Parents' Guide to

Bambi

By Betsy Wallace, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Disney's original circle-of-life story.

Movie G 1942 70 minutes
Bambi Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 12 parent reviews

doctora
doctora Parent of 6-year-old
August 14, 2022
age 8+

The mother's death scene traumatized me as a 5/6 year old...crying uncontrollably.

I saw this film in the theatre when I was about 6 years old. It was traumatizing. I cried uncontrollably for a long time. When I watched it again to prove to my mother that it was indeed a traumatizing film for a young person I was reminded on how beautiful the animation is and how the film does not specify on a specific villain, but enlists all of "man" as being the enemy of nature. The songs although not plentiful are delightful. The parts that I thought were "the worst" was the depiction of couples and coupling in the film. It is forced, over the top and frankly just silly. But the animation...yeesh...the animation is gorgeous, they don't make them like this anymore.
Nick in NH
Nick in NH Parent of 7-year-old
July 16, 2017
age 7+

Bambi is a timeless classic - and deservedly so...

Bambi is not for young youngsters, our son could not have watched this at age 5 or even 6, but now as he is approaching 8 he has a better ability to feel empathy for the characters while also being simultaneously aware that they are not real and taking it too much to heart. The story is just as I remember it, great messages, great themes and great characters (Thumper!). It's not as frenetic or quick paced as many of today's kids movies...which was very welcome by our whole family. We don't love the ADD aspect of many types of kid's media these days (it's exhausting!)...and our son has given it rave reviews even though it was less exciting than Big Hero 6, for example.
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What's the Story?

Based on the 1928 children's book by Felix Salten, BAMBI came out in 1942 and was heavily influenced by the making of Snow White, Fantasia, and Pinocchio, borrowing elements from preceding Disney features while pushing animation to a new level of realism and drama. Told more with music and animation than dialogue, the story is a simple one of forest creatures who play and live joyfully even as they fight to survive. At the center of the story is wide-eyed deer Bambi, who must find a way to endure after hunters kill his mother. Supported by his friends, Thumper (a rabbit) and Flower (a skunk), Bambi faces the dangers of the forest, woos a delicate doe named Faline, and eventually grows into a strong buck and a leader of the forest.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12 ):
Kids say (39 ):

Many fine artistic choices add grace and elegance to a film that hasn't lost its impact in nearly 70 years. Supervised by Walt Disney himself, the animators closely studied the movement and anatomy of real animals, working for six years to perfect the personalities of the characters and find just the right children's voices for them. No people actually appear in Bambi, but they're instead the unseen menace. Symphonic and choral pieces accompany the animation, which might seem odd to kids today who are used to Disney characters breaking into song-and-dance numbers.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how people can respect and protect nature. Kids may indeed be awakened to the wonders of nature after seeing Bambi, and may delight in a walk in a real forest or a trip to the petting zoo.

  • Talk about the impact of the mother's death in the movie. Why do you think the writers made the choice to include this element in the story? Does it help the movie's message?

  • What is the movie's message?

  • How does Bambi promote curiosity? Why is this an important character strength?

Movie Details

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