First Impressions: Arlo the Alligator Boy (2021)

 

As a good chunk of you already know, I have a... complicated look at Netflix original movies. Not all of them have been bad, but they do tend to plaster the "Netflix original" sticker on a lot of real crap. I'm not going to list of examples again, but there is just so much garbage under that name it's kind of a miracle if any film goes into "Good" territory. Which brings us to Arlo the Alligator Boy, which was released rather quietly, compared to Klaus, which everyone was going crazy over, I have only ever seen other animation fans talk about this movie, and even then only a few. To be fair, I heard good things about it, and it's not like movies released on Netflix have spectacular premiers or anything, I'm just saying I've not seen a lot of people talk about this movie. So, is it the next Klaus? or is it just another Pets United?

My first major compliment towards this movie is that it looks beautiful. All the backgrounds are stylized in such a way to look like illustrations in a children's book, and the colour palette is very warm and pleasing to the eye. The characters look a little flat on the backgrounds, like they were cel drawings, but it's not too distracting, and there is a lot of great shading, so overall, the movie is visually wonderful.

Another thing I can praise this movie for is how well it's paced. There are a lot of moments that just let the scene be quiet, no dialogue, just the ambient noise of the setting and the music. Though, this movie does have the same issue I have with the Steven Universe movie, in that there are a lot of songs and they don't feel spaced out enough. The song sequences look amazing though, and the songs do sound great, so maybe I just wasn't in the mood for a musical.

I also really enjoy the characters, Arlo is a very sweet boy, kind, enthusiastic, naïve... he's SpongeBob, but with a voice less people will find grating (I love SpongeBob but that is a truth). A lot of the side characters get some very humorous quips and Jonathan Van Ness plays this amazing pink ball of fur that is just amazing.

Speaking of, the movie does have a little humorous edge to it, I don't think got laugh out loud funny, well except for one gag, but even still it wasn't unfunny, but I think it was just funny enough to balance out the... insanely dark moment. Like, a guy is literally dragged away screaming by a beast covered in shadow, and while the rest of the movie doesn't get that dark again, more emotionally heavy, and I can respect that. Above all else this movie has my respect.

While I don't think this movie was incredible, honestly give me a few more viewings and my tune may change, I think this movie was cute, heartwarming and overall a fine viewing. It's kind of the Steven Universe movie done right, but with a theme taken from The Greatest Showman, and while I definitely prefer that movie, I think this one was pretty good. I say that this movie comes recommended, and while I was not in the mood for this kind of movie, darn it, I can not deny that it was a cute and wonderful little movie.

Editorial: Ten Must See Shorts

 

I'm going to try something a bit different. A large reason I am writing these reviews is because I want to help make animation the respected art form I believe it should be. I chose to focus on movies because a lot of movie fans pass up on animated features because of the stigma attached to the medium. I wanted to shine a light on films that cinema fans might have passed up, but also call out films I felt were disrespecting the medium. The thing is, there is a lot more to animation than the cinema, so, for my main editorial this month, and occasionally whenever I feel like it, I will highlight ten animated shorts that I think everyone must see, partly historical, partly entertaining, but entirely fascinating.

I want to stress this is not a list, there is no ranking involved, these are just ten animated shorts I really love, and think everyone should check out.

1. Gertie The Dinosaur (1914) - Dir. Winsor McCay

Starting off with an old short, dating back to 1914. Before The Looney Tunes, Mickey Mouse and even Felix the Cat. This short even pre-dates the use of cel animation, meaning that each and every frame was drawn completely on a piece of paper rather than having one character drawn on a clear sheet, known as a cel. The short is a silent film of Winsor McCay giving Gertie commands, originally part of a vaudeville act McCay did in his spare time. Gertie is said to be one of the first animated characters with an established personality and the animation is quite incredible. When Gertie is drinking from the lake, you can actually see her lean into the lake as the water level lowers, wonderful small details like that add to the experience, and when you take into consideration that every single frame was hand drawn as a full scene, that just makes it even more impressive. While we sadly lack a lot of Winsor McCay's work, which is said to have been destroyed, it's wonderful that we still have a good amount of his short films to watch.

