Product Details

• Actors: Hardie Albright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audrey, Peter Behn, Thelma Boardman
• Directors: David Hand
• Writers: Carl Fallberg, Chuck Couch, Felix Salten, Larry Morey, Melvin Shaw
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Limited Edition, THX, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
• VHS Release Date: February 4, 1997
• Run Time: 70 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (210 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0788806270
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #436 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
It always comes up when people are comparing their most traumatic movie experiences: "the death of Bambi's mother," a recollection that can bring a shudder to even the most jaded filmgoer. That primal separation (which is no less stunning for happening off-screen) is the centerpiece of Bambi, Walt Disney's 1942 animated classic, but it is by no means the only bold stroke in the film. In its swift but somehow leisurely 69 minutes, Bambi covers a year in the life of a young deer. But in a bigger way, it measures the life cycle itself, from birth to adulthood, from childhood's freedom to grown-up responsibility. All of this is rendered in cheeky, fleet-footed style--the movie doesn't lecture, or make you feel you're being fed something that's good for you. The animation is miraculous, a lush forest in which nature is a constantly unfolding miracle (even in a spectacular fire, or those dark moments when "man was in the forest"). There are probably easier animals to draw than a young deer, and the Disney animators set themselves a challenge with Bambi's wobbly glide across an ice-covered lake, his spindly legs akimbo; but the sequence is effortless and charming. If Bambi himself is just a bit dull--such is the fate of an Everydeer--his rabbit sidekick Thumper and a skunk named Flower more than make up for it. Many of the early Disney features have their share of lyrical moments and universal truths, but Bambi is so simple, so pure, it's almost transparent. You might borrow a phrase from Thumper and say it's downright twitterpated. --Robert Horton

Product Description
Reflecting an age of innocence and a time of wonder, no film better captures the pure magic of Disney than BAMBI -- the world's most endearing animated tale about the beauty of nature and the miracle of life. Nominated for three Academy Awards(R), this immortal blend of classic storytelling and unforgettable characters is most fondly remembered as Walt Disney's all-time favorite picture. As morning light breaks across the meadow, a new prince of the forest is born. Soon Bambi emerges from the thicket on wobbly legs, much to the delight of his new friends, Thumper, the playful rabbit, and Flower, the bashful yet lovable skunk. But the fun of skating on "stiff water," nibbling fresh blossoms, and frolicking through the woods is only the beginning. Exploring his new world, and guided by the wisdom of Friend Owl, Bambi learns valuable lessons with every adventure --experiencing love, loss, growth, and renewal along the way. Fully restored to its original theatrical splendor, this digitally remastered video edition of BAMBI can now take its place among your most cherished family keepsakes. Relive Disney's extraordinary movie masterpiece "filled with laughter and inspired animation!" (Time Magazine)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

130 of 148 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A simple little film -- NOT!, July 10, 2004

By	Christian McCallister "dr dolphin" (The waters of the Great Lakes) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

On one level, "Bambi" is just a little, animated film, just under 70 minutes, that tells the story of an orphaned deer growing up. Right? And an acorn is just a nut.

"Bambi" was made in 1942, but is still impressive in its animation, even in comparison to the computer-generated graphics of today. The colors are so lush, that you want to freeze some of the frames and hang them up on your wall. The beauty of Nature is captured here as well as in any film, animated or not.

"Bambi" is the story of one deer, but it is also a case study in the very basics of life: parental love, loss and grief, friendship, loyalty, balancing risk and need, growing toward independence, being at one and in harmony with Nature, and romantic love. It is a small film that covers more ground than many epic, megabuck productions.

"Bambi" did something else significant: for many, it altered people's view of deer and their relationship to Man. I recently read a study that looked at this issue, and one finding is that two things decreased markedly after the release of "Bambi": involvement in deer-hunting, and the value people in general place on deer-hunting.

Sometimes, in simplicity, there is perfection.

53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a Classic, February 23, 2005

By	Tanya L. Schaub "TSchlaack" (Livermore, Maine USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bambi (2-Disc Special Platinum Edition) (DVD)

I remember being mesmerized by Bambi at the drive in as a kid in the early 70's, and then again on TV but, what a fantastic restoration.

