It was November of 1940 when the iconic Fantasia first debuted in theatres. For its 70th birthday, Disney has given it the royal treatment with a gorgeous Blu-ray release. Fantasia has never looked or sounded better than it does now. But don’t be fooled by brilliant high-def into thinking that there is anything modern about this film. Although it was beyond cutting edge in its day, Fantasia is clearly a throwback to another time – but in a spectacular and magical way.

It’s easy to call Fantasia a concert on film but it is so much more than that. Eight classical selections ranging from Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite to Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony are masterfully performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski. As the music plays, the audience is treated to a visual interpretation by the Disney animators. Some of the cartoons feature serious images, like a Bela Lugosi-inspired demon while others go in the complete opposite direction, like ballerina hippos wearing tutus. Disney himself called the film “a grand mixture of comedy, fantasy, ballet, drama, impressionism, color, sound and epic fury.” I would say that it lives up to the bill! And of course, everything is beautifully hand-drawn, creating an exquisiteness of imagination that simply cannot be replicated by today’s slick computer animation and recycled plot lines.

Some sequences are better than others. I could do without the frolicking centaurs during the Pastoral Symphony. But at the same time, I can’t even begin to imagine the Chinese Dance from the Nutcracker Suite performed by anyone but dancing mushrooms! And everyone is familiar with Fantasia’s centerpiece – a lazy Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

For seven decades now, Fantasia has successfully “tricked” children into an appreciation for classical music by marrying it to cartoons. It amazes me that this format has not been copied by other filmmakers. But maybe it shouldn’t surprise me. The world of children’s’ entertainment has been so completely over-run by low-brow comedy and bad musical numbers that real quality is a rare find. Luckily, Fantasia was reprised by Disney with Fantasia 2000. And even luckier for us, it is included on this Blu-ray!

While Fantasia 2000 lacks the full artistic impact of the original, it does have some truly brilliant moments. Again, eight classical music selections are included with one repeat from Fantasia – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Performing the pieces is the Chicago Symphony, conducted by James Levine. Fantasia 2000 is far more concerned with linear storytelling than its predecessor. Every piece, with the exception of the very first (Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony), has a clear storyline. Sometimes this really works. I especially enjoyed George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue which tells the touching yet funny story of four different New Yorkers living during the Jazz Age. But sometimes the story telling aspect fails miserably. Most notable is Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance (yes, the graduation song!) inexplicably paired with a story about Donald and Daisy Duck on Noah’s Ark. Despite such missteps, I still fully enjoyed the film and truly hope that Disney will take another stab at the Fantasia format – but let’s not wait 60 years this time!

Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 arrive on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG 4-AVC encode. Both titles couldn’t be more different in terms of animation, but yet Disney has gone out and done us all a favor by delivering an incredible restoration job. Colors are vibrant and rich all throughout, in a color palette that stands out in every frame across the feature presentation. Black levels are deep and inky. Detailing is excellent throughout capturing the artist’s personality in every painted animation. There are some issues like aliasing, color banding, and some blocking, but they are very minor that they can just be overlooked. Disney has done a tremendous job with Fantasia.

Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 arrives on Blu-ray with a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Yes, both titles are offering a 7.1 lossless audio mix. And yes, it sounds absolutely fantastic. The film is primarily comprised of orchestrated music and every frame features an incredible flow of great music through the robust mix. The music really takes full advantage of the spacious track and doesn’t doubt when delivering every musical note. The speakers are used exceptionally and taken complete advantage of. The LFE output is exceptional providing that extra support to the track. Overall, Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 sound exceptional.

Fantasia is a four disc set (although 2 discs are DVD) so you know right off the bat that it is packed with extras. There are the usual behind the scenes and background information features but there are also some truly special gems included!

DisneyView – DisneyView is a very nice feature that replaces the black bars on the sides of the screen with artwork custom painted by Harrison Ellenshaw. You have to remember that due to the time period, Fantasia was presented in 4×3. Disneyview allows the full screen to be used while maintaining the original formatting. Brilliant idea!

Disney Family Museum – This is a short feature hosted by Walt’s daughter, Diane Disney. She leads us on a tour of the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

The Schultheis Notebook – Herman Schultheis was a Disney employee who worked on the camera effects for Fantasia. He kept an incredibly detailed notebook of the production process that includes descriptions of techniques, photos, and drawings. Strangely enough Schultheis vanished into the Guatemalan jungle and the notebook wasn’t found until after his wife’s death. It is now housed at the Disney Family Museum but we get to catch a glimpse in this featurette!

Interactive Art Gallery – Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Fun but nothing special.

Audio Commentaries – There are several commentaries available to cover every possible angle of the films. For the original film: 1) By Disney historian Brian Sibley 2) By animator John Canemaker featuring snippets of Walt Disney 3) By executive producer Roy Disney, James Levine (conductor for Fantasia 2000), John Canemaker and film restoration manager Scott MacQueen. For Fantasia 2000: 1) By Roy Disney, James Levine, and producer Don Ernst 2) By the directors and art directors. Whew!

Destino – Begun in 1946, this collaboration between Salvador Dali and Walt Disney wasn’t completed until 2003. It features music by Armando Dominguez and has no dialogue just like the other Fantasia pieces. I can’t really explain this short film. Like most of Dali’s work, it is strange but wonderful. You need to see it for yourself.

Dali and Disney – This is a full-length documentary (82 minutes!) about the making of Destino. Like most of the other supplements on this release, this covers everything you would ever want to know.

Musicana – Walt Disney wanted to make Fantasia a constantly evolving feature in which segments would switch in and out and new ones would be created. Musicana is about this vision.

Fantasia isn’t the most exciting film ever made and some viewers might even get bored during a segment or two. That being said, the material is varied and broad enough, that there will be something for everyone to connect to emotionally. It can be enjoyed by all age groups, from infant to senior. In fact, I think appreciation for the film grows as you age. I loved Fantasia when I first saw it at age 6 and I still love it now but for almost entirely different reasons. (I still love the dancing mushrooms!) Fantasia was groundbreaking in its time and is still an incredible spectacle to behold – especially now that it’s been given the full Blu-ray treatment. I give it my highest recommendation.