standardbearer Some people describe it, as an Italian rip-off of Walt Disney classic: Fantasia. Okay, that might be true in. But what if, the "plagium" is WAY better, than the original???? Becuose that is true again. Disney released Fantasia in 1940, when it was a really big hit, and a revolutionary attempt to queue up these dialogue-less, and sometimes totally abstract flicks into a whole movie. A very good movie, and a surprisingly successful attempt it was indeed. Fantasia had a GREAT influence on the young Bozzetti back then, who decided, to make a film like that once, as a revelation of his crush on music and animation. 37 years later, "Allegro non Troppo" has been made. Again it was a great success, only this time the place was Italy, instead of the USA... But everyone should be aware for another all-time classic of animation masterwork's been born. The film starts with a pronouncer talking about that its not a Fantasia rip-off, he never even seen that Disney-stuff, and this is going to be much more fun anyway (yes, i agree). There's a live-action film that puts the animations in a frame, which is about a live production with orchestra (a bunch of old ladies, and their conductor), and a cartoonist, who designs the movie real-time onto the musical base. These parts are black and white, and since its an Italian film, its a series of hilarious jokes, and total chaos between them. The musical pieces running under animations, are Bozzettis personal favorites, and is a widely variated set, from Ravel's "Bolero", to Debussey's "The Fauns's afternoon". In this move you don't have to sit through several minutes of non-figurative mayhem (which is interesting for a limited period, but afterward...), which you had to do on fantasia, those tasteless, finicking centaurs been replaced by a sexy story of a faun, and the forever-marching dinos, with the famous "evolution from the coke-bottle" scene. This move is full of LIFE. Sometimes calm, other times teeming, but It is always funny and lyric, and things it has to say, it says them VERY loud. One of the greatest classics for you, who love animation and music.

sol- An undisguised parody on 'Fantasia', the film is nowhere near on the same level but it has enough interesting elements of its own to be satisfying viewing. It is a mix of live action orchestra (filmed in washed out black and white) and vibrant colour animation. The live action sequences are fascinating at times, especially when animation is mixed in. However, the silly slapstick nature of the live action parts is a stark contrast against the animation, and this sometimes hurts the film's flow. As for the animated sequences, some of them are quite adult, with sexual allusions and animated nudity. The animation is, like in 'Fantasia', fitted around classical music, and while in some cases the drawings fit the tunes quite well, more often that not, the cartoons seem independent of the music. In this regard the film does not work as well as Disney's original, and overall it is more interesting as an experiment rather than anything else. It is worth a look - if not quite unique, it certainly is not mundane.

suicidea This very hard-to-find mix of animation, music and comedy is a real treat for those who can appreciate it. I recorded it from TV some years ago, and it's still one of the most valuable articles in my archive. Very clever use of in-between b/w passages, great classical music and animations of totally different styles, concepts and attitudes, but each so well-blended with the music and the whole picture that you hardly get distracted. I don't agree with the comparisons to Fantasia, this is something different. It deals with things (and uses imagery) that a Disney product would never dare, let alone in the days Fantasia was made. If you have the slightest admiration for art, and can stand movies without the standard hollywood cliches, grab this one (though that won't be easy) and you'll not be sorry. 10 / 10

paolo-35 First of all a warning: my review will be VERY partial... Indeed, I already saw this movie several times, even when it was released (I was a child then). But lately in my favourite movie theatre in the frame of a series about animation I had the occasion to see it again just a couple of weeks after I saw for the first time Fantasia... Well, you already guessed which I preferred. Now actually I could appreciate the Fantasia-spoof part of Bozzetto's operation: when you see Debussy's Prelude a l'Apres-Midi d'un Faune you cannot help thinking for comparison to Beethoven's Sixth in Fantasia, where the Arcadian kitsch of Disney is turned into a funny-melancholic erotic fantasy. And what about my all-time favourite, Ravel's Bolero where a Boschian theory of monsters is generated by the rest of a Coke bottle and migrates toward the ruins of civilisation only to be at the end overwhelmed by man (which turns out to be an ape)? The comparison with the "6 millions years ago's documentary" (Disney's own words) of Stravinsky's Sacre du Printemps is striking. But Allegro Non Troppo is not only a Fantasia's spoof. The Dvorak's and Sibelius' segments are two stand-outs, Vivaldi's is light-hearted and Stravinky's is very funny. And the variety of styles and tones, from the grotesque to the moving, from impressionistic to almost cartoonistic is stunning to everyone who loves animation. And for one who has always loved Bozzetto's work the series of finals reminding him of other shorts like Opera or Ego tears him always to laughters... And let me also say something in favour of the sure weaker live-action's scenes.Sure, they are too forced, Disney's spoof is here too explicit, but at least this atmosphere of "joke among friends" captures also the Bozzetto's fan... And one can see how Nichetti is really building his character, a cartoon-like little man in struggle with the external world, with a mimic reminiscent of Keaton or Tati... Well, I don't know if I transferred my enthusiasm: I would like to say more, but I already used so much space...