2. Popeye the Sailor meets Sinbad the Sailor (1936) - Dir. Dave Fleischer

The golden age of animation has a lot of iconic names, but one of those I feel is not as recognized as others, at least not in some circles, is Popeye. Popeye the Sailor was the other mascot for Fleischer Studios, Betty Boop being the other big mascot, and many consider this short, "Popeye the Sailor meets Sinbad the Sailor", to be his greatest cartoon outing. Seeing Popeye fight numerous giant beasts that more than tower over him is great fun, as is the final fight against both titular sailors. Popeye cartoons may not have been as grand as Disney or Warner Bros cartoons, but they were always a fun watch, and in some cases could use some very interesting techniques. Special mention goes to the cave entrance, where the landscape was a real set, and they just animated Popeye over the footage. Literal decades before Robert Zemeckis would do a similar thing with Who Framed Roger Rabbit. It's a fun little short that should not be passed up.

3. How To Play Football (1944) - Dir. Charles A. Nichols

Goofy cartoons were a lot different from the Mickey Mouse cartoons that Disney became famous for. They were a lot more parodic and commentative, along-side a heavy use of slapstick. This short loves to make fun of the sport of football, with gags like the instructions of the game being drowned out by the cheering of the crowd and the coach's diatribe being completely rushed by the narrator and ignored by the players. It's a funny little short with cute gags and wonderful animation. Whether you enjoy the sport of American Football, or think it's really dumb (like I do) you'll find something to enjoy about this wonderful slice of Disney history.

4. Fast and Furry-ous (1949) - Dir. Chuck Jones

Road Runner cartoons were always my favourite of the Looney Tunes selection. These shorts only needed one basic premise, but the joy was always seeing what wacky and silly way the Coyote's plans to catch the running bird will back fire. Though I am selecting "Fast and Furry-ous", do not take this one as gospel, really most of the Road Runner shorts can be interchanged with each other, so you can take this entry as a shared entry. Silly gags like the road coming off the ground and fake Latin, alongside odd plans and contraptions that can involve anything from boomerangs, rockets and painted tunnels have become iconic pieces of pop culture, and they all started here. To many, the Road Runner cartoons can have a deep meaning, and to others, they're just funny cartoons that make us laugh, and there is nothing wrong with either.

5. Duck Amuck (1953) - Dir. Chuck Jones

I could not in good conscience leave off one of the most well beloved and timeless Looney Tunes cartoons ever, and while everybody loves "What's Opera Doc?", "Duck Amuck" is just as beloved and probably deserves it more in my opinion. This wonderful Daffy Duck cartoon is meta to the nth degree, playing around with the mere fact the short is animated and playing around with things like backgrounds, camera work and sound effects. This is also a good example of how good the writing and voice acting of the Looney Tunes really was. On one of the DVD releases of the short, they give you the option to watch the short without the dialogue and it completely kills the short. The Looney Tunes wrote the book of animated comedy and then proceeded to break each and every one of those rules, and the end result was hundreds of timeless cartoons.

6. Dial "P" for Pink (1965) - Dir. Friz Freleng

I believe I have mentioned my love for Pink Panther cartoons before and my favourite of the bunch is the 1965 short "Dial "P" for Pink". The simple story of a thief trying to steal a safe that the Lightish Red Feline just so happens to be dozing in leads to some funny gags and an almost Wile E. Coyote level of schemer. Some of my favourite gags include the thief running for keys, the Panther putting a stick of dynamite in the thief's pocket, and the ending where the thief and Panther swap the safe between each other. If you haven't given the Pink Panther cartoons a shot, I'd recommend starting with this one, I'd say it's just as funny as a Looney Tunes cartoon, considering it has Friz Freleng behind it, that shouldn't be too surprising.

7. The Snowman (1982) - Dir. Jimmy T. Murakami and Dianne Jackson

We all love the classic Christmas classics of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas, but one of my favourite holiday classics is "The Snowman", a television special (Yes these still count as short films) based on a Raymond Briggs picture book, all told through beautiful animation and music. The art style looks right out of a picture book and the song they sing while they go flying is so beautifully done, it makes the special such a warm and comfy watch despite taking place during the coldest of seasons. It warms my heart only to shatter it like ice at the end, but darn it, I love it so. If you have yet to watch this special, give it a chance, it may become your next holiday staple.

