Fantasia is the third of Walt Disney's animated features. The audio/video bar was set very high with the company's release of its first two, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio... and Fantasia kicks those already stellar discs butts.
The image transfer rivals any modern day film on blu-ray. It's a definite upgrade from the already-stunning quality from the previous DVD release of the film.
Fantasia 2000, the latter day sequel, also looks great in 1080p, but the film as a whole pales in comparison. It's animation lacks the sophistication of the original. Largely using computer animation, 2000 lacks the shear beauty of the painted cels of the original, and its missing the older film's cohesive feel that joined the wildly different animation techniques into a whole. 2000 recycles the famed Sorcerer's Apprentice segment from the first film and it is noticeably more beautiful than what precedes and follows it. The sequel is also nearly an hour shorter.
The host segments in the original were very dry like you were in a music appreciation class... but that suited the long-hair material. In 2000, each segment is hosted by a celebrity (many of whom are trying to be funny and falling flat on their face,) which gives the film a very cheap TV-special feel.
The music, however, is top-notch.
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio were loaded with special features. The same can't be said for this one. A 15 minute feature on a recently discovered book detailing some of the special effects techniques is the ONLY making-of feature of either film (apart from commentaries.) I remember there being a making-of doc on the earlier DVD. That nor any other previous special feature from that edition is included.
UPDATE: I've discovered these earlier special features as a part of the disc's Disney Vault BD Live function. They're only available with an internet connection.
There are other new features: one on a scrapped 1970s sequel called Musicana and another that looks at the Disney Family museum in San Fransisco.
The highlight of the special features is the inclusion of Destino, an abandoned 1946 short by Disney with Salvador Dali that was finally completed in 2003. In addition to the beautiful 5 minute short, there is an exhaustive 90 minute documentary that traces both unique visionaries, their friendship, collaboration and falling out, and the ultimate completion of the project. The inclusion of Destino does make up for the lack of other features.
Though it's not a perfect package, having a flawless-looking Fantasia on blu-ray is cause enough to celebrate
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