Plot Details: This opinion reveals everything about the movie's plot.

. . . but really wasn't. I will not give away too much plot here, but will address six aspects of this DVD: the themes addressed, the level of anthropomorphism, the technical quality, the target age-level, the special features, and the music.

There is no real plot, as in a linear beginning-middle-end story-line sense, and the movie instead is more of a slice-of-life story that focuses on two themes. Theme one is Bambi's father, voiced superbly by Patrick Stewart, trying to figure how to become a good single parent, get closer to his son (instead of overfocusing on teaching him to be the Young Prince), and enjoy life, along with being responsible. This theme is very well done, as far as I'm concerned.

The second theme is the true meaning of courage, and a rivalry between Bambi and another fawn, Ronno (who tries too hard to impress everyone and comes off as a bully) is the showcase for that, with Thumper giving interesting advice. This theme was launched, but remains unfinished, and might be the basis for the next sequel (my guess).

While the original Bambi contains a high level of anthropomorphism (attributing human qualities to animals), Bambi II goes one step further, including several errors in depicting animal behaviors that go beyond anthropomorphism to the edge of absurdity (e.g., a downy baby duck coming in for a landing right beside his/her parents, an opossum family "playing possum" as if on cue, all the animals gathering to see if the groundhog would see his shadow). If another sequel is planned, consulting an ethologist is highly recommended.

The technical quality of the film was high. They matched the lush colors of the original, and almost matched the level of detail, although some of the backgrounds were too fuzzy. Computer-generated graphics has not quite matched oil paintings, that were the basis for the backgrounds in the original film.

The target audience for the original was children, but the film found some appeal to many adults. Bambi II is aimed at children, and hits that target squarely, but is likely to have less appeal to adults, in my opinion. The story-lines are likable, but simple.

The special features include interviews with three of the stars (the perfectly-cast Patrick Stewart as the Prince, Alexander Gould as Bambi, and Brendon Baerg as the irrepressible Thumper), information on how the animators figured how to draw deer and rabbits, a hide-and-seek game featuring Thumper, and educational tags.

The music was likely my least favorite aspect of the film. The background musical score was fine, but the songs were too Pollyanna and light for me.

So, does Bambi II match the original? In my opinion, it does not. Bambi is a moment of movie magic that still stands as some of the most beautiful animation ever done, with a powerful story.

Is Bambi II a good movie for kids? Yes, it is. And, watch out for porcupines.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4

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