Walt's Personal Opinions of His Films

[Atlantica]

I think you can be too close to something and too involved to see the true greatness of something.

There are vast differences in having a favorite film or scene, and another being a great achievement. Maybe it is hard to distinguish between the two ?

[thelittleursula]

Geez, Walt should of been happy for these movies. I never realize Walt can be such a jerk! DANG!

How would you feel that a project that you put hard work teamwork and dreams and ambition in only for it to crumble ? The man was crying when Fantasia didn't do so good and he even apologized. He wasn't being a jerk, he was upset that his dream didn't come true. It's like when you do a project at school and the Teacher hands it back and gives it a F when you thought that the Teacher would love it and give it high scores. You'll be upset too if you were in Disney's shoes in other words.

It does beg for the question though, what would he have thought of the 90's films? Obviously tastes change along with the humor.

I was wondering this too last night lol I think that he would of loved Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback because they have emotion and heart. I think that he would of adored the ballroom scene and Ariel's song, wishing to be the Human world. Aladdin, Pocahontas, Hercules, Mulan etc not too sure ?

[thedisneyspirit]

Yah kinda glad he was disappointed with Fantasia. Never liked it much myself, people have this snobbish/"high art" intellectual attitude when it comes to this movie.

[Atlantica]

As a kid, I found it beyond boring, and it was the least viewed of all my Disney VHS's. Now, it is the least viewed of my blurays.

I appreciate it for what it is, and how much of a feat it was, but it holds no special place in my heart or anything.

[thedisneyspirit]

@atlanticaunderthesea Same. For what it's intended to be, music with animation, it's too long. No other Disney film is two hours long. There is always a point watching this film where I'm just "okay, is it over yet?". I usually prefer to skip to the second half since it's much more interesting imo, but the first half has the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

[Semaj]

Yah kinda glad he was disappointed with Fantasia. Never liked it much myself, people have this snobbish/"high art" intellectual attitude when it comes to this movie.

To me, Walt's first five films are the best examples of the studio trying to demolish the kiddie stigma held against cartoons at the time. As seen after Bambi, the studio would play it safer when it came to such decisions as say, killing off a main character. Or even how threatening the villain should be. It got even worse in the first 18 years following Walt's death.

Fantasia featured quite a bit of material that's mostly unwelcome in animated features. If anything, that film WAS ahead of its time.

[mdseverin]

I always found Fantasia kind of boring, but I really love Fantasia 2000.

[jazzflower92]

Speaking of threatening villains I wonder if he would find Frollo from the Hunchback Of Notre Dame as scary as the evil queen from Snow White. I remember somewhere saying that Walt would never make a villain so scary as the evil queen.

That reminds me as well Walt tried in his lifetime to adapt Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid, and I heard in one Disney guide at one point Tarzan. I know there are so many other adaptions he wanted to make but those are the three that come into my head. I wonder how he would feel about the Little Mermaid having a happy ending because his original short stayed close to the story. However, on the other hand I think he would be happy they finally found a way to make the Beauty and the Beast story work.

[thedisneyspirit]

Walt's first five films are the best examples of the studio trying to demolish the kiddie stigma held against cartoons at the time. As seen after Bambi, the studio would play it safer when it came to such decisions as say, killing off a main character. Or even how threatening the villain should be. It got even worse in the first 18 years following Walt's death.

1- I thought that stigma rose once television was created and formed the basis for cartoon shows?

2- See I def. agree. Of the first 5 I only like Bambi and Pinocchio, but all of them took their chances and risks (barring Dumbo; i feel that one is too much inside a comfort zone to call it "changeling"), and that's admirable.

I really like how in Bambi, story-wise, they avoid many narrative tropes that Disney overuses in other films: Good vs Evil, True Love conquers all, even the figure of the Villain is somewhat questionable. The animals fear Man, he's a villain in their eyes, but can we as an audience really see him as force to be stopped? Can't really see him as a figure of "World Conquering Evil" as compared to other Villains in Disney. Man could be anyone, your Dad or your Uncle.

(the Bambi part of this reply is really gonna be controversial among here...)

[thelittleursula]

Yah kinda glad he was disappointed with Fantasia. Never liked it much myself, people have this snobbish/"high art" intellectual attitude when it comes to this movie.

This ^

To be honest Fantasia didn't start to gain too much attention till the 60's when popping acid was pretty common. Same with Alice in Wonderland.

2- See I def. agree. Of the first 5 I only like Bambi and Pinocchio, but all of them took their chances and risks (barring Dumbo; i feel that one is too much inside a comfort zone to call it "changeling"), and that's admirable.

What about Pink Elephants on Parade ?

[Atlantica]

Surely his 'favourite' must be Snow, the one that made him Disney, one of the greatest movie makers of all time?

[Mooky]

Yah kinda glad he was disappointed with Fantasia. Never liked it much myself, people have this snobbish/"high art" intellectual attitude when it comes to this movie.

This ^

I kind of feel the same. In fact, I was never able to see it in one sitting: I always ended up asleep. Fantasia 2000, on the other hand, is one of my favorites.

[Atlantica]

I do you find different in the two? I find them both as off putting as eachother . . .

[Mooky]

I just find F2000 more fun and I like how dynamic it is. Then there's also the fact that F2000 employs at least two different genres of music and combines it with different art styles and animation mediums. I understand the historical and artistic importance of the original film, but F2000 is simply more progressive than it, IMHO. The music in the original Fantasia is also more somber, and some of the segments just drag on and on. F2000 could have been a bit longer, though, and some of the celebrity cameos are quite frankly redundant, but I still love it.

[Atlantica]

Fair enough - thank you for sharing your opinion !

I got the blu for completions sake.... I don't think ive ever watched it .....

Goodness, how shameful is that ?

[universALLove]

The Firebird Suite is my favourite sequence in Fantasia 2000; the animation is stunning and it accompanies the musical score very well. It's the perfect climax for the finale of the film. I think both the original and sequel are beautifully crafted and can appreciate the artistry and beauty of the animation with the music, there are several thrilling sequences but neither really hold a special place in my heart and can see why they're of a required taste for some.

[Mooky]

Fair enough - thank you for sharing your opinion !

I got the blu for completions sake.... I don't think ive ever watched it .....

Goodness, how shameful is that ?

If it makes you feel any better, I've never watched neither Pinocchio nor Dumbo on BD/DVD and I've had them for ages.

[thedisneyspirit]

In regards to the 90s I think Walt would have felt mixed. He would have loved the animation technique but he would have hated the repetitive tropes found in the films (good vs evil, the hero's a misunderstood outcast, yada yada yada...)

Rather I'm thinking Golden Era. The 50s-Walt I have no clue since the films of those times play it really safe.

Something tells me he wouldn't have liked the agressiveness of the Beast though. lol

[Atlantica]

Haha thank you Mooky, it does !

Though I did watch Dumbo when it was released on Special Edition DVD, and was like "Sayy whaaaa?!" Did not like the film at all ... so upsetting.

[Mooky]

Don't mention it . I actually like Dumbo... or at least I did last time I saw it -- in 1997 . I just never got around to popping the disc in; God knows how I'd feel about the film now.