Bambi II
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 A DTV Disney sequel that is actually pretty good? What madness is this?! - TV Tropes
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Bambi II (also known as Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest) is a 2006 American animated drama film directed by Brian Pimental and produced by the Australian office of Disneytoon Studios as a followup to the 1942 Disney feature film Bambi. Animation production was done by DisneyToon Studios Sydney, Australia. 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
After Bambi reunites with his father, the Great Prince, after his mother's death, the Prince now must raise the young fawn and teach him the ways of the forest. However, in the adventure of a lifetime, the proud parent discovers that there is much he can learn from his spirited young son.
Why It Rocks
- First and foremost, this film is a major improvement over many of the other DTV Disney sequels being released at the time as it doesn't have a ridiculous plot that completely soils the original film's and is simply much more faithful to the original film in general. And the fact that this film came out a solid 64 years after the original film and still managed to not just be good, but also faithful to it's predecessor is simply remarkable.
- The concept of showcasing what happened during the incredibly long timeskip in the first film after Bambi's mother died and he was left in the care of the Great Prince of the Forest is a great one for a sequel. Given how much time was skipped out on in the original film and how much potential that could make for a sequel. And it was amazingly executed here due to how much it stays true to the original film. It also shows all the struggles Bambi goes through after losing his mother in a uncomfortably honest way, feeling like how a real child would react to losing their parent.
- The characters aren't just likable, but they're also very faithful towards their counterparts from the previous film. None of them are flanderized nor do they have their characters even slightly changed for the worse in any way.
- Bambi's still the naive and free-spirited young fawn curious about the world around him that he was in the original movie.
- The Great Prince of the Forest is still a wise figure that Bambi looks up to (not to mention that he's now Bambi's new parental guardian).
- Thumper is still the energetic and quick-witted comic relief.
- Flower is still the timid and easily embarrassed friend to Bambi.
- Friend Owl is still the cheerful and mildly grumpy forest local.
- Faline is still the upbeat and friendly love interest to Bambi.
- There are a lot of pretty funny moments in this film like when Bambi tried to prove his bravery by engaging in a fight with the porcupine which ends with him getting multiple quills stuck in his behind and Thumper having to pull them out (not to mention how that scene also has Thumper trying deceive the Great Prince when Bambi's screaming could be heard, and the porcupine insulting the Prince).
- Great soundtrack that consists of all kinds of tones of music. From suspenseful to upbeat to melancholic, there's a different music track in a unique style for each new scene of the movie and to match it's tone.
- There are a lot of downright tearjerking moments in this film. Particularly the scene where Bambi briefly interact with his mother and she assures him that everything was still going to be alright while he asks her why she had to go and the one near the end where Bambi nearly dies and the Great Prince of the Forest actually cries over it.
- Just like in the original film, this movie has an amazing color palette that's capable of changing in tone and shades depending on whatever was currently happening in the movie. For example, when the animals were waiting for the groundhog ceremony the scene has a lot of bright and vivid colors to it and the scene towards the end where Bambi is being attacked by vicious attack dogs has a very bleak atmosphere to match how Bambi was in danger at the moment.
- Amazing voice acting from actors like Alexander Gould (as Bambi, who also went on to voice Nemo in Finding Nemo), Patrick Stewart (as the Great Prince of the Forest), Brendon Baerg (as Thumper), Nicky Jones (as Flower, who also later voiced Chowder from the Cartoon Network show of the same name), Andrea Bowen (as Faline), Anthony Ghannam (as Ronno), Cree Summer (as Mena), Keith Ferguson (as Friend Owl), Makenna Cowgill, Emma Rose Lima, Ariel Winter (all as Thumper's sisters), Brian Pimental (as the Groundhog/Porcupine), and Carolyn Hennesy (as Bambi's mother).
- Say what you will about this movie, but it's nice to see another Bambi film on the big screen after 64 years.
Bad Qualities
- The title can be a bit misleading since despite saying that it's the sequel to the original Bambi, but the film itself is actually a midquel.
- Ronno can be a unlikable character who's little more than a bully stereotype, althought have fans of him.
Reception
Bambi II received mixed-to-positive reviews upon it's release. As critics and audiences praised it for its animation, characters, and voice acting, but other criticized it's lackluster and predictable story. However, the film is still considered by many fans of the original film, as well as Disney in general, to be one of the better direct-to-DVD sequels. The film currently holds a 50% rating in Rotten Tomatoes and a 6.1/10 on IMDb.
Videos
Trivia
- This was the final Disneytoon film to be traditionally animated before methods for doing so switched entirely to CGI animation afterwards.
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