The Second Disney Prince in Disguise: Bambi

Oh, how simple life must’ve been in 1942. So much nature to draw inspiration from while writing stories that can put people to sleep for generations to come. If you are a Bambi lover, I suggest you turn back now. I tried watching it when I was a child and unapologetically shut it off after about ten minutes. The same thing almost happened again when I watched it in its entirety as a sleepy-eyed adult. Now in 2023, as I sit on my couch typing this intro away before continuing past the five-minute mark, I have the same urge to shut it off and go do anything else with my day. I don’t mean to sound so rude and borderline cynical towards a Disney movie, but there must be a reason why, out of all the Disney fans I know, only one or two people have watched Bambi from beginning to end. But because it is one of the firsts, and because there is a Bambi II later on this massive list, we must push forward. My friends, I give you my honest take on this missed opportunity, Disney’s Bambi.

Highlights

· Bambi is the second Disney Prince, not Charming.

· Thumper is the inspiration for Turk from Tarzan.

· It’s a movie of beautiful and simple animation that’s watered down by lack of story.

· Both Lion King and Pocahontas drew inspiration from this movie for themes and captivating animation tactics.

Let’s Make This One Quick Because It's Not What I Expected...

While I loved the entire scene of “Little April Showers” immensely, that doesn’t make up for all my growing questions about this movie. So, apparently, the second Disney Prince is Bambi. Also, y’all thought I wouldn’t notice that you took an entire scene out of this movie and stuck it in Tarzan? And I thought Bambi’s mom getting shot was going to be the most interesting part of today's feature. As much as I love Turkina, Thumper can take a long walk off a short cliff. I could see Disney’s love for nature in this movie and the not-so-subtle message that “Man is upsetting the balance” was also a big theme.

Maybe I dislike this movie so much because the entire point of Bambi is to show what happens when you grow up as well as the cycle of life. You’re cute and naïve, then you learn about the world. It’s NOT what you thought and bad things happen like your mother dying. Then you get all hormonal and twitterpated. Sometimes you have to fight hard for the ones you wanna fuck, I mean love. And then once you’ve proven yourself in some heroic, glorious way, you get to be king of the forest. For those that have never seen Bambi, let me paint you a brief but potent picture of this entire hour and fourteen-minute movie.

A Day in the Life of a Prince

You spend the first fifteen minutes watching Bambi go from happy baby to talking toddler and make some adorable friends in town. Then they go to the meadow for the first time. Bambi is over here skippin’ and hollerin’ around like they’re at home unaware of the dangers. First of all, why didn’t his mother warn him of the dangers BEFORE they got to the meadow? Like boy, shut up before you get us all killed! Then, with the ominous warning of a frog, Bambi meets the love of his life for the first time. She’s a forceful little thing by the way. Like a kid who’s eaten way too much candy and got sent to run around on the playground just to get them out of their parent’s face. Then they all almost get killed because Bambi’s over here being a dumbass instead of being with his momma and he learns about Man. Then winter comes and it's fun at first. But Bambi soon learns that winter sucks and as soon as he tastes his first real meal of fresh grass in weeks, his mother gets shot and he’s sent to live with his father. Many seasons pass, and Bambi returns home looking like a strapping young teen with antlers. The speech Friend Owl gives about falling in love had me hollerin’, especially when all three teen boys say that “That will never happen to me”, only to go and get twitterpated five seconds later. You got the original version of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” featuring Bambi and Faline the Doe play out and, let’s be honest, the entire forest was fucking in that scene because after all the drama with the fire and the dogs, spring blooms once more and the new, new prince born along with Thumper and Flower’s respective children. The camera pans to Bambi standing proud on the same random, distant hill with his father. His father steps down and Bambi steps forward, making him the new Great Prince.

Missed Opportunities All Over the Place!

What burns me up the most about this movie is that it had such potential to be a real royal story. The animation is beautiful, and the characters have merit. Bambi’s dad, the Great Prince of the Forest, is so regal. The setup was there! We could’ve even had someone that was on par with Mufasa. Simba would’ve had a companion in the “I may have fucked up and got my parent killed” club. Even Friend Owl and Zazu could’ve been friends. Missed opportunities for the Disney Universe.

On a side note, the creators of The Lion King and Pocahontas had to have drawn immense inspiration for this movie, as I saw shadows of them dance throughout various scenes of the forest.

I’m not gonna lie but this is a mid-tier movie. Not because the visuals aren’t beautiful or the characters aren’t cute, but because the story itself is lukewarm as fuck. It’s literally just the hero’s journey mixed in with the circle of life. I get that Walt and his team worked really hard back in the day to color every cell and draw every eyelash, but I’m spoiled by the Renaissance Era and even the Era before that. As a storyteller, I’d say that the visuals are the best part of this entire movie because that was their goal in the first place. Not story or dialogue but telling any kind of story through moving pictures that wowed the people at the Nickelodeons or the picture houses on that silver screen. Cue the jazz hands and don’t forget to wiggle that finger, because it doesn't sound too far off from what they're doing right now. If only they could be inspired by the past to make something NEW! But I digress.

For what it’s worth, this movie was cute. Definitely a good movie to show a baby or toddler until, you know the, um, death part and the um, sex part. Even then you’re just gearing them up for life, which is all this movie is at the end of the day. Passing on the baton to the next buck in line for the throne after they have survived the trials of life. Bambi can be found on Disney+. I look forward to seeing you soon in whatever form I appear. Until next time.

About the Author

Crystal Cabrae is a storyteller who specializes in writing dystopian, romantic, and adventurous worlds for animation and fantastical fiction. She is a proud graduate of Full Sail University, AMDA, and New World School of the Arts. Her six years of acting training in both New York and Miami gives her a unique perspective when approaching her characters. She has a passion for sharing how to create stories with the world and inspiring the storyteller that lives within all of us. Follow her on IG or Pinterest to know the latest.