8. Dimensions of Dialogue (1983) - Dir. Jan Švankmajer

Taking a step from the cute and funny cartoons, here is a piece of stop motion legend Jan Švankmajer. A stop motion and claymation piece about communication and and the failure of communicating. Weird abstract figures made of various items consume and spit each other out until they are clay, two heads spit different items at each other, and there is even possibly a relationship that gets ugly in there. That is my interpretation at least. Do not be fooled, this may be an animated short film, but it is less for kids and more for those who enjoy the weird and bizarre side of animation. Muted colours and misshapen forms make for a very interesting and symbolic piece. If this doesn't convince you of the merits of animation, than you're a lost cause.

9. Thingu (AKA Pingu's The Thing) (2012) - Dir. Lee Hardcastle

Recently I picked up a VHS Copy of a mash-up film called Apocalypse Pooh, a mash up of Apocalypse Now and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It's a very surreal watch, and it got me thinking about other kinds of possible mash ups, like mashing up the 1980s horror classic The Thing with the children's show Pingu. Yeah, don't think for a second this is a short for kids, I'm half convinced Lee had this amazing idea for a Robot Chicken sketch, and decided to just do it. I don't know if anyone really knows what to think of it, it's like a thing that shouldn't exist, but it does, and it's a bizarre and interesting experience I think every animation fan should see at least once in their life... just remember it is not for children.

10. Hair Love (2019) - Dir. Bruce W. Smith, Matthew A. Cherry and Everett Downing Jr.

Finishing off this list is one of the cutest and most charming animations I have ever seen. I remember this playing before The Angry Birds Movie 2, and as much as I enjoyed that movie, this short was the best part of that theatre trip. This simple short that starts with a little girl trying to follow a hair tutorial, ends up being a very heart warming and sweet short that has touched the hearts of many, and I mean many, this short was turned into a children's book, is being made into a TV series on HBO Max and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film and the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Short Film, and it is highly deserving of those accolades. If you only watch one of these shorts, please make it "Hair Love", it is truly an amazing piece of art.

I love watching short films, and I know there are a ton that I missed, so if there is an animated short you love, feel free to tell me about it. Please give these shorts a watch as well, I think they are all well worth your time. Otherwise, I'll see you next time at the Odeon, Fare-thee-Well.

Blue's Big Musical Movie (2000) - A movie for young kids, but still a fun watch

Guys, just let me have this one, okay? I just need something that makes for easy viewing right now, and I don't think anything gets easier than a movie made for pre-school kids. Does this count for my blog? Well, it is a live action person interacting with an animated world, and unlike Who Framed Roger Rabbit it's the entire film. So, yeah, I think it qualifies. As a bonus for me, I have a deep connection with Blue's Clues. It was one of the first shows I ever watched as a kid, I had those bright orange VHS tapes of them, and even today there is something so... calm and relaxing about the show. Chances are, if you liked this show as a kid, you're probably going to find something you still like about it, like how every clue has a different musical jig attached to it, which is something I just noticed recently. I don't think my connection with this show is as deep as SpongeBob, but it's still a strong one, and I remember watching this movie a lot as a kid. How does it hold up?

While Steve and the gang are planning a big backyard music show, Tickety looses her voice, which is an issue because she was going to duet with Blue. After Tickety finds something else she can do, Steve decides to find another duet partner for Blue, which prompts her to start a game of Blue's Clues. To fill out the plot some more, they put in some extra side-plots, such as Periwinkle wanting to take part in the show, with the misunderstanding they were putting on a magic show, Steve wanting to find a clue on his own, and Sidetable Drawer also wanting a part in the show, but being too shy to ask. Despite the whole bunch of stuff going on, I never thought the plot became too bloated or convoluted, it was very easy to follow. I think that young kids can follow what's going on in the film.

As the title of the movie would reveal, this is a musical. I feel like Pre-school programs have a stigma about them, especially their songs. I was not the only kid that enjoyed the famous Barney Parody, and I can imagine that plenty of other songs would get on the nerves of parents. That being said, music has always been a big part of the appeal of Blue's Clues. A lot of the lessons were taught in song, and this isn't the only show to do that, Animaniacs also did similar kinds of segments. The music of Blue's Clues is actually very jazzy and it carries over into this movie. Even when the song is about having breakfast, it's still got that jazz feel to it. Of course, one of the songs is sung by the late legend Ray Charles alongside the 70s a cappella group The Persuasions, so that song was going to be great no matter what. Look, I may enjoy my share of rock and metal, but Ray Charles is awesome and I will hear no word against that!

That all being said, I'd be lying if I said that I had no issues with the score. For one, Sidetable Drawer's voice actress is... not a great singer. I get she was really young when this movie was being made, but I just think a bit more lessons might have done good. Also, some of the music cues are, actually kind of hilarious. At one point, Steve asks if we can spot "Have Breakfast" on his checklist, and the music that plays is this really suspenseful jazz cue, and it's really funny. It's like adding in a "BWOM" cue after getting a papercut, it's almost too much. Then again, I have to concede that it's respectful to the audience and takes them seriously despite being little kids. I also think some of the songs are really short, but I don't really know how you would stretch a song about wearing silly hats to more than thirty seconds.

As for the characters, they are all just as friendly and kind as they are in the show. Asking if Tickety is okay when she begins to have vocal problems. Encouraging everyone to not give up, and even the new characters played by Ray Charles and The Persuasions, I love that they are encouraging to Steve, even when he doesn't feel like he has the right tempo for his song. It's a very welcoming environment, an environment that encourages learning and trying, an environment that I feel a lot of kids are not allowed to live in reality, be it because of broken family lives, or because their families have poor income. I think that is why shows like Blue's Clues hold up even for adults, they offer this environment that encourages instead of scorns, helps instead of hinders, and does so without talking down to kids. Yes, I see the irony of me, a critic, talking about all of this.

Anyway, on the topic of characters, I really got to give it up for Steve here, he is a pretty good actor. He gets the emotions across, he is decently convincing, I think he does a great job. His interactions in the animated world can look a little unconvincing at points, but it never took me out of the experience, and I don't think young kid will really notice. I never did until I really took a critical look.

Speaking of, the visuals of this movie are great. Honestly, I think going direct-to-video actually worked in this movies favour. When a show gets a theatrical movie, the animation budget is usually increased, so we get a movie that looks like a cleaner and more cinematic version of the show, which can throw some people off. I don't think I can imagine a "cinematic" looking Blue's Clues, so I'm glad it stays with the storybook illustration aesthetic. On top of that, even though the animation is stylized, and let's be honest here, a little bit limiting, none of the expressions ever get muddled, you can still tell what the characters are thinking when they're not vocal. I'd say it's actually better than South Park in that regard. 

I'm going to be honest, as an adult, I was very much entertained by this movie. I loved the jazzy soundtrack, the welcoming environment, and the good lessons the movie taught. Honestly, if you have really young kids, I highly recommend this movie. It's gotta be better for kids than Peter Rabbit, Duck Duck Goose or any of the third generation My Little Pony movies. Now, as an adult however, would I recommend this for watching on your own. You know what? I'm actually going to say yes! A large reason I'm writing these reviews is because cartoons and animation as a whole has this stigma of being only for kids and adults who never mentally matured. I want to crush that stigma, and if that means recommending the Blue's Clues movie, than so be it. If you think that kids shows and cartoons have no value to anyone over the age of three, watch this movie and tell me it has no value. I give this a solid recommendation!

Editorial: Current Entertainment Discourse

So, a little about myself. I love art and entertainment, so I try to keep up with all the news about these topic as I can. So, what have been the biggest news stories we have? The news that has everybody talking? Is a new movie studio gonna burst onto the scene unannounced with a smash hit? Is an new indie game gonna sweep the internet with a charming and retro styled throw-back? Are rock and roll legends gonna get together and record a one off album that will either be really cool or a total disaster that you gotta hear to believe? Well...

