Bambi

 

Release Date: August 21, 1942

Watch Date: February 1, 2023

"With its awe-inspiring animation, this timeless classic has been loved for generations. In a life-changing adventure, Bambi sets off with his best friends Thumper and Flower to explore the wonders and challenges of the woods...and fulfill his destiny as prince of the forest. Full of humor and heart, Bambi remains a family favorite."

    Bambi isn't so much a 'story' as it is a documentary with a story. As the True Life Adventures will show very soon, that's not necessarily a bad thing, and in the case of Bambi, I don't think it is either.

    What Bambi is, is a creative way to show a year in the life of a group of animals in what appears to be a North American wood. The animals don't break out into song, there is no epic quest. It's just animals doing animal things. Finding food in winter. Surviving after hunters enter the woods. Finding a mate. Typical animal stuff.

    I find this film relaxing, maybe more than I should, for a film with one of the most famous deaths of all time. It's soothing. It's a movie you can drink a nice cup of tea while you watch it. Since I usually watch these movies with a cup of tea, that's fairly high praise.

    The animals are cute, the movie is low risk, the music is relaxing, the forest is nice to look at. Honesty, there's not a lot I can say against this film. There's also not a lot I can say for it.

    Bambi is remembered for one, big, dramatic moment. There's nothing wrong with that. But as Bob proved, this being the first time he'd ever watched it, that's all people really want to see. That one moment of drama. You spend the entire beginning anticipating it, and the second half feeling kind of let down that it's happened, and that the main draw of the film is over.

    I doubt that it'll ever be someone's favorite film of all the time, but I don't think it has to be. It demonstrates a calm, quiet time in film. When you didn't need explosions or special effects. And that's a time in film we will never get back - so it's always nice to revisit it.