Bambi II

Bambi II
DVD Cover
Directed by	Brian Pimental
Produced by	Jim Ballantine Jeffrey Moznett Dave Okey
Screenplay by	Alicia Kirk
Story by	Brian Pimental Jeanne Rosenberg
Based on	Characters created  by Felix Salten
Starring	Alexander Gould Patrick Stewart Brendon Baerg Nicky Jones Andrea Bowen Anthony Ghannam Cree Summer Keith Ferguson Makenna Cowgill Emma Rose Lima Ariel Winter Brian Pimental Carolyn Hennesy Mary Day Alexis Restrum
Music by	Bruce Broughton
Editing by	Jeremy Milton Mark Solomon
Studio	DisneyToon Studios
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures
Release date(s)	January 26, 2006 (2006-01-26) (Argentina) February 7, 2006 (2006-02-07) (United States)
Running time	72 minutes
Country	United States Argentina
Language	English
Box office	$34,958,637

Bambi II is a 2006 Disney animated feature directed by Brian Pimental 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.

The film is a midquel, the story taking 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

The film begins shortly after Bambi's mother dies. After leading his son home, Bambi's father—the Great Prince of the Forest—feeling unable to parent, asks Friend Owl to find a doe interested in adopting Bambi. Owl agrees, leaving the Great Prince to raise Bambi until spring.

The following day is Groundhog Day, and Bambi is invited by his friends to the annual tradition of watching the groundhog emerge from his den. The groundhog emerges signalling the early arrival of spring. The animals celebrate, until a young buck named Ronno arrives and gloats about confronting hunters (Man), challenging Bambi to a fight. The children's parents soon arrive to take them home, ending the fight between Ronno and Bambi. As Bambi waits for his father to arrive he falls asleep and dreams about his mother. Bambi is awakened by a hunter's deer call and is lured to a grassy field, believing that his mother has is still alive and calling him. Bambi is chased by a pack of hunting dogs but The Great Prince arrives and chases the dogs away. The Great Prince is disappointed in his son for not running when he was told to, and Bambi vows to be braver.

Thumper and Flower, Bambi's friends, try to help Bambi by teaching him to be more frightening than his fears. As the three roam through the forest, they find a porcupine that attacks Bambi for trespassing into his home. Bambi is covered with quills and is embarrassed in front of Faline, his romantic interest, and Ronno, who taunts Bambi for his cowardice in front of the hunting dogs. Ronno and Bambi fight but Bambi leaps across a pair of grassy cliffs and escapes, for which his father praises his son. Bambi is encouraged to continue practicing with his strength, and the Great Prince starts to spend more quality time with him. As the two grow more attached, Friend Owl introduces Bambi and his father to a doe named Mena, who offers to adopt Bambi. After Bambi bids his friends farewell and leaves with Mena, Ronno appears and teases him again. Antagonized, Bambi brawls, but Mena's leg is caught in a hunter's trap, attracting the attention of another pack of hunting dogs. Bambi runs off for help and soon encounters his father, who frees Mena, and Bambi flees to a grassy meadow. Trailed by dogs, Bambi escapes and with the assistance of his friends and is reunited with his father on a rocky cliff. The rocks collapse beneath Bambi's weight, leaving him lying unconscious in the grass and seemingly dead. The Great Prince, fearing his son to have perished, is overjoyed when Bambi revives and takes the fawn back into his care.

Weeks after, Thumper recounts the tale of Bambi's bravery to the other woodland animals, and Bambi has now sprouted small antlers. The Great Prince leads Bambi to a butterfly-filled glen, where he reveals that this was where he met Bambi's mother.

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.

Reception

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 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 mixed to positive; it currently holds a 56% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As major studios continue to phase out VHS, this was officially the last Disney animated movie to be released on VHS.^{[citation needed]}

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.

1. "There Is Life" (Alison Krauss) – 2:19
2. "First Sign of Spring" – (Michelle Lewis) – 3:49
3. "Through Your Eyes" – (Martina McBride) – 4:07
4. "The Healing of a Heart" – (Anthony Callea) – 2:43
5. "Snow Flakes in the Forest" – (Bruce Broughton) – 1:40
6. "Bambi's Dream (Broughton) – 1:27
7. "Being Brave (Part 1) (Broughton) – 1:22
8. "Being Brave (Part 2) (Broughton) – 1:13
9. "Bambi and the Great Prince/End Credit Suite" (Broughton) – 3:34
10. "Sing the Day" (Various) – 1:53
11. "Main Title (Love is a Song)" (Donald Novis) – 2:56
12. "Little April Shower" (Chorus) – 3:54
13. "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song" (Chorus) – 1:44

External links

• Bambi II at the Internet Movie Database
• Bambi II at AllRovi