Spoilers
I know there are people out there who don't think of this
movie as fondly as it once was thought of. That's okay. I, personally,
can't get enough of this enchanting classic. It is my second favorite
animated movie of all time and one of the most astoundingly animated and
dramatically heartwarming animated movies I've ever seen.
Everything about this movie is polished to an amazing level, unlike
many animated movies today, which often seem to show signs of slowing down
in places. The animation is both wonderfully photorealistic and surreal
and artistic. The imagery of the movie matches the mood of the
particular scene, whether it's soft and happy or stark and frightening. The
musical score also seems to match the flow and emotion of the scenes
perfectly. While today's Disney movies all have their own score that blends
into the scenes, Bambi's score actually seems to be helping to tell the
story, whether it's Bambi meeting Faline for the first time or The
Great Prince majestically striding into view or the deer madly dashing away
from the threat of the hunters. In fact many of the old school classics
seem to have this correlation between music and story. It is this touch
that I love about Bambi and many of the other classics, and I wish
Disney would one day return to this approach.
Many of modern Disney's movies seem to be a collection of cartoony
characters and stereotypes. Bambi is not like this at all. All the
characters are wonderfully lovable. Whether it's Bambi himself or Thumper or
Flower, they all capture my heart in both their youth and in their
adulthood. During the early parts of the movie, the characters help maintain
the spirit of innocence and child-like wonder that seems to surround
the natural beauty of the movie. I especially love the famous ice-skating
scene with Bambi and Thumper. Not only is it magnificently enchanting,
but it strengthens the personalies of the characters and shows the bond
of friendship between the two characters. Later on in the movie when
the characters become adults, Bambi and his friends change and become an
interesting mix of uncertainty and courage, all while keeping their
endearing personalities they possessed as children.
I could go on forever about what I see in Bambi that makes it so great.
This movie has a combination of animation, characterization, music,
drama, emotion, artistry and magic that I don't see in too many other
animated movies these days. Bambi just has the right dose of everything,
and it is this wonderful, old school appeal that I love so much. Unlike
many of modern Disney's movies, Bambi doesn't sugar-coat, pander, appeal
to pop culture or the kiddie crowd. I find it to be generally better
than almost everything Disney put out during the 90s. To me, Bambi is one
of the best, if not THE best, animated movies ever. It is my personal
second favorite animated movie of all time and is topped only by The Fox
and the Hound.
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