Bambi II, also known as Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest, is a 2006 American animated drama film directed by Brian Pimental and produced by DisneyToon Studios, that initially premiered in theaters in Argentina on January 26, 2006, before being released as a direct-to-video title in the United States on February 7, 2006. It holds the world record for the longest span of time between two consecutive installments of a franchise, being released 64 years after the original film came out in 1942.
The film takes place in the middle of Disney's original Bambi, with the Great Prince of the Forest dealing with the now motherless Bambi. It was first titled Bambi and the Great Prince, but was renamed Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest and later Bambi II.
Plot
After his mother is killed by Man, Bambi (Alexander Gould) stumbles upon his father, the Great Prince of the Forest (Patrick Stewart), who takes him back to his den. The Great Prince asks Friend Owl (Keith Ferguson) to find a doe to raise Bambi, since his duties are to his herd, but Owl informs him that because of the harsh winters the does can barely feed themselves, let alone any extra mouths. The Great Prince has no choice but to look after Bambi until the spring.
Months later, the Great Prince allows Bambi to accompany his friends, Thumper (Brendon Baerg), and Flower (Nicky Jones), to see the Groundhog, whose shadow will foretell if winter will end soon. Bambi lies to them about how close he and his father are, while the Great Prince keeps the truth of his mother’s death from him.
At the ground hog ceremony, Bambi meets up with his crush Faline (Andrea Bowen). The Groundhog (Brian Pimental) is coaxed out of his hole, only to be scared back in again by Ronno (Anthony Ghannam), an older fawn than Bambi. Ronno tries to impress Faline with his stories of his encounter with Man, and the whistles they use to imitate deer, but Faline does not believe his tall tale while Bambi actually believes it and says it is unbelievable, but Ronno takes it literally. Bambi and Ronno immediately dislike each other, but Bambi is intimidated by Ronno, afraid to stand up for himself, and is relieved when he leaves with his mother.
The other animals leave as well, and Bambi falls asleep waiting for his father to come get him. But after many hours of waiting, Bambi dreams of his mother and hears her voice calling him into a meadow. It turns out to be an ambush by Man using the same trick Ronno warned him about. The Great Prince comes to his rescue and orders Bambi to run, but the fawn is too scared to obey. Both manage to escape and Bambi is yelled at for almost getting himself killed. It’s then that Bambi realizes the hunters killed his mother, and the Great Prince confirms it. While Bambi sleeps, the Great Prince tells Friend Owl that winter is ending and he should have no problem finding a doe now.
In the days following, the Great Prince confines Bambi to the den where he’ll be safe, not trusting him to be out by himself anymore. When he leave, Bambi confesses to Thumper and Flower the estranged relationship he and his father share, and tells them he wishes he could impress him. They decide to help Bambi learn how to be brave by sneaking out, and while doing so get into an altercation with a porcupine. It ends with quills rammed into Bambi’s backside and his father almost catching him outside of the den. Ronno and Faline, hearing the commotion, investigate. Bambi gets into another fight with Ronno when he sees him bothering Faline. Ronno chases him and Thumper through the forest until Bambi leaps to safety over a large ravine. The Great Prince, having seen the whole thing, is both angry at Bambi and impressed by his feat. Ronno (jealous of the young prince) tries to leap after him, but falls into the chasm, thwarted for now.
The next day Bambi practices jumping with Thumper, determined to make his father proud again. Thumper encourages him to just talk to the Great Prince, and the two finally connect when the older stag shares some wisdom with him about feeling the forest in his hooves. The Great Prince finally decides to allow Bambi to come along with him on his patrols, and as the days progress the two get closer than ever. He helps Bambi to overcome any obstacles in his path, as well as his fears, and Bambi helps him to loosen up and have fun; all the while Ronno continues to grow jealous of the young prince.
One morning, Friend Owl finds Bambi and the Great Prince playing and introduces them to Mena (Cree Summer), the doe he’s found to be Bambi's new mother. Bambi realizes the Great Prince planned on sending him away (unaware that he’s changed his mind) and snaps at his father, telling him he wished he was with his mother instead of him. The Great Prince changes his mind again, deciding he’s not what’s best for Bambi, and sends him to go live with his new mother. Bambi, despite being immensely saddened, eventually accepts the change, deciding his own happiness isn’t as important as his duties as a prince.
