I can honestly say I’ve only seen Bambi once. It was years ago when Disney released it, or re-released it on VHS, so you can imagine my memory of the film is somewhat fuzzy. I’m not sure why I never watched it more, other than it’s a rather sad film, and it doesn’t have a princess in it. (Sorry, I like the princess movies). I always had a fondness for Thumper, though, and I found the tune “Little April Shower” very catchy.
I didn’t really know what to expect from Bambi II Special Edition. At first, I thought this would be a sequel and follow the adventures of an older Bambi, but rather like Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Christmas, this film takes place in the middle of the original.
The movie begins immediately after that Really Sad Moment in the original film, and Bambi’s father, the Great Prince of the Forest, explains that things are very different now. The Prince tries to find a doe to look after the young fawn, but he eventually realizes that he must take responsibility for his son. The regal Prince (voiced superbly by Patrick Stewart) tries to teach Bambi to look after the other deer and find food.
Bambi tries hard to please his father, but he’s young and wants to play with his friends, and he has trouble navigating some of the rockier terrain in the forest. His father’s patience is tested time and again, but a relationship slowly develops between them as the ice of winter melts and the flowers of spring begin to bloom.
The animation in this film is beautiful. Much better quality than I ever would have expected from a direct-to-video release. Let me say it again: the animation in this film is beautiful. I know that Walt Disney had the animators study live animals during the production of the original Bambi, and this new film maintains that same level of quality. Though perhaps not so true to life, the animals’ eyes are huge and expressive, providing emotion without dialogue, and though the story is simple and straightforward, I was still drawn in and entertained.
Unfortunately, the music isn’t very memorable, but it’s subtle and neither adds nor takes anything away from the film. Overall, I think it’s a sweet film that will mostly appeal to young children and fans of the original Bambi who want to see more of Thumper, Flower, and Faline. I also think fans of animated movies in general will appreciate its artistic quality.
Bonus features include a deleted song entitled “Sing the Day,” interactive learning games, a tutorial on how to draw Thumper, a featurette about the history behind Bambi II, and pop-up text that reveals fun facts about the movie.
I recommend watching it at least once.