Okay, I may be exaggerating, the news about entertainment is not really that exciting, even when it's good, and quite frankly, so far the news has been exhausting. Not because the news itself is exhausting, but because the reactions to it are so tiring to listen to.

What are some of the biggest news stories about the entertainment media that we've gotten. Off the top of my head, there was the closure of Blue Sky, which I think was a bigger deal to people in the Animation Community, and something I also talked about on my previous Editorial about the cancelled Nimona movie. There is also, Lola Bunny's sex appeal, Mr. Potato Head's pronouns, content disclaimers on The Muppet Show, Dr. Seuss books being put out of print, and now discourse about Pepe Le Pew and Speedy Gonzalez that I guarantee we have already discussed at length, because there was a time when you could say you didn't like Pepe Le Pew and not be called a "Snowflake" or "SJW" because that was just an opinion that unwanted romantic advancements weren't funny.

This is going to be one of THOSE posts.

The thing about this kind of discourse is there is only one side that is actually opinionated about it, and those are the people that complain about them. Most people that are okay with these things spend most of their time pointing out how idiotic getting upset about these things are. I've made tweets about how people's priorities are so jacked that they get more upset about Pearl Milling Company retiring Aunt Jemima than they do about police officers abusing their power and authority to get way with murder.

Social media has taken all the fun out of discussing the mediums I hold so dear to my heart. A large reason I don't watch modern cartoons is because there is gonna be a jerk that has to have an opinion about how "Steven Universe is SJW Garbage" or the flipside that "Steven Universe is telling kids to forgive Nazis", both of which are equally garbage opinions. I can't go onto Twitter without seeing someone retweet a complaint about Aunt Jemima or Lola Bunny and with their own views on the matter, and I'm not saying having an opinion is a bad thing, I'm saying having an argument over unimportant stuff like this is exhausting.

Like, what's the big issue with Mr. Potato Head? The toys are now being called "Potato Head". So? Guess what, they can still be Mr. or Mrs. Potato Head, it's just that the kids will have to put that title on them themselves. Why does it matter what a kid's toy is called anyway? Okay, yeah the names do matter, I wouldn't want my kids playing with a toy that is named after a sex act or something, but that is a very specific situation that I'm fairly certain most people would already know, don't name a children's toy something inappropriate. Unless "Potato Head" was some kind of racist nickname, I don't think it's wrong. Is it a company trying to go "woke" to receive brownie points? Maybe, probably leaning towards yes there, since I haven't thought about Mr. Potato Head the toy since I started High School. That's kind of the thing companies do, they market based on the prevailing culture. Imagine if toys and products were just marketed in a way that didn't resonate with prevailing culture, would those toys sell? So, even if dropping the pronoun form the Potato Head toys is a marketing stunt for social brownie points or social media outrage? That is kind of the job of the marketers!

On that same note, what is the big deal with content disclaimers preceding select episodes of The Muppet Show? Yes, select episodes, of 118 episodes, not even a quarter of them have content disclaimers, according to the Muppet History Twitter, only twelve episodes have the disclaimer, punching those into an online calculator, that is only 10.17% of episodes but, don't quote me on that.

Yes, having to sit through the disclaimer is a little annoying, if I had some criticism on the system, I would think that a simple button would work better than the timer. That way, for people that have already seen the disclaimer they can just skip the disclaimer instead of wait fifteen seconds, and they can also read it at their own pace. This gives the added benefit of being able to specify what exactly is wrong in the episodes or movies. Honestly, I'm kind of surprised Disney didn't go with that idea first, but whatever.

As for Lola Bunny... All I can say is, there is more to female characters than their looks. They got to have, you know, character. Yes, good characters can also be visually attractive to the audience, but there is more important things to a movie than if you can pull the pork to it. There is a completely other form of film and animation for that, you don't need to criticize a kids movie for lack of sex appeal.

On the topic of Looney Tunes, we've already had discussions on Pepe Le Pew and Speedy Gonzalez. Yeah, opinions may have changed, but my opinion is still Pepe Le Pew cartoons were not good, Road Runner for life.