I have to thank Amazon.com for providing this before the actual release date and I was amazed at the restoration. I am not going to review the story as it is a classic and most know what it is about. I will review the repackaging and upgrade of the classic. The new DVD provides extra outtakes that haven't been seen before and the new coloration is fantastic. Gone is the sort of gloomy non crisp colors and in its place are wonderful bright colors.

Fantastic redo! If you have kids they will love this updated version. If you just like Disney Classics than you will also want to own this one.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classy presentation of classic film, March 5, 2005

By	Wayne Klein "If at first the idea is not absu... (My Little Blue Window, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Bambi (2-Disc Special Platinum Edition) (DVD)

Walt Disney opened the vein of fear that drives children and adults alike with his animated classic films. Disney understood, like the Grimms before him, that the same fears are at the heart of what motivate children as they do adults. In the uncertain and haunted world of the 40's where war and loss hung like a specter stalking every aspect of American life, Disney mined that vein of fear, loss and death and turned it on its head recognizing that the optimism and can-do attitude of the American dream could triumph but not undo the nightmares of the past. That's why Walt's films continue to resonate today even with fancy computer animated effects and larger than life villains. He knew that the worst monsters could be our next door neighbors. Disney adapted a modern sensibility to the same fears that the Grimms paraded in their tales.

That's why "Bambi" despite its pacing from a slower, less attention challenged era still has power and poignancy. As a kid everything you need to know about life can be learned from a Walt Disney film. The loss of innocence, the cruelty of others, the compassion of friends and the big "D" all crop up in every Disney film. It's ironic because Disney's films, unlike other animators of the time, weren't afraid to tackle the very things that both scared and delighted kids. The two big themes that figure in Disney films rear their heads in "Bambi" when death and the cruel world outside try to erase Bambi's innocence from existence. We're immediately thrown into Bambi's world and his life with his mom. When Bambi's mom is killed he becomes an orphan adopted by his new found friends Thumper and Flower. Kids will love the interaction between these characters. While the film's pacing may be a tad slow for children below the age of six used to the rapid fire editing of "Aladdin" and more recent Disney classics, the colorful landscape and the delightful characters will keep most children entranced.



Featuring a terrific restoration, "Bambi" has never looked better on DVD. Like many films of the era "Bambi" was shot on nitrate stock which disintegrates fairly rapidly over time so the miracle here is that it looks as good as it does (due to careful care) and the magic of digital technology. The images sparkle with a crystal clear image almost too perfect. The rich color, deep dark blacks and detail in the images are truly astonishing. The remastered sound makes fairly good use of the 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround medium as well. Given that the original film's soundtrack was mono, the surround speakers are used surprisingly well. You'll have to reset your expectations though as this 60 year old film wasn't designed with any of our home theater equipment in mind.

"Bambi" has a forest full of extras in this two disc set. The most important extras on the first DVD is the comparison between the finished film along side images from story meetings, script notes, surviving production drawings and other items that give you a sense of the preparation that went into making this animated classic. We get to see the amazing restoration process for the film itself from the cleaning of the original nitrate negative (stored at the Library of Congress) to the expansion of the original soundtrack for home theater equipment and movie theater exhibition. There's also the classic award winning animated short "The Old Mill". Again, many of Disney's cartoons from the 30's and 40's don't have the manic energy we've come to expect in our post-Looney Tunes/Animanics world but the quieter, slower qualities are actually appealing after one too many frantic animated adventure. "Tricks of the Trade" was originally shot for the Disney's TV show in the 50's and takes us behind-the-scenes allowing us to see the difficult and time consuming process of making animated feature films before the advent of computers. "The Art of Bambi" allows us in the Disney archive to see the surviving preproduction artwork, design elements and storyboards. "Disney Time Capsule" provides viewers with a glimpse into the world that spawned "Bambi". "The Forest Adventure Game" will be entertaining for most children over the age of six as it may take a bit too much skill for anyone below that age to master. There's also two surviving deleted scenes (which is a surprise given the age of the film but Disney is nothing if not methodical). We learn a bit about America during World War II and the type of society that America was creating for itself. "Bambi's Forest Friends" focuses on how deer live in the wild. We also get the original theatrical trailer (which provides an interesting contrast to the restored film). Most of these extras will be of interest more to the adults that grew up watching "Bambi" in theaters, on TV and early home video.

An engaging film from another era that still has tremendous power and is entertaining, "Bambi" has never looked this spry before. I imagine that this DVD looks better than the original release did in the 1940's as resolution and theater standards were quite different then.