Bambi (1942) - 70 Minutes

Bambi. This is the movie for nature lovers and preservationists alike. It's the daring tale of a young faun who explores his new home in the forest and meets some lovely and cute characters in the meanwhile. Stephen King also says that this is the scariest movie he has ever seen. Go figure.

Eli

Rating: 6/10

Reaction: As cute as this movie is, sometimes it can drag along. There isn't much of a story per se, but mainly a series of events that happen in the forest (seasons changing, fires, men) that Bambi must deal with. There's also not a lot of dialogue, and this film apparently has the least amount of it in any Disney film. (Besides, perhaps, WALL-E) There's no doubt that there are some cute characters. Thumper the rabbit is by far my favorite, and has the cutest voice in the beginning of the movie, reciting all his father's rules. There's Flower, the skunk, who doesn't do too much, but I guess he's cute too. And Bambi is pretty cute as he's learning how to walk. He reminds me of my first time in heels.

For all the people who say this movie is sad, I think it's more terrifying than sad. Yes, Bambi's mother dies, but it's the lead up and aftermath that make it all the more frightening. The music is almost Jaws-like, adding an extra note to the famous duh-duh. Then there is what I like to call The Frantic Pheasant, who just can't take the approaching hunters and therefore flies away, only to be shot dead. This leads to a massacre of forest folk, a truly horrifying and upsetting scene. (Children's movie - - - yeah right!) But it is enjoyable the first few times. I cannot however imagine watching this over and over again, and when asked to describe it, all I can say is: it's cute. And scary. Like me.

Regan

Rating: 7/10

Reaction: So the message here is pretty clear.  Nature = good.  Men = evil.  I don't think any of us will ever forget the horror of Bambi's mother being offed by a ruthless hunter.  It's interesting to see how a lot of these early Disney movies feel almost like educational videos as much as entertainment.  Fantasia, for example, felt like a movie intended to be showed in schools, especially with the monologues interspersed.  Bambi, similarly, feels like a nature video in the way it leisurely follows Bambi's life from birth until he has children of his own (you can see how the idea for The Lion King might have sprung from Bambi).  The line, "You can call me a flower if you want to", spoken by the skunk, has been a favorite in my family for a long time.

Despite its charm, and the fact that it's barely more than an hour long, Bambi does drag at times.  I found myself wanting a bit more of the plot that the later Disney movies offer.