On the way to Mena’s den, Ronno shows up to taunt Bambi one last time and the two get into another fight that sets off one of Man's traps, snaring Mena and alerting Man. While the cowardly Ronno flees Bambi saves Mena by leading the Man’s dogs away from her, as his father works to set her free. The dogs chase him through the forest, and his friends help him to fend them off. Bambi keeps them away as long as he can, using the techniques the Great Prince taught him, until the hounds corner him on top of a rocky peak. Bambi manages to escape the last one by kicking it off a cliff, but falls off as well when it crumbles beneath him. His friends and his father all grieve him until Bambi reveals he’s still alive, and he and the Great Prince reconcile.
Sometime later, Thumper shares his version of the adventure with the rest of his friends, while Bambi (whose antlers have just grown in) enjoys the tall tale with Faline. Ronno appears and vows vengeance on both of them, until he’s bitten on the nose by a snapping turtle and runs off screaming for his mother for help. The gang is unfazed by Ronno’s threat (unaware that he will indeed return in their future), and Bambi leaves to meet up with his father, who decided to raise him after all. The film ends with the two sharing a tender moment as the Great Prince shows Bambi the field where he and Bambi's mother met in childhood.
Cast
- Alexander Gould as Bambi, the young prince of the forest. His mother dies, and he has to be with his father. Andrew Collins served as the supervising animator for Bambi.
- Patrick Stewart as the Great Prince of the Forest. He is Bambi's father, and due to the death of Bambi's mother, The Great Prince is forced to be the fawn's guardian. Pieter Lommerse served as the supervising animator for the Great Prince.
- Brendon Baerg as Thumper. He and Flower are Bambi's friends who help him be brave to impress his father. Ian Harrowell served as the supervising animator for Thumper.
- Nicky Jones as Flower. He and Thumper are Bambi's friends who help him be brave to impress his father. Ian Harrowell served as the supervising animator for Flower.
- Andrea Bowen as Faline. She is Bambi's romantic interest and is part of a love triangle between Bambi and his future rival, Ronno.
- Anthony Ghannam as Ronno, Bambi's rival. He is the deer that Bambi fights in the original film. Bernard Derriman and Mark Henn served as the supervising animators for Ronno.
- Cree Summer as Mena. She is to be Bambi's adoptive mother, and is a childhood friend of Bambi's mother.
- Keith Ferguson as Friend Owl, who is told by The Great Prince to find a new mother for Bambi.
- Makenna Cowgill, Emma Rose Lima, and Ariel Winter as Thumper's sisters. They annoy Thumper, who tries to hide from them.
- Brian Pimental as The Groundhog and Porcupine. The Groundhog, timid, comes out of his hole to determine if winter will end. The Porcupine is grumpy and overprotective of his log.
- Carolyn Hennesy as Bambi's mother. She was shot by a hunter, and because of her death Bambi must be looked after by his father.
Release
While the film was a direct-to-video release in many countries, including the United States, Canada, China, Japan, and Taiwan, it was a theatrical release in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Australia and some other European countries.
The film was officially the last Disney animated movie to be released on VHS, with the exception of Disney Movie Club Exclusives.
Reception
The film sold 2.6 million DVDs in its first week in the United States. It would also later on, win an Annie Award, for Best Home Entertainment Production, at the 34th Annual Annie Awards. Reviews for it were generally mixed; it currently holds a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Soundtrack
Bambi II's musical score includes instrumental pieces by Bruce Broughton, and new vocal songs by several noted artists, including Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, and Anthony Callea. Coinciding with the film's DVD release, the soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records in the United States on February 7, 2006. Produced by Matt Walker, the CD includes nine songs from the film, as well as three tracks from Bambi. "Sing the Day" was written for the "Running Brave" sequence in Bambi II, but unused.
- "There Is Life" (Alison Krauss) â€" 2:19
- "First Sign of Spring" â€" (Michelle Lewis) â€" 3:49
- "Through Your Eyes" â€" (Martina McBride) â€" 4:07
- "The Healing of a Heart" â€" (Anthony Callea) â€" 2:43
- "Snow Flakes in the Forest" â€" (Bruce Broughton) â€" 1:40
- "Bambi's Dream" (Broughton) â€" 1:27
- "Being Brave (Part 1)" (Broughton) â€" 1:22
- "Being Brave (Part 2)" (Broughton) â€" 1:13
- "Bambi and the Great Prince/End Credit Suite" (Broughton) â€" 3:34
- "Sing the Day" (Anika Noni Rose, Harrison Chad, Marcus Carl Franklin, Leon Thomas and Chorus) â€" 1:53
- "Main Title (Love is a Song)" (Donald Novis) â€" 2:56
- "Little April Shower" (Chorus) â€" 3:54
- "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song" (Chorus) â€" 1:44
References
External links
- Official website
- Bambi II on IMDb
- Bambi II at AllMovie