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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Post-Renaissance Era: 2000-2009
Similar to the films in the Wartime Era, the films in the Post-Renaissance Era didn't see as much success at the box office as previous Eras, with the exception of
Lilo and Stitch. The Post-Renaissance Era doesn't care a common theme like some of the eras before it making it a transitional period for the Studios. They were trying to create new ways of storytelling that were similar to Pixar's while also integrating CGI technology into their films. In fact,
Dinosaur was the first CGI film produced by Disney.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Fantasia 2000
A sequel to the original
Fantasia,
Fantasia 2000 was released in IMAX on January 1, 2000 and consisted of eight animated segments set to classical music. The idea for a
Fantasia sequel had been unsuccessful before but after the commercial success of the home video release of the original film, Michael Eisner saw the potential and assigned Roy E. Disney as the executive producer.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The first segment was
Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven in which butterfly-like creatures are chased by black bats, symbolizing the light in the world being chased by darkness. Ultimately though, light wins. The segment is introduced by Deems Taylor via archival recordings.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The second segment was
Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi. It told the story of a humpback whale family who are able to fly and introduced by Steve Martin and Itzhak Perlman.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin was the third segment. It was set in 1930s New York in the style of caricaturists Al Hirschfels and told the story of four individuals: Duke, Joe, John, and Rachel as they wish for a better life...and get them. The segment is introduced by Quincy Jones along with pianist Ralph Grierson.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The fourth segment was
Piano Concerto No. 2, Allergro, Opus 102 by Dmitri Shostakovich. It was based off the story "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" by Hans Christian Anderson about a broken toy soldier who falls in love with a ballerina. This segment is introduced by Bette Midler along with pianist Yefim Bronfman.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Carnival of the Animals, Finale by Camille Saint-Saëns told the tale of a flock of flamingos who try to teach their yo-yo loving flock member how to practice the regular routines of being a flamingo. The fifth segment is introduced by James Earl Jones along with animator Eric Goldberg.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The only segment to be featured in both the original
Fantasia and the sequel was
The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Based on a poem by Goethe, the segment tells the story of Mickey Mouse who attempts to perform the same magic as his master Yen Sid. The sixth segment is introduced by Penn & Teller.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The seventh segment is
Pomp and Circumstance - Marches 1, 2, 3, and 4 by Edward Elgar. Based on the biblical story of Noah's Ark, Donald Duck is Noah's assistant and is in charge of getting the animals on the ark. The segment is introduced by James Levine along with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The eighth and final segment was
Firebird Suite - 1919 Version by Igor Stravinsky in which a Firebird is awoken and destroyed the forest but the Sprite restores the forest. The segment was introduced by Angela Lansbury.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Fantasia 2000 was a critical hit and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2001. The film was the first animated feature length film to be shown in IMAX and had a runtime of 75 minutes.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Dinosaur
Dinosaur was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation along with The Secret Lab. Although the characters are all CGI, much of the background of the film is live action. Scenes were shot in Venezuela at various location including Canaima National Park and Angel Falls. The film cost $127.5 million to make but grossed $349 million worldwide at the box office, making it a success in 2000.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Dinosaur tells the tale of Aladar, an iguanodon, who is raised by lemurs after being abandoned by his mother during a canaturus attack when he was still an egg. Plio the lemur raised Aladar. One day, a meteor strikes the lemur's home island and they - Aladar, Plio, and three other lemur, Zini, Yar, and Suri - are forced to flee to the mainland.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
They head out through the wastelands of the mainlands where they come across a multi-species herd of dinosaurs lead by Kron on a journey to the Nesting Grounds, a place that is said to be untouched by the meteor. After some convincing, Kron allows Aladar and the lemurs to follow his herd to the Nesting Grounds.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
What the herd doesn't know though is that two carnotaurus have picked up the herd's scent and are on the trail. When Kron realizes this, he begins to push ahead faster, leaving Aladar and the older dinosaurs behind. The misfit herd seeks shelter in a cave but the carnotaurus still find them. Bruton, an elderly dino, sacrifices himself for the heard by causing a cave-in that crushes one of the carnotaurus.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Aladar leads the rest of the group deeper into the cave but when they arrive at a dead end, he becomes discouraged. Since team work makes the dream work, the misfit herd work together to push through the dead end cave wall to revel the Nesting Grounds on the other side. Realizing a rock wall is blocking the original path into the valley, Aladar runs to Kron and his herd to warn them but Kron attacks Aladar instead. Kron's sister, Neera, steps in and stops him from killing Aladar. In the aftermath, the rest of the herd denounces Kron as their leader and decided to follow Aladar.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Dinosuar was directed by Ralph Zondag and Eric Leighton and featured music by James Newton Howard. It was released in May of 2000 and has a runtine of 82 minutes.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Emperor's New Groove
Boom, baby! The 40th animated Disney feature film was
The Emperor's New Groove. The buddy comedy movie features voices from David Spade, John Goodman, Patrick Warburton, Eartha Kitt, and Wendie Malick. It was originally conceived as a heavier musical in 1994 but with the addition to Mark Dindal to the team,
