i re-watched Fantasia 2000 a few days ago after not having done so in about 15+ years & it was even ~better~ than i remembered. i enjoyed it so much it’s essentially living in my head rent-free. it’s GORGEOUS. i didn’t dislike/cringe at any of the cartoons/stories. the first story with the colorful butterfly-esque flying geometric shapes shown while Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 played? magical af. those inter-connected stories taking place in possible Depression-era/definitely early 20th century New York shown while the incredibly catchy Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin was performed? i swear that song will never leave my head; i’ve already promised it as such lol. the story about the flamingo that discovered yo-yos shown while Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, Finale played? it’s so delightfully clever; it made me giggle so much, the way the flamingos moved together. that last cartoon with a Mother Nature-style nymph/spirit/sprite (or just Mother Nature herself) against that bigger-than-life, terrifying volcano firebird shown while Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite was performed? OMG heartbreakingly, heartstoppingly beautiful. it made me cry & for a little bit there i actually felt something like hope.
it’s weird trying to remember how I actually felt when i first watched this so long ago. my childhood/teenage memories have become so fuzzy it’s almost like i’m looking through a window to try to guess how i felt. there’s a weird, almost clinical separation of feeling there? idk. anyways, i’m pretty sure i enjoyed watching both 2000 & the original not because of the boring, dry talking in between (indeed, hearing the guy on the original Fantasia is actually kinda fun now. it’s bizarre lmao) but because i craved the soothing classical music & the colorful cartoons (little ND brain needed stimmies lmao). as much as i daydream, i’m an ~extremely~ literal person, so watching these cartoons really helped enhance the music for me! i’m not sure why i’m pointing this all out except to express i appreciate my more “mature” brain (i’m past the age of 25 after all) but even with my deeper understanding about certain things, there’s still a child-like wonder about it all, & i wanted to say i’m glad i still have that, considering how jaded & cynical i’ve become. yes, i cling to favorites i’ve enjoyed since i was at least a teenager as well as other familiar favorites i've become attached to over the years, but this sense of wonder i had while watching Fantasia 2000 the other night? i’m so happy i still can do that. i'm certainly no professional musician & can't even claim i'm an amateur; the closest i came to that was high school choir but even that doesn't really count. i'm able to truly ~feel~ this music with these great cartoons accompanying them. i love that! i wish there were more of these kinds of films. anyways, sorry this became a novella, i just felt like rambling lol. cheers~
