the Sorcerer's Apprentice scene was cut due largely to running time. We're looking at a two-hour long 'Fantasia' compared to a 75 minute 'Fantasia 2000.' Familiar faces like James Earl Jones and Bette Middler are thrown in for good measure in order to keep people interested. 'Fantasia 2000' seems more like a movie, whereas 'Fantasia' feels like something much, much more. An enthralling experience of sight and sound. 'Fantasia 2000' tried to pick up where the original left off, but with updates for a modern audience with shorter attention spans, it never reaches the lofty heights of its predecessor.

'Fantasia' remains to this day one of the most ambitious animated works of all time. No one was even sure that this concept would fly in 1940. Walt Disney set out to make a 120 minute animated feature which, besides the introduction bits, had a complete lack of dialogue. Let's also keep in mind that this was only Walt Disney's third full-length animated feature after 'Snow White,' and 'Pinocchio.' The risk involved with creating a spectacle like this was unfathomable, especially for an animation company that was still trying to establish itself. Straying from the fairy tale formula that had worked so well for his first two movies, Walt set out to create something quite unique to the world of animation and cinema. He set out to create not only a movie to entertain the masses, but an experience that took people on a visual journey through sound.

Walt, ever the innovator, and his crew had to invent new animation techniques to create each one of the shots contained in the film. The time, effort, and money thrown into 'Fantasia' at the time seemed ludicrous. Walt had no idea if 'Fantasia' would make a profit, but he did know that this is what he wanted to create. If there's one thing we've learned about Walt Disney over the years it was that he never really cared if people thought he was crazy. He was determined to showcase his own creativity and imagination to the world. He blazed the path for animation as a viable cinematic art form.

'Fantasia' is a film unlike any other. That was Walt's idea. 'Fantasia' was meant to feel more like an event. It was going to be a film that people dressed up for and saw, like they were going to see the orchestra or a ballet. Indeed 'Fantasia' is an event. An experience, that since my youth, I still haven't forgotten. After revisiting it again I still remember the happiness I felt as a kid watching those little mushroom men dance to the sounds of the Nutcracker. I also recalled the dread I felt watching the giant, evil winged monster call forth his minions. If there was a scene in a movie that scared me more as a kid than the flying monkeys in 'The Wizard of Oz' this is that scene.

I'd also like to point out that in our overly politically correct world a movie like 'Fantasia' would never be able to get released. After the outcry that 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1' showed brief snippets of nudity, how would those same people feel about an animated cartoon that features, among other things, nude sprites and winged daemons with fully visible breasts and nipples, not so subtle references to black magic and the evil side of the supernatural, and a creation story that has absolutely nothing to do with God? Yet, somehow 'Fantasia' lives on in our collective minds as an astounding piece of cinematic history. It wasn't the first time Walt Disney emblazoned his name on the history of film, but it definitely was the most flamboyant and daring time.

'Fantasia' is a movie to be cherished, because it's safe to say we'll never see anything like it again. Hopefully, with this fully restored Blu-ray release, the movie will find an entire new generation of fans.

'Fantasia' – 5 Stars

'Fantasia 2000' – 4 Stars

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Fantasia' and 'Fantasia 2000' come packaged together in a 4-disc special edition. Both movies are housed on 50GB Blu-ray discs. The other discs are DVDs which also contain the movie. They all come together in a oversized keepcase with a beautifully embossed slipcover.