What can one say about such a bold, unprecedented experiment in animation . . . no, in filmmaking? It’s hard to imagine something so recklessly avant-garde emerging from a major studio today, let alone leaving such an indelible impression on moviegoers everywhere. It’s not surprising that the film was something of a failure when it was first released, but it’s even less surprising that it is now considered a classic of animation and cinema art.

Still probably Disney's best in terms of boldness and ambition in the mixture of ideas, storytelling, and music. I know Walt planned several more of these and it's sad those could be never be realized.

A rare Disney gem that lives up to the magic of its myth.

Walt Disney's masterpiece, Fantasia is a mind-blowing experience even eight decades after its debut. It's beautiful and moving, and -- if I dare say it -- fantastic. Read my full review for why it's one of my favorite films, and how the film took a very rough road to success.

I hadn't seen this one before our marathon. I enjoyed it and really admired its ambition. The anthology approach does mean that some parts are weaker than others. The best segments are five star material for sure.

I just watched this one mute set to the album Stromata by Charlotte Martin and it still all matched the music beautifully. If that's not art, what is?

What Fantasia boils down to is the celebration and power of music, specifically classical here, from Bach to Beethoven.
And as an admirer of classical music and animation, I can't find any fault in this captivating and ambitious feature.
The music is as enthralling as ever and the animation is wondrous, zipping from dazzling and vibrant to the downright frightening.

Excellent film from beginning to end. There's a majestic quality to this film that is all the more admirable due to the movie's accessibility. Alternating between fun and serious, the film as a whole takes on the feeling of a classical music piece of its own, ebbing and flowing, but always headed somewhere. My favorite sequences are the Sorcerer's Apprentice, Beethoven's Pastoral, and especially Bald Mountain/Ave Maria. Magnificent.

Fantástica, es una pequeña obra de arte. Solo si te gusta la animación clásica y la música clásica. La película son cortos mudos acompañados de piezas clásicas.
Tengo que decir que recordaba los cortos más cortos XD y más cantidad. Fantástica.

Updated entry: Watched with commentary by Disney historian Brian Sibley.

I was shocked to discover today that the Blu-ray release of Fantasia has three audio commentaries on it, and it took me ten minutes just to decide which one to watch. I ended up going with the "historical" commentary presented by Disney historian Brian Sibley.

While the commentary is very educational, it suffers from being over-academic. Silbey talks about the film as if he's giving a college lecture, and his deep voice and British accent are just about enough to lull me to sleep.

Walt's greatest artistic contribution to film. Visually stunning, audibly soothing, and completely ballsy.