"Tremendously enjoyable": This Disney film has turned 25, and its animation is still as captivating as the first day

One of Disney 's most unique films has reached 25 years since its theatrical release , with an intact legacy and a visual offering that continues to amaze. Released in the midst of the digital revolution, this work transformed the way we understand animated film through classical music, the IMAX format, and animation that, even today, feels as innovative as it did on its first day.

Fantasia 2000 was the ambitious tribute that Walt Disney Pictures launched to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the classic Fantasia. (1940). The film premiered on December 17, 1999, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and opened the year 2000 with an exclusive distribution in IMAX theaters , becoming the first Disney animated film released in this format.

Its arrival marked a turning point in the use of digital technologies in cinema, and also paved the way for a distribution model that would later spread with the arrival of the digital projector. The proposal is composed of eight animated segments inspired by classical musical pieces, from Beethoven to Stravinsky , among which stand out Rhapsody in Blue, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Firebird sequence.

The work also revisits The Sorcerer's Apprentice, starring Mickey Mouse , in a clear nod to the original film. It also incorporates pioneering visual innovations for its time, such as the use of CGI (computer generated graphics) in scenes like "Pines of Rome ," and interludes presented by figures such as Steve Martin, Angela Lansbury, and James Earl Jones , lending a playful tone to each musical piece.

Although its box office impact was more modest compared to other titles of the so-called Disney renaissance of the 90s, Fantasia 2000 It has been recognized over time for its aesthetic audacity and its defense of musical art in family cinema. IGN described it as "tremendously enjoyable," and its release also marked the first digital screening experience in Spain, making it a visual rarity and a technological milestone.