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73 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Believe it or not, an excellent direct-to-video sequel of the classic Disney film, January 17, 2006
This review is from: Bambi II (DVD)
Like many people who were weaned on the classic animated films made by Walt Disney, I have been less than thrilled by the onslaught of direct-to-video sequels the company has been producing the last dozen years. Starting with "The Return of Jafar" in 1994, we have not only seen sequels to many recent animated films, such as "Beauty and the Beast: Enchanted Christmas" and "Lion King II: Simba's Pride," but direct-to-video follow ups to some of those classic Disney films, as is the case with "Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure" and "Cinderella II: Dreams Come True." Consequently, when I sat down to watch "Bambi II" I was fully expecting to be bitterly disappointed. Instead I was pleasantly surprised (actually, I was floored).
"Bambi II" begins with the well-remembered moment from the original when Bambi (voiced by Alexander Gould) is looking for his mother and The Great Prince of the Forest (Patrick Stewart) informs his son that she will not be coming back, and ends with Bambi still a fawn. The beloved characters Thumper (Brendon Baerg) and Flower (Nicky Jones) return, as does Feline (Andrea Bowen), but having more of an impact is a character who only appears briefly in the original, Ronno (Anthony Ghannam), another fawn whose antlers have already come in. Ronno not only keeps calling Bambi a baby and a coward, but is also making moves on Feline. Meanwhile, The Great Prince is having trouble with his new responsibility for raising his young son and teaching him the ways of the forest, and Bambi is trying to impress his father. Neither one of them is succeeding all that well.
Directed by Brian Pimental (who also voices both the Groundhog and the Porcupine), this 2006 direct-to-video release has several things going for it, starting with having Patrick Stewart voice Bambi's father. But the greatest strength is the
story by Pimental and Jeanne Rosenberg with a screenplay by Alicia Kirk inspired by the original story of "Bambi" by Felix Salten. Bambi is trying to learn how to confront his fear and stand up to Ronno and other dangers in the forest. The film never uses the phrase "deer caught in a headlight," but that is what Bambi looks like at times and it is something he needs to overcome. What I liked the best is that there are several moments when father and son start to connect, but it does not quite work out, so that there is actually some character development and not just a sudden happy ending. Overall, there is actually more of a plot here than simply Bambi growing up.
The animation is done in the same style of the original classic, and if it is not as rich in detail the differences are far less than you would expect from a direct-to-video feature. I have always considered "Bambi" to have the most beautiful artwork of any of the Disney films, and this one does not suffer that much in comparison (the animators do seem to like bright yellows more this time around). There is one cutesy animal sung song, "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song," based on Frank Churchill's score for the original film, but most of the songs serve as backdrops for various sequences and are done by some familiar country singers: Alison Krauss' "There is Life," Michelle Lewis' "First Sign of Spring," and Martina McBride's "Through Your Eyes." Anthony Callea performs "The Healing of a Heart" during the closing credits.
The film is shown in "Family-Friendly Widescreen" (1.78:1), which is enhanced for 16 x 9 televisions, and also has a French language track. The bonus features on this DVD consist of a Making-Of featurette, "The Legacy Continues," and a "Bambi's Trivia Track" that can provide a constant stream of pop ups with fun facts as you watch the film. Kids will enjoy "Thumper's Hurry & Scurry Game" and there is also a "Disney Sketch Pad" piece in which Disney animator Andreas Deja teaches us how to draw Thumper.
The end result is a half-step down in quality from the original classic, which is amazing enough to justify rounding up on this one. Granted, no animated film will ever take the place that "Bambi" has in the collective psyche of the millions of youngsters who were devastated when Bambi's mother was killed. Still, "Bambi II" sets the bar pretty high for a sequel (it is certainly good enough that they could have released this to theaters) and we can only hope future direct-to-video offerings will follow suit.
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17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent film truly in the tradition of the original, January 31, 2006
This review is from: Bambi II (DVD)
While some will undoubtedly find it hard to embrace a follow-up to Disney's 1942 classic Bambi, I found Bambi II to be quite enchanting, funny, and very touching. I must admit I bring a somewhat unusual perspective to this film, as I am one of the few living souls who hasn't seen the original. For whatever reason, I never saw Bambi as a child, and - now that I'm an adult - I've resisted watching it because I have heard how sad it is when Bambi's mother dies. I can watch films with humans doing unspeakable things to one another and never bat an eye, but it just tears me up to see animals (whether real or cartoon) sad and hurting. I can't get through Benji without sobbing, so I've just never felt up to the task of experiencing Bambi. A grown man shouldn't admit this, but - just in case you're wondering - Bambi II did end up bringing a few tears to my eyes, as well. That's okay, though. Movies like this aren't just for children; in many ways, their message plays more powerfully to adult viewers, reminding us of the important things in life (especially in terms of the parent-child relationship).
This isn't a sequel to Bambi, I should note, as the story actually fits in to the middle of the original film. Bambi has just lost his mother, and now it is up to his father, the Great Prince, to take care of him. The Great Prince does not take to parenting naturally or easily; he feels that a doe should raise the child, and he asks Friend Owl to help him find a new mother for Bambi once spring arrives. Bambi desperately wants to please his father, but he is just too young to meet his father's high standards. The Great Prince wants Bambi to behave as a prince, not as a young deer. Fortunately, Bambi does have friends to play with, including Thumper and Flower. Thumper even tries to teach him how to be brave. All Bambi really wants, though, is for his father to be proud of him and to actually show him some affection. Gradually, the Great Prince begins to come down off his pedestal to be an actual, caring father to the youngster. The last half of the film is really more about the Great Prince than it is about Bambi, if you ask me; it's basically the story of a father's love. The climactic scenes really work beautifully, taking you from tear-inducing sadness to exhilaration and suspense, eventually bringing every emotional aspect of the whole story to a deeply satisfying conclusion.
The two young kids supplying the voices for Bambi and Thumper are really just superb, and Patrick Stewart brings incredible presence to the film as the voice of the Great Prince. I also think the animation is wonderful. The animation crew may have used some digital tools, but they clearly tried to follow in the footsteps of Bambi's illustrators in terms of their approach to the whole project, taking pains to remain faithful to the look and feel of the original. Since I haven't seen the first Bambi, I can't compare the two films at all - but I do think the artwork of Bambi II really hits the mark.
Along with the movie, you also get a good assortment of extra features on the DVD, including an interesting look at the making of Bambi II - this is where you really get a sense of the reverence Bambi II's makers have for the original film. You also have the option of watching the movie with various Bambi trivia and fun facts popping up at relevant times. A Disney animator shows budding young artists how to draw Thumper, and there's also a little "find Thumper" game for one or two players. Naturally, you also get previews of some coming Disney attractions.
All in all, Bambi II is an impressive package. The film itself is what truly matters, of course, and I think it is really good. Certainly, it's aimed at a young audience, but I can't agree with anyone saying there is nothing for adults in this film. Bambi II's portrayal of the Great Prince's love for Bambi and his struggle to find the best way to raise the lad properly certainly touch upon issues that most parents will find close to their heart. Bambi II certainly managed to touch my heart - and on more than one occasion.
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15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A refreshing updated version of the family favorite, January 28, 2006
This review is from: Bambi II (DVD)
Bambi is one of our family's favorite movies and we all enjoyed this new version with all of its extras. It teaches the children about the importance of family and how the father can take over if the mother is not available. There are songs by some of our favorite singers, which is an extra. The DVD has many pluses in addition to the beautiful movie, including games, cute mobiles, and more. I'm sure we will enjoy watching it many times in the future. I understand it is to be available for only a limited time. Worth adding to your DVD library.
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