The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
84
Studio and Year: Disney - 1942
MPAA Rating: G
Feature running time: 70 minutes
Genre: Family/Animation
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.37:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1, French/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, resorted original theatrical soundtrack
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Directed by: David D. Hand
Music by: Frank Churchhill & Edward Plumb
Written by: Larry Morely adapted from the story by Felix Salten
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 1, 2011
"Love is a song that never ends"
Film Synopsis:
As morning light breaks across the meadow, a young deer named Bambi is born and hailed as ‘Prince of the Forest.’ Soon Bambi emerges from the thicket on wobbly legs, much to the delight of his new friends, Thumper, the playful rabbit, and Flower, the bashful yet lovable skunk. But the fun of nibbling on fresh blossoms and frolicking through the woods is only the beginning. Exploring his new world, and guided by the wisdom of Friend Owl, Bambi learns valuable life lessons with every adventure – experiencing the power of friendship, family, and love along the away.
My Take:
Bambi is Walt Disney’s fifth full length animated feature and is an endearing tale about a young prince of the forest who valuable life-lessons about the value of friendship, love, loss and the miracle of life. This is a classic film told from a coming of age perspective which crosses genre lines. I haven’t seen it in years but could help but feel as though today it would make for a great public service announcement for the preservation of forest wildlife (“man is in the woods!”). The cuteness factor runs high (as Disney does so well) and there are some suspenseful and moving moments. The “April showers” segment is a personal favorite and the integration of the music in the story’s telling is beautifully crafted. Bambi has easily stood the test of time and like many of Disney’s films has touched generations of viewers over the nearly 70 years since its release.
Disney is a class act with an impeccable track record for wonderful family oriented films. This Diamond Edition home video release of Bambi is another example of their long standing dedication to offering quality home video releases. They, like several studios, have shown a fervent commitment to the Blu-ray format. Disney high definition Blu-ray discs have consistently been technically impressive as well as providing worthwhile bonus supplements. I appreciate the attention to detail and implemented features such as their enhanced menu navigation, BD-Live features/interactivity, Movie Rewards, Fast play, the inclusion of a DVD version of the film in the multi-disc Blu-ray release packages, and in this case their Story Meetings-Enhanced Edition feature which is innovative and just plain cool. Let’s not forget their willingness to digitally restore their films and bring them to life in a way that doesn’t negate the original elements. This is a great way for everyone to experience them all over again or perhaps for the first time.
Here is a little background on the making of the film from Disney’s press release:
BAMBI was Walt Disney’s fifth animated full-length feature film which released in 1942 during World War II and took approximately five years in the making due to the exquisite artwork and attention to detail of each and every scene, character and figure. The artwork itself was created by some of the legendary “nine old men,” including Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl and Eric Larson and in order to achieve the film’s unprecedented level of realism, animators modeled anatomical studies using live animals (including a pair of fawns named Bambi and Faline) and imbued each with a uniquely endearing personality. Bambi’s delightful forest home received the same painstaking attention to detail, as background artists painted hundreds of landscapes based on extensive field research and nature photographs. Walt Disney broke the longstanding animation tradition by casting child actors in the roles of Bambi’s young animals, including Bobby Stewart as Baby Bambi, Donnie Dunagan as Young Bambi, Hardie Albright as Adolescent Bambi and Peter Behn as Young Thumper. The cast also includes Sam Edwards as Adult Thumper, John Sutherland as Adult Bambi, Paula Winslowe as Bambi’s Mother and Sterling Holloway (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and The Jungle Book’s Kaa, the snake) as Adult Flower.
This Diamond Edition Blu-ray comes in the standard style case and includes a Blu-ray guide insert, Disney Movie Rewards code, and bonus DVD of the film. Blu-ray Disc has come a long way in the last year or so. We are beginning to see what the format is capable of and from what I can see Disney is looking toward the future by providing high quality releases that will hopefully solidify the place of this great medium. I am thrilled that this masterpiece has finally arrived in high definition. I can assure you that the wait was well worth it.
Parental Guide:
Parental Guide:
This film is appropriate for all ages.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 78
Video: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Bambi comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 23 Mbps and lossy DTS-HD 7.1 High Resolution audio that has a constant bitrate of 2 mbps.
This film has undergone a restorative process to clean up the original print and the results are impressive. Colors shine brilliantly with pleasing saturation and striking hues that look absolutely beautiful. The 1.37:1 framed video is pillarboxed in black however Disney offers the option of viewing it via their Disