Despite bombing on its initial theatrical release, Walt Disney's Bambi has rightfully become one of animation's most beloved films. A surprisingly lean tale about the Circle of Life that showed far more than it told, it showed how the Mouse House's gang of animators were upping their game at every turn.
And who can deny the emotional impact of when the Great Prince of the Forest sorrowfully tells Bambi, "Your mother can't be with you anymore" that brought tears to generations of children and their parents? Now this classic movie can be introduced to a new generation, courtesy of Disney's Bambi Diamond Edition Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack.
Walt Disney Company Presents the Bambi: Diamond Edition Blu-Ray
Once again, if you don't know the story of the little deer and his journey towards adulthood, quit reading right now and buy it. Adapted from the children's novel by Felix Salten, the 1942 flick followed the titular deer (voiced by Donnie Dunagan) from his first steps to his eventual coronation as Great Prince of the Forest. Clocking in at 70 minutes and featuring less than 1,000 words of dialogue, the film tells its story as much through action as it does through conversation and does a brilliant job of it.
Ever wonder where directors Pete Docter (Monsters Inc.) and Bill Meléndez (A Charlie Brown Christmas) got the idea to use untrained children to voice the lead roles in their films? Look no farther: Dunagan had some film experience before getting cast as Young Bambi, but Disney's casting director was about to show Peter Behn the door before animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston intervened.
Good thing they did: Behn (who voiced Thumper) may have only been able to memorize a few words at a time but his stilted delivery and frequent pauses – especially on the line, "If you can't say something nice . . . (long pause) . . . don't say nothing at all" – brings a warmth and charm a trained actor couldn't have feigned.
Then there's the animation. The sleek and realistic character designs in Bambi bear little resemblance to the lumpy, cartoony images of deer in 1937's Snow White. Supervising animators Eric Larson, Thomas, Milt Kahl, and Johnston upped their game big time, and forced the other animators to do the same, and the results still stun nearly 70 years later. Frank Thomas laid it all on the line for the classic pond sequence, taking three days to animate it so the scene wouldn't be cut. The digitally restored version is nothing less than stunning, and should bring back fond memories to the over-65 demographic.
Bambi Diamond Edition Blu-Ray Extras
The folks at Disney have brought a lot of extras to this Diamond Edition, so here are the highlights.
In addition to all the DVD extras from the previous edition, the Blu-Ray also includes two more deleted scenes, a deleted song called "Twitterpated" (guess where it was supposed to play?), an intro by Diane Disney Miller, a "Inside Walt's Storyboard Meetings" featurette that takes you into the movie's creative process, interactive art galleries plus the Disney's Big Book of Knowledge game.
Finally, there's the new Disney Second Screen application, which runs simultaneously on your computer as you're watching the movie, to give you extra tidbits. That enough for ya?
Bambi Diamond Edition a Must-Have For Film Lovers and Animation Lovers
Screw journalistic integrity: it's Bambi, it's on Blu-Ray. What more needs to be said? Bambi Diamond Edition gets a 5/5.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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