Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that compared to most of today's animated movies for kids, the violence in this movie is minimal. However, the violent content here is more realistic than the action-adventure, fantasy, or slapstick kind kids are used to, and therefore may have a stronger impact on them. The death of Bambi's mother by a gunshot wound is only heard, not seen, but her death and subsequent absence is emotionally intense. The youngest viewers may need help understanding how/why she died.
Families can talk about how people can respect and protect nature. Kids may indeed be awakened to the wonders of nature after seeing this film, and may delight in a walk in a real forest or a trip to the petting zoo.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Betsey Wallace
Based on the 1928 children's book by Felix Salten, BAMBI came out in 1942 and was heavily influenced by the making of Snow White, Fantasia, and Pinocchio, borrowing elements from the preceding Walt Disney features while pushing animation to a new level of realism and drama.
Told more with music and animation than dialogue, the story is a simple one of forest creatures who play and live joyfully even as they fight to survive. Supervised by Walt Disney, the animators closely studied the movement and anatomy of real animals, working for six years to perfect the personalities of the characters and find just the right children's voices for them.
Bambi told the "circle of life" tale long before The Lion King, with Bambi and Simba sharing a very similar coming-of-age story. In Bambi, though, the animals are all friendly and only man is a threat. No people actually appear in the movie, but are instead the unseen menace. Symphonic and choral pieces accompany the animation, which might seem odd to kids today who are used to Disney characters breaking into song-and-dance numbers. These and other artistic choices add grace and elegance to a film that hasn't lost its impact in over 60 years.
The Platinum Edition 2-disc DVD set includes standard DVD fare such as deleted scenes and the original trailer, and a unique recreation of Walt Disney's story meetings for Bambi, dramatized from actual transcripts. A "Making of Bambi" feature includes commentary by some of the original animators and voice actors. But only the games and activities bonus material is really aimed at kids. "Bambi's Forest Friends" shows cute live footage of deer, rabbits, skunks, and owls, and tells kids a little about each kind of animal.
Families who enjoy this movie may also like Bambi II, Dumbo, and The Lion King.
Rate It!
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ViolenceViolence instigated by man is a theme of the movie. Bambi's mother is killed by a hunter (not shown). Grown-up Bambi fights briefly with another buck. A pack of dogs chase and attack Bambi and girlfriend Faline. A fire started by a campfire threatens the forest animals. |
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