And that is all the discourse I can deal with for now. Social Media has taken something that was fun and made it tiring. However, those are my views on the matters, and I'm sticking to them. This has been an exhausting post to write and an exhausting topic to think about. Quite frankly, I find myself lucky that I am pretty much allowed to have these be my biggest problems in life. Not everyone can have this luxury.

Fantasia (1940) - Let's see how this review turns out

 

It's so fascinating to see the directions Disney went in their theatrical features. First they did a fairy-tale, then they did a book, then they did a full on artistic experiment. From two very structured, story based features, it's very interesting to see that Disney would full on ditch all of that for their third original feature. Keep in mind, this was also in 1940, it's not that the art film didn't exist at this time, but it wasn't as common as now. In fact, at the time Fantasia was hated by many, some viewing it as pretentious, and one critic even comparing it to Nazism. Of course, since then, and even at the time, the film had many fans and admirers, and has garnered the status of both a classic and a masterpiece. So... which side do I fall on?

I'll admit, sometimes you get a stupid idea in your head and you want to humour yourself. "Can I make it through art college?", "How many songs will it take to make me hate Nostalgia Critic's The Wall?", and the most recent thought, "Can I write a review on Fantasia?". Like a Saiyan warrior staring at death, the challenge excited me. Of course, March is usually the month I reserve for Disney movies as well, so this worked out perfectly. The problem is that, Fantasia is not a traditional film in the slightest. Even some of the more "out there" films I looked at like The Little Prince, Yellow Submarine or Night is Short, Walk on Girl, they all had a central plot and main characters. Fantasia has none of those, the only reoccurring character is the host, and the movie has several segments, all of which are based around classical music. It's not that they don't have a story or characters, but that really isn't the focus. I think the closest I've ever come to reviewing this kind of movie is, oddly enough my first ever review on this blog, Fun and Fancy Free. That movie was a package film of two shorts with wrap-around segments, whereas this film is seven segments and the host introducing each one. So, I'm going to look at the segments individually, so forgive me if this review is a bit longer than usual.

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor opens the program. It's more or less a collection of abstract images that may come to one's head when hearing the music. It does take a while to get into the animated segment of the piece, but when it does get there, it's really cool. It starts with the parts of the instruments moving to the music, and it goes on into something even cooler, and I'm not even left wondering how we transitioned from one image to another, I guess that is how you know the abstract theme was done properly. I think this is a great way to open the movie, and if I were to nitpick, I would say they should have gotten to the animation quicker, but I'm not watching this in 1940, so that is probably hindsight and modern understanding talking.

The Nutcracker suite is next and, this one is more or less six separate segments on its own. It begins with fairies placing the morning dew on the plants and a spiderweb. I think this segment is beautifully done, and the timing that has to have gone into this bit is crazy, putting the movements of the fairies in sync with the music could not have been easy. Following this are the Dancing Mushrooms and... I'm gonna be honest they make me a little uncomfortable. I mean, kids probably won't notice it, but I can't really disassociate the images from racist caricatures of Asian people. Maybe that's just me, and the modern day sensitivities, but I found it really hard to enjoy this bit, despite the really good animation. Next, we get some twirling flowers down a river, honestly I think the segment could have ended here and been fine. This bit is okay, nice animation and timing, but it's not very interesting. Full honesty, this is usually the segment I find myself falling asleep at, so I usually forget about the next bit in the piece, the fish. It's just fish swimming around to the music. Granted it does have some classic animation foolery, like you think you're looking at some piece of aquatic plant life, but then it's revealed to be two fish, that's nice. Otherwise, it's just fish swimming around, and I like fish don't get me wrong, but again, this bit really isn't interesting.

I think the most memorable bits of this segment come in at the ending, because we get some more dancing flowers with the most iconic part of the piece, barring the opening, and then we get some more fairies changing the seasons to autumn and winter. The dancing flowers were kind of strange for me to watch, the animation on some of them didn't look quite right to me, but it was still a fun bit. The final bit was probably my favourite though, the timing, the animation and the music were all just perfect. Overall, this bit does run a bit long, and it does have some lesser moments, but it's still pretty solid.

