SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: FANTASIA 2000

"FANTASIA 2000"
(1999) (Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck) (G)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
None	Minor	Moderate	*Moderate	Minor

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Minor	Minor	Heavy	None	None

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
None	None	None	Mild	Moderate

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: In this modern update of Disney's classic experiment in interpreting classical music through short animated segments, seven new features and one old favorite continue the tradition.

PLOT:: In this updated version of Disney's classic cartoon, various famous musical numbers are interpreted in eight animated segments. Among them is one featuring a pack of flying whales, the hustle and bustle of old-time life in New York, and a version of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier."
Others include a yo-yo happy flamingo, the classic "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" feature with Mickey Mouse donning a sorcerer's magic hat, Donald Duck helping out Noah on the Ark, and finally Mother Nature dealing with the destructive forces of a volcanic eruption.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Since it's a Disney cartoon (although not the "normal" kind), it's a safe bet that a good number of younger kids will want to see it.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: G: For not containing material that would warrant a higher rating.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: It's doubtful that many parents would consider any of the briefly seen human characters as role models (especially since no character prevails/appears throughout the film and its segments).

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

Here's a quick look at the content found in this G-rated film. As with many such films, there are moments (often accompanied by ominous and/or suspenseful music) in this one that may be unsettling, suspenseful or downright scary to some kids, all dependent on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material.

Those include a menacing looking jack-in-the-box that tries to attack a toy tin soldier, another featuring flowing lava (in the form of a large demon and other monstrous creatures) that tries to attack a pixie representing Mother Nature, and some potentially scary moments in the classic, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment.

Some slapstick style material also occurs, some characters have bad attitudes, and one scene involves a real-life magician who seemingly cuts off his own hand (without any blood, although we do see the severed hand in this "shock magic" act). Beyond that, the film's remaining categories have little or nothing in the way of major objectionable content.

For those concerned with bright & repetitive flashing of lights, some full screen, strobe-like moments occur during the first number. A few other moments also occur later in the film (during a thunderstorm and later from a broom that has a spell cast on it), but aren't as quick in repetition and don't fill the full screen.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: None.

BLOOD/GORE: A scene involving the shock magicians Penn & Teller has one of them apparently cut off his own hand with a hatchet (it looks real enough except that there's no blood) and he nonchalantly tosses the severed hand aside.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: A jack-in-the-box toy has both toward a tin soldier (that he tries to hurt) and a toy ballerina (that he bothers).
For those who don't like magic and/or sorcery, an introduction scene features magicians Penn & Teller doing some brief bits, while the "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" piece has Mickey Mouse doing some sorcery of his own.
Mickey Mouse tries to get out of some labor by casting a sorcerer's spell on a broom to do the work for him.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: Some kids may be concerned when a flying baby whale dives headfirst and crashes into an iceberg (to avoid birds chasing him), causing big pieces of it to fall off all around him (we later see that he's okay).
Some kids might be frightened by the sight of a leering and menacing looking jack-in-the-box that tries to harm a much smaller and one-legged tin soldier toy (both of which are "alive"). The same holds true for later scenes where the tin soldier rides a small wooden boat down a "waterfall" into a sewer where he encounters some scary looking rats (with glowing red eyes and sharp, menacing looking teeth) that briefly try to get him.
A scene involving the shock magicians Penn & Teller has one of them apparently cut off his own hand with a hatchet (it looks real enough except that there's no blood) and he nonchalantly tosses the severed hand aside.
The sight of a sorcerer and his large, seemingly glowing eyes might be unsettling or scary for some kids.
The same holds true for a scene where Mickey is underwater and/or seemingly caught in a whirlpool, as well as the later sight of a large wave at night around Noah's Ark that might be unsettling or scary for some kids.
Scenes in the last segment where a volcano erupts and its lava (in the form of a large demon-like creature and other monsters) tries to get Mother Nature might be rather intense or scary to some viewers. In one scene, it seems to be implied that the lava killed Mother Nature, but we later see that wasn't the case.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Toy rifles: Carried by toy tin soldiers.
Sword: Briefly used by a jack-in-the-box in an attempt to strike a tin soldier toy.
Hatchet: Used by a real-life, human magician to seemingly cut off his own hand in a brief magic act.
Ax: Used by Mickey Mouse to splinter a broom that's seemingly alive.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Pathetic loser."
A scene involving the shock magicians Penn & Teller has one of them apparently cut off his own hand with a hatchet (it looks real enough except that there's no blood) and he nonchalantly tosses the severed hand aside.

JUMP SCENES: Eyes suddenly appear in a volcanic mound, along with sudden music, both of which might startle some younger viewers.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): A heavy amount of ominous and suspenseful music plays in several of the segments.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None.

PROFANITY: None.

SEX/NUDITY: None.

SMOKING: None.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: None.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: That while forests do recover from calamities such as volcanic eruptions, it doesn't occur as quickly as presented in this film.
That Mickey Mouse learned that there are no shortcuts when it comes to doing one's chores/work.

VIOLENCE: There's some slapstick style material involving a young, klutzy girl who slams into a wall and closet.
A jack-in-the-box tries to get a much smaller toy tin soldier who hits the jack-in-the-box in the face, causing his nose to spin around. The jack-in-the-box then hits the soldier, nearly causing him to fall from a window. He then throws toy letter blocks at the soldier and finally knocks him from the window with a small, wooden toy boat. Later, when the tin soldier returns, the jack-in-the-box tries to hit him with a sword. Eventually, the tin soldier causes the jack-in-the-box to fall into a flaming hot stove (where he's presumably "killed"/destroyed).
A scene involving the shock magicians Penn & Teller has one of them apparently cut off his own hand with a hatchet (it looks real enough except that there's no blood) and he nonchalantly tosses the severed hand aside.
Mickey Mouse takes an ax to a broom that's seemingly alive (through a spell that has given it arms but no face or other human features) - and we see the shadow of this action. Of course, the splintered pieces simply form into even more brooms just moments later.
A sorcerer swats Mickey Mouse with a broom to make him get back to work.
Donald Duck uses a porcupine (or similar spiked animal) to poke a reluctant hippo on the rear, and a rhino then bumps him from behind. Later, a bunch of animals slide across a boat and smash Donald into a wall, while he's later smashed into a wall by himself. An elephant then accidentally steps down onto Donald and squashes him through the wooden decking.
The last segment has a volcano that erupts and seemingly shoots or sends its lava (often in monstrous form) at Mother Nature, destroying/burning most everything in its path. In one scene, it seems to be implied that the lava killed Mother Nature, but we later see that wasn't the case.

Reviewed May 30, 2000 / Posted June 16, 2000

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