Bambi 2 ~ 2006
I wasn’t thrilled when I first heard about a sequel to Bambi. It’s a classic. A classic film, animated or otherwise, should not be tampered with by a sequel. The original was released in 1942 and 64 years is a long time to make a sequel. The math alone equates a sequel being a bad idea. However, although I’m not saying I am a fan of the sequel, it was done with obvious respect of its predecessor.
Bambi II tells the in~between story of Bambi and the time he spends with his father following the death of his mother. During this time, we learn that Bambi’s father tries to keep his feelings towards his son distant because he feels his duties as prince are more important. The lack of emotion disturbed me a little. It made me uncomfortable. I mean, this kid’s mother was just killed. To top it off, the prince has ordered Friend Owl, now a happy go~getter rather than the grumpy bird he once was, to find Bambi a new mother to raise him. Now, I’m feeling mad. Anyway, the now rambunctious Bambi, who was once mild mannered before mom died, is aware of his father’s distance and enlists Thumper to help him become brave to win his dad’s love and respect. It all comes together in the end as Bambi is almost ripped to shreds from a pack of man’s dogs.
The animation is superb, albeit slightly different in style then the original. There are some beautiful moments like when Bambi and his father play in a field bursting with crickets. The voices are very well matched and Patrick Stewart does an excellent job providing the voice for Bambi’s father, the Great Prince of the Forest. The new music, clearly updated to today’s standards, is beautiful and rich. The humor is also updated to today’s standards and does seem awkward being this is supposed to be a continuation of the original film. The only real annoying thing was the introduction of Ronno, the deer Bambi later battles in his adult life. Ronno is a clumsy bully with a high sense of pride. There was just no need for him. I found him to be a distraction of the actual story.
The main problem with the sequel is that the characters became more humanized than the original. Walt Disney did Bambi with the idea that we could peek into the forest and get a glimpse of life there. Although they could talk, the characters remained animals living in the forest. The characters changed for the sequel, mimicking children we would know on the playground.
Bambi II isn’t bad and was done with respect. I wouldn’t say to buy this one, but if you are a Disney fan, I would rent it. It is worth seeing for what it is. Walt Disney himself considered doing something with Bambi and his father in the original, but scrapped the idea. I think he would have liked what the current artists came up with, but he would have used this as the idea to eventually get to the finished and more polished project.