Next we have the iconic piece The Sorcerer's Apprentice. This is what everyone knows Fantasia for, the image of the sorcerer and his red robed apprentice, played by Mickey Mouse, which would make this the first ever feature film that features the mouse in a prominent role. Which is funny, you would think they'd have one of his shorts in the Academy Award Review movie, there's a lot to explain there. Anyway, this segment feels a lot like a classic theatrical short, the kind that Disney was good at making, the shorts like The Old Mill and The Skeleton Dance. Unlike the previously reviewed movie Gulliver's Travels, this segment feeling like a theatrical short is actually a positive aspect since, well this is already a short segment. I think this segment has become iconic for good reason, it's pretty good, though I will warn you all now, there are some rapid flashing moments so be cautious if you are sensitive to that kind of thing.

Following that is the Rite of Spring, the segment that features the dinosaurs. I'm gonna be honest, this is my least favourite segment. I'm not a fan of the music and the visuals are... mostly unpleasant to look at. It's not bad on an objective level, but I found myself wanting to skip over this segment.

Before the next segment, we get a little look at the "Soundtrack" the part of the film reel where the sound is recorded. This bit is cute and charming, but I think Norman McLaren had a better look at the soundtrack. That man actually drew on the soundtrack, and it's very fascinating. The actual next segment is the Pastoral Symphony, and it is amazing. From the first image in all the bright and beautiful colours I was in love with this bit. Of course, there was some controversy because of a certain character design, but ultimately, the scene was cut. To avoid a long discussion about preservation of art and cultural sensitivity, I'll just quote The Critic and say "Nothing of value was lost."

The Dance of the Hours is a... weird segment to me. I don't know, I just don't really get why it had to be animals for this bit, but whatever. The bit as a whole isn't really bad, I think they get the theme across fairly well, and the music is brilliant. I guess there did have to be a more cartoony segment in this movie. It isn't my favourite, but I thought it was more entertaining than the Rite of Spring segment.

The final piece is the Night on Bald Mountain and Ave Maria bit. I just love this segment, big surprise I'm sure. My favourite kind of classical music is the more intense kind, so pieces like Night on Bald Mountain, the 1812 Overture, but I also like more energetic pieces like Entry of the Gladiators, or my personal favourite, Orpheus in the Underworld. So, immediately I'm going to be drawn to the more intense music of the segment, but barring that, I love the animation. I love how Chernabog's shadow distorts whatever looms over it. Close-ups of the demon's face and the intense music make this a much darker and scarier segment than the rest. Some of the lighting and characters look more like they were drawn with charcoal, and some of the ghosts in the beginning look more like photographs placed in rather than drawn in. The segment also doesn't stay with the dark black colours, it has some blues and oranges and other colours, and they still look sinister.

The Ave Maria bit is nice, I like how the backgrounds almost look like stained glass windows at times, and it is nice to have something like this to calm down after the intense climax of the Night on Bald Mountain. I'm just not a huge fan of the piece. The animation is beautiful though.

The whole film is structured like a live orchestral show, complete with the host introducing each piece, the band warming up, and an intermission. I like this, and I do wish more movies did something like this. The host was also alright, not a show stealer, but he fit in nicely.

Fantasia is not a movie for everyone. It will probably not be as interesting to a lot of kids watching, but then again they might get into the segments like The Sorcerer's Apprentice, or The Pastoral Symphony, or even The Night on Bald Mountain. Then again, this movie wasn't made for kids, it was for adults who could appreciate the art of music and the art of animation coming together. That being said, it does often come across like sitting through a string of music videos to songs that you're mixed on. Honestly, I don't think I can get as into Fantasia as others, but I think it's still really good. The good segments can be really good, great even, and even the segments I wasn't fond of weren't terrible. Your mileage is going to vary with this movie, it's not going to be a film you're gonna love or hate only like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. That all being said, I can definitely agree with this film being a must watch for any film or animation lover. I don't think there's been a film like this since, well there was Fantasia 2000, but I'll save that for a later day. As for the original Fantasia, I can recommend it, I don't think I got into it enough for a High Recommendation, but I can say it's worth checking out.