The Emperor's New Groove gained it's trademark lighthearted comedy feel.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Emperor's New Groove tells the story of Kuzco, an egotistical emperor of the Inca Kingdom who punished anyone who dares to throw off his groove. One day, Kuzco fires his adviser Yzma. Yzma, along with the dimwitted Kronk, devise a plan to kill Kuzco and take over the throne. Meanwhile, Pacha, a family man from the village, comes to the emperor's castle to find out that his home along with his village is going to be demolish to make room for Kuzco's summer house, Kuzcotopia.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Later at dinner, Yzma puts her plan into action to kill Kuzco by poisoning his drink. Only problem is...they gave him the potion to turn him into a llama instead. Knocking him unconscious, Yzma stuffs him in a sack and tells Kronk to get rid of him. Krock, however, can't go through with killing Kuzco and places him - mistakenly - on a cart belonging to Pacha.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Back at Pacha's home, Kuzco awakes and blames Pacha for his current llama state. Kuzco demands Pacha take him back to the capital but Pacha says he'll only do it if Kuzco doesn't put his summer house in his village. Kuzco tells Pacha he agrees to the terms, although he has plans to go back on his word once he's safe in the capital. The two set out on the journey back to the capital around the same that Yzma - who has taken the throne - finds out that Kronk didn't kill Kuzco.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Enter some crazy jungle shenanigans as Yzma and Kronk try to track down Kuzco and Pacha and you in for one great underrated comedy. Eventully, Kuzco and Pacha arrive at Yzma's lab and find the antidote. However, Yzma and Kronk arrive shortly after and they all fight to get the antidote. When they're down to two vials left to try to get the antidote, Yzma falls on one of them and it turns her into a kitten. Kuzco drinks the other one, the correct antidote, and is turned human again. Through his journey of transformation, Kuzco decides to build his summer house on an unoccupied hill next to Pacha's village.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Emperor's New Groove wasn't a box office success but it was however a home movie release success. The song "My Funny Friend and Me" was nominated for both a Grammy Award and an Academy Award. The film was released in December of 2000 and has a runtime of 77 minutes.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
The first science fiction movie the Walt Disney Studios made was
Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Inspired by the works of Jules Verne, the production team decided to make an action-adventure movie instead of a musical. When it was released,
Atlantis: The Lost Empire had used more CGI than any previous Disney films. It was also one of the few to be shot in anamorphic format.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Atlantis: The Lost Empire tells the story of Milo Thatch, a cartographer and linguist at the Smithsonian Institution who focuses his work on the lost city of Atlantis. According to legend, the city of Atlantis sunk to the bottom of the sea after a tsunami overtakes it. The Queen of Atlantis is trapped in a powerful crystal called the Heart of Atlantis along with the city's innermost district. Her daughter, Kida, however is left behind. Milo is positive he has found The Shepherd's Journal which is said to contain the directions to the lost empire.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Helga Sinclair, a mysterious woman, approaches Milo and introduced him to millionaire Preston B. Whitmore. Whitmore owes a debt to Milo's grandfather and recruits Milo to lead him on the expedition to Atlantis. The expedition is led by Commander Lyle Rourke as the crew departs on a submarine called the Ulysses
. During the journey, the submarine is attacked and Mile, Rourke, and some of the crew escape the sea monster that guards the city of Atlantis by going into a cavern.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Arriving at the edge of Atlantis, Milo meets Kida who enlists him to decipher the Atlantean language which the natives have all forgotten. After deep diving into the city's submerged ruins, Milo finds out exactly what the Heart of Atlantis is: it's the power source for the Atlanteans that is powered by the crystals worn on their necks. Rourke knows the crystal is valuable and is determined to betray Milo to get the crystal to sell. After an ensuing battle, Milo kills Rourke and the crystal is returned to Atlantis. While the rest of the crew returns to the surface, Milo stays in Atlantis with Kida.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
The Atlanteans language in
Atlantis: The Lost Empire was created by Marc Okrand, who also developed the Klingon language for the
Star Trek franchise.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire struggled at the box office as it was in theaters the same time as the hit film
Shrek and
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The film was produced by Don Hahn and had a runtime of 96 minutes.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Lilo and Stitch
Lilo and Stitch was another sci-fi movie from the Disney studios although it was far more successful that
Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The film was one of the three that was produced mostly at Disney's MGM Studios. It's said that Stitch is the top selling character on Disney Parks merchandise beside Mickey Mouse.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Lilo and Stitch is about two eccentric people who become family. After Dr. Jumba Jookiba is arrested for genetically creating the highly uncontrollable Experiment 626, the experiment is sent to exile on a desert asteroid. However the highly intelligent kola-like creature manages to steal a spaceship and send it into hyperdrive before crashing in Hawaii. He's taken to the animal shelter while the Grand Councilwoman dispatches Jumba and Agent Pleakley to find and capture Experience 626 using the upmost discretion.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Hawaiian native Nani is struggling to take care of her little sister, Lilo, after the death of their parents. She's under pressure from the social worker, Cobra Bubble, to be a steady figure for Lilo...or else. In order to help Lilo out of the grief of losing their parents, Nani agrees to let her adopt a dog. At the shelter, Lilo only has eyes for Experiment 626 disguised as a dog. Despite Nani's hesitation, they bring him home and call him Stitch.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
As Jumba and Pleakley try but fail several times to capture Stitch, the Councilwoman tells them they can use less covert methods of capture. This causes Lilo to get captured by Captain Gantu. It's up to Nani, Pleakley, Jumba, and of course, Stitch to save Lilo....which of course they do. After seeing that Stitch has become civil, the Councilwoman agrees to let him be exiled to earth.
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| Walt Disney Studios |
Lilo and Stitch spawned three sequels, a 65-episode tv series, video games, and theme park attractions. The film was released in June of 2002 and has a runtime of 85 minutes. It features music by Alan Silvestri and was produced by Clark Spencer.
Now that we've covered the first five films in the Post Renaissance Ear of Disney Animation, it's time for you to tell us your favorite! Tweet us your favorite film to
@TMKBpodcast!
Robyn Fleenor is a contributing writer for The Mouse Knows Best Podcast. She is an avid Disney
fanatic and would rather be at Walt Disney World eating glazed almonds than anything else. When
she isn't working to pay for her next Disney vacation, she likes to binge watch TV shows and fall in
love with fictional characters. She can be found tweeting at @rahrah6263.
