Movie review - "Bambi" (1942) ***1/2

Fascinating to see down the years how much this influenced The Lion King - it starts with the birth of a prince, follows his adventures with some other cute animals including his future wife, involves loss against a foe, then a comeback. It some ways Bambi is a more grown up than less satisying film than The Lion King, which has a specific villain - the villain here in unseen Man. This is a pretty full on film, with man shooting down a bird, then Bambi's mum, then unleashing hounds on Bambi and causing a fire which destroys a forest. Would such a film get past the more politicised NRA today? These sequences give the film its' power - the moments of Bambi's mother's death and the final fire and dog sequence are deserved classics. For the rest, despite loving animation, it gets a bit weary at times - as Neal Gabler pointed out, there is not so much a story as a cycle. Its pretty and beautiful and all that, Thumber is engaging as is Flower. Mostly dated in the songs on the soundtrack in that early 40s harmony style. I like the way Bambi's dad has nothing to do with his son while he's growing up - when Bambi is born, dad is just standing on the cliff top looking studly.