Common Sense Media Review
Disney's original circle-of-life story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Bambi
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 23 parent reviews
Parents say the movie is beautifully animated and carries significant messages about nature and empathy, but it includes intense scenes that may be too much for young children, particularly the death of Bambi's mother. While some appreciate its simplicity and timeless qualities, many believe it's best suited for older kids due to its dark themes and slow pace compared to modern animated films.
- animation quality
- themes of loss
- age appropriateness
- emotional impact
- simplicity of plot
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 37 kid reviews
Kids say the film offers a beautiful yet heartbreaking portrayal of nature, capturing both the charm of its characters and the emotional weight of themes like parental loss. While many praise its stunning animation and engaging storytelling, several reviews caution about its dark moments that might be too intense for very young children.
- emotional themes
- beautiful animation
- parental loss
- age appropriateness
- dark moments
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
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 preceding 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. At the center of the story is wide-eyed deer Bambi, who must find a way to endure after hunters kill his mother. Supported by his friends, Thumper (a rabbit) and Flower (a skunk), Bambi faces the dangers of the forest, woos a delicate doe named Faline, and eventually grows into a strong buck and a leader of the forest.
Is It Any Good?
Many fine artistic choices add grace and elegance to a film that hasn't lost its impact in nearly 70 years. Supervised by Walt Disney himself, 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. No people actually appear in Bambi, but they're 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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how people can respect and protect nature. Kids may indeed be awakened to the wonders of nature after seeing Bambi, and may delight in a walk in a real forest or a trip to the petting zoo.
Talk about the impact of the mother's death in the movie. Why do you think the writers made the choice to include this element in the story? Does it help the movie's message?
What is the movie's message?
How does Bambi promote curiosity? Why is this an important character strength?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 21, 1942
- On DVD or streaming : March 4, 2005
- Cast : Hardie Albright , Peter Behn , Stan Alexander
- Director : David Hand
- Studio : Walt Disney Pictures
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Topics : Book Characters , Friendship , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Character Strengths : Curiosity
- Run time : 70 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children
- Last updated : December 28, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate