| Bambi II | |
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DVD Cover |
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| Directed by | Brian Pimental |
| Produced by | Jim Ballantine Jeffrey Moznett Dave Okey |
| Screenplay by | Alicia Kirk |
| Story by | Brian Pimental Jeanne Rosenberg |
| Based on | Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten |
| Starring |
Alexander Gould 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 (Argentina) February 7, 2006 (United States) |
| Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United States Argentina |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $34,958,637[1] |
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 instalments 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.
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After his mother is killed by hunters, Bambi (voiced by Alexander Gould) follows his father, the Great Prince of the Forest (Patrick Stewart), to his den. The Great Prince asks Friend Owl (Keith Ferguson) to find a doe to raise Bambi, but Friend Owl points out that due to the harsh winter the does can barely care for themselves. The Great Prince has no choice but to look after Bambi until the spring.
One morning, 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. While walking, Bambi tells Thumper that he and the Great Prince are "best pals," though Bambi has doubts about the Great Prince's affection. At the ceremony, the nervous Groundhog (Brian Pimental) is eventually coaxed out of his hole, only to be scared back in again by Ronno (Anthony Ghannam), an antagonistic fawn slightly older than Bambi. The other animals leave, and Bambi falls asleep while waiting for the Great Prince to return.
Bambi dreams about his mother, who nuzzles him and assures him with the words "I'm here." As the dream fades, Bambi continues to hear her voice saying "I'm here," which confuses him. He finds the source of the words in a meadow, but discovers that it was one of Man's tricks. The Great Prince rescues Bambi and is furious that his son fell for the trick. The Great Prince leaves to reflect on the situation, and finds Friend Owl. The Great Prince notes that winter is ending and that Friend Owl should have no trouble finding a doe to be Bambi's new mother.
The next morning, the Great Prince tells Bambi to stay in the den where it's safe. Bambi is crestfallen, telling Thumper and Flower that he wants his father to see how brave he is. Bambi, Thumper and Flower practice being brave while walking through the forest until they come to a log guarded by a grumpy porcupine. Bambi attempts to be brave and confronts the porcupine, resulting in quills in Bambi's rear. As Thumper pulls the quills out, Bambi yelps in pain, alerting the nearby Faline (Andrea Bowen) and Ronno. Bambi accidentally headbutts Ronno which causes Ronno to furiously chase him. In desperation, Bambi leaps over a large chasm. The Great Prince arrives and criticizes Bambi for not staying at the den, but admits he is impressed that Bambi made the jump. Bambi tells Thumper that the Great Prince has been standing around and contemplating a lot. After some encouragement from Thumper, Bambi asks the Great Prince about his duties as Prince and bonds with him over the conversation.
One morning as Bambi and the Great Prince play, Friend Owl arrives with Mena (Cree Summer), the doe he has found to be Bambi's new mother. The Great Prince now seemingly regrets the decision to pass on his parenting duties, but resolves to do so despite Bambi's protestations. On the way to his new home, Bambi fights with Ronno, causing Mena to stumble backwards into a hunter's trap. As the hunting dogs approach, Ronno runs and Bambi does too at first, but decides to be brave instead and distract the dogs. With some help from Thumper and Flower, Bambi manages to drive off all of the dogs. The Great Prince arrives and is pleased with his son, but as Bambi goes to meet him, the cliff crumbles beneath him. The Great Prince finds Bambi's seemingly lifeless body at the bottom of the cliff and nuzzles him, crying. Bambi wakes up and father and son share a poignant moment.
A while later, Thumper tells the exaggerated story of how Bambi defeated the dogs. Bambi arrives, now with a pair of antlers starting to grow in and without his spots. The porcupine pricks Bambi's legs with his quills, causing Bambi to leap forward and accidentally kiss Faline. Ronno arrives and swears revenge, but steps on a turtle and is bitten on the nose, making him run away, screaming for his mother. Bambi leaves as his father is calling him. The Great Prince takes Bambi to a forest glade, saying that this was the place where he first met Bambi's mother. Bambi asks what the Great Prince was like when he was Bambi's age, and the Great Prince says that he was a lot like Bambi.
While the film was a direct-to-video release in many countries, including the United States, Japan, Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, it was a theatrical release in the United Kingdom, France, 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.[2]
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.[3]
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