Bambi Blu-ray Review

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The Disney vault reopens on March 1st! The 1942 classic Bambi has been re-released in a Diamond Blu-ray edition. This beautiful film tells the story of the young deer Bambi, who holds the highborn title of Prince of the Forest. The tale follows him from birth to young adulthood. Along the way he discovers the world around him, makes friends, encounters threats, tragedy, love and ultimately his coming of age as the son of the Great Prince of the Forest.

Bambi was the first movie I saw in the theater, back in 1975 when I was four years old. I loved it very much, relating to the young characters and subconsciously reveling in the beautiful art that is the animation in this film. Like many young children, I was a bit stunned by the death of Bambi’s mother, the first death in a Disney picture. However, this jarring moment helped seal the movie into my young memory for decades to come.

If you have somehow managed to pass through life without seeing Bambi, it is, of course, well worth your time. The film is only about 70 minutes in length, but the depth of quality makes it feel much longer and significant. Certainly one of the greatest animated movies of all time, Bambi should be a must-see within your lifetime.

MPAA Rating: G
Running Time: 70 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: March 1, 2011

* * *

Blu-ray and DVD Features

Once again, Disney has done a fabulous job in this presentation of Bambi. The images both on the DVD and Blu-ray are gorgeous, crisp and clean. They really have done justice to this fine animation. The Diamond Edition DVD/Blu-ray set comes with the following special features:

Navigational Overview: I wish all videos with a large number of special features would include this “map” of all the available items on the discs. It outlines everything that has been included so that you can not only find what you’re looking for, but you can also keep track of the features you’ve completed. I love this simple tool!

On the DVD:

• The standard feature
• A short introduction of the film by Diane Disney Miller
• Inside Walt’s Story Meetings – Enhanced Edition (more on this later)
• DisneyPedia – Bambi’s Forest Friends

On the Blu-ray:

• The standard feature
• Diane Disney Miller intro
• Inside Walt’s Story Meetings – Enhanced Edition (also under Backstage Disney)
• Disney Second Screen (Sync your laptop or iPad for additional content during the film. Also available under Backstage Disney.)
• Disney View – Bambi is not presented in the standard widescreen format. It appears as a literal rectangle, with a 1.33:1 aspect ratio margin all the way around the screen. In Disney View, the film is presented with lovely art in this margin area. These watercolor images relate directly to the mood of the scene they are in. Artist Lisa Keene has done a fabulous job capturing the feeling of the piece within her work. It encloses the film almost as matting does in a framed piece of artwork.
• Disney FastPlay – Remembers personal preferences and where you are in the play list.
• Family Play Features:
  Disney’s Big Book of Knowledge– Bambi Edition
  Bonus features from other past Bambi releases:

• The Making of Bambi: A Prince is Born
• Tricks of the Trade—Excerpt
• Inside the Disney Archives
• Deleted Scenes – “Winter Grass” and “Bambi’s First Snow”

• Backstage Disney:
  Deleted Scenes – “Two Leaves” and “Bambi Stuck on a Reed”
  Deleted Song – “Twitterpated”
  Interactive Galleries

• The following are NOT included in this Blu-Ray/DVD set, but are on the 2005 DVD release:
  Game: The Forest Adventure
  What’s Your Season? Personality Profile
  Disney Storytime: Thumper Goes Exploring
  Virtual Forest
  Restoring Bambi
  Disney Time Capsule: 1942: The Year of Bambi
  The Art of Bambi
  The Old Mill Animated Short (1937)
  Original Theatrical Trailer

As you can see, this set has much to offer for Bambi fans, both new and old. My favorite special feature is the Inside Walt’s Story Meetings option. It’s almost like a commentary and a movie-length featurette all in one. There’s always something sharing the screen with the movie, but not in an obtrusive way. It’s certainly something to enjoy only after you’ve seen Bambi, as the audio of the film itself is frequently obscured by the special feature’s soundtrack. There are times when images, text and video clips share the screen with the movie, and other times when the feature completely pulls out of the movie to discuss a particular issue. It’s all done in a very classy, artistic way and was extremely enjoyable. This option is available on both the DVD and Blu-ray, but the latter has an even more in-depth evaluation of the film.

Once again, Disney has brought a product that is not only enjoyable, but is high-quality and innovative. This new edition of Bambi is a must for any fan’s collection and is certainly worth the investment. Disney’s animated symphony of art, music and story is a treasure, receiving the treatment that certainly deserves.

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Posted by Laura Hartness on Feb 25 2011. Filed under Blu-ray Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry