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Film Title: Bambi

 Best for ages: 7 & Up?

Movie Website:  Click Here

Year Released: 2011 (Blu-ray)

Rated: G (US)

The Review

   I cannot remember the last time I saw Bambi, or for that matter if I ever saw the film in its entirety when I was younger. I know for a fact I have seen bits and pieces of it in the past, but I don’t remember when. Where does one begin when all they remember about this film is that Bambi’s mothers dies?  She is killed off screen by a hunter. In 2004, Time Magazine released an article about the top twenty five horror films of all time. Bambi was number twenty. It’s no secret that I also run a horror website.  When most of my colleagues and I read that article, the majority of us past the list off as just another one of top lists that made no sense. However, after watching Bambi in it’s entirety for what is probably the first time in my life. I agree that Bambi is more than just a children’s animated film, it is in fact a horror film also.

   In that same Time Magazine article; it said that if you asked anyone who was a child during the nineteen thirties and forties they would tell you that a lot of the Disney animated films at the time were just as scary as the horror films that were on the big screen. It you think about it, films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves where an evil queen turns into a witch and poisons Snow White, Fantasia with some of its scary elements, and even Pinocchio, where his nose grows from lying. All of these elements back in those times scared children. However, when it comes to Bambi, it takes the cake. Yet, if you look at the whole story of Bambi, what Disney did was compare it to what nature is really like in the real world. Men hunt animals for food all the time, and nature is not kind, animals eat other animals, they fight one another over food and mates, and the cycle of life is always repeating itself. To a kid growing up in the security of a house, and part of the dominate species on the planet, as humans we don’t have those fears. But put us in the world of a cute little animal and show us the true way that these animals live and it’s really a scary world out there.

   The story of Bambi is about the life cycle of animals living in the forest. In the beginning of the film all the animals of the forest are gathering together because a new “Prince of the Forest” has been born.  That prince just so happens to be Bambi. All the animals rejoice and watch Bambi’s every move. He learns from the animals both big and small and his mother teaches him all he needs to know about the forest. However, Bambi seems to find himself in trouble some times, and the trouble just so happens to be when man comes around.  Being young and naïve, during a winter thaw Bambi and his mother find a patch of grass in an open meadow. Starving, they eat the newly grown grass, but in the end it costs Bambi’s mother her life. Now on his own, Bambi, with some guidance from his father,(the dominant deer of the forest) must learn how to survive. As he matures into adulthood, Bambi and his friend meet mates, but as man invades the forest, troubles soon arises. A wild campfires catches wind and sets the whole forest on fire. Bambi must brave this invasion of nature to not only save himself, but his mate and his friends. In the end we are witness to the positives and negatives of nature and how mans effects on nature is not always a good thing.

   Bambi is probably one of the first animated films I don’t feel comfortable letting my four year old watch. I had a hard time explaining death to her when Ellie passed away in the movie UP, however I find that my child takes the death of a human better than she does an animals, especially cute furry ones. The fact that Bambi mother is shot and killed, even though it takes place off screen; it would be a hard thing to explain. I think most parents are in agreement with me on this one. There is a lot going on in Bambi that will raise a lot of questions among younger viewers. My recommendation is to only show kids this film if they know about death and the way nature is. I’d say it’s probably safe for kids over the age of seven, but like I said it really depends on the child and if you as a parent are willing to sit down and explain the film to them.

   The Diamond Edition Blu-ray combo pack comes with a Blu-ray and DVD copy of the film. Both discs feature an introduction by Diane Disney Miller, a feature titled Inside Walt’s Story Meeting - Enhanced Edition, and DisneyPedia – Bambi’s forest friends. The Blu-ray disc also has other features such as the Disney View 16x9 full frame viewing experience, two never before seen deleted scenes and a deleted song; Interactive Blu-ray Galleries, Disney’s Big Book of Knowledge game, as well as the classic DVD features.  There is also the Disney Second Screen feature where you can interact with the film on you laptop or iPad. Enter the magic code that comes with the Blu-ray disc.  You can do so by visiting Disney’s Second Screen website at DisneySecondScreen.com.

   Like I mentioned above; Bambi is not a film for younger children. There is a lot going on in the film that relates to the way nature really is out in the forests of the world. It is not kind, and Walt Disney does not sugarcoat the film to make the forests of the world seem like a magical place of fun and happiness. To call Bambi an animated horror film is not a bad assessment. It does show the true horrors of nature and the destruction man is capable of. Sure, it has its fun and cute moments as most animated Disney feature do, but use caution when showing this film to your children. As a parent, if you choose to show Bambi to your children; it is your responsibility to watch the film with them and be prepared to answer some tough questions.   Bambi is a great movie, the animation is wonderful, the characters are great, but it is a film that does have an impact with its story and a lot can be learned from it.

BUY THIS MOVIE.