Bambi II (also known as Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest) is a 2006 animated drama film directed by Brian Pimental and produced by the Australian office of Disneytoon Studios as a followup to the 1942 film Bambi. It premiered in theaters in Argentina on January 26, 2006, before being released as a direct-to-video title in the United States on February 7, 2006.
Plot[]
Picking up shortly after the original movie's end, Bambi follows his father, the Great Prince, into the forest after his mother's death and the Great Prince must teach the young fawn, and his friends Thumper, Flower and Owl, how a deer survives in the forest. But the Great Prince finds that his high-spirited son may have a lesson or two to teach him, as well.
Why It's Great[]
- It's one of few Disney sequels that is up to par with the original film and geniunely tries to capture the magic and originality of its predacessor.
- The entire premise of the film is very heartwarming when you really get down it.
- The main theme of the film is coming to terms with one's fears, accepting them and overcoming them, and not trying to be something you're not to become better.
- Not only are the characters more humanized than in the original, their personalities are more rounded and three dimensional than previously. Even characters who barely had any characterization in the first film, such as Faline, Flower, and Ronno, are fleshed out here.
- Compared to most previous Disneytoon Studios projects, this movie isn't afraid to follow the original film's darker subject matter and atmosphere and also gives far more psychological focus on the cast, in particular Bambi and his father coming to terms with the death of his mother.
- The deer call scene is the most memorable scene in the film due to its downright eerie atmosphere and surprisingly tense tone.
- Ambitious art and animation.
- Bruce Broughton's soundtrack does a great job at matching the elegance of the first film.
- Ronno is a surprisingly fleshed out and entertaining rival to Bambi whose presence helps to elevate the film's story.
- Great vocal performances.
- The shot for shot recreation of Bambi and Ronno's fight in the original film is a pretty awesome scene.
- The entire climax is very intense.
- While it's very predicable that Bambi survives, his fake death scene is still very touching and powerful.
Bad Qualities[]
- It can be very emotionally intense for younger audiences, especially in the climax.
- Much like Disney's other midquels, Bambi II is not chronologically correct. Curiously, the film went by the more accurate title, Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest during production stages.
- While the Great Prince being humanized and being developed as a character is a good thing, it does cause him to lose much of that mysterious, quiet, serious, kingly dignity and majesty he practically radiated every scene he's in the first film.
- Some continuity errors.
- In the original film, Thumper has five sisters, but here, he only has four.
- The opening, which recreates the scene of Bambi finding his father after his mother died, deliberately leaves out the line of dialogue from the original that has him call Bambi his son, for the sake of the film's narrative.
- In the original film, Friend Owl remarks to the adult Bambi that he has never seen him without spots before. In the midquel's epilogue, Friend Owl is present when the group first sees the slightly older Bambi without his spots for the first time, though at the very least, Bambi is much easier to recognise here than he is as an adult.
- While the hunting dogs are still a terrifying menace, many are taken out through rather slapstick methods by the child versions of the protagonists in this instance (some even making some comical expressions as they retreat) while the first film's dogs were persistent and utterly ferocious against even the fully grown Bambi with no goofy qualities whatsoever.
- While the plot was directly kicked off by Man's actions in the first film, they only get one scene in focus early on. The conflict is mostly Bambi trying to bond with his father, with Ronno being the closest thing to an antagonist for the bulk of the film until the climax, where Man's precense is implied due to the pack of hunting dogs going after Bambi, but they don't directly take part in it.
- As mentioned, Bambi surviving the fall that seemingly kills him is easy to predict.
Reception[]
Bambi II currently holds a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Box Office[]
Bambi II grossed $35 million during its limited theatrical run in Argentina.
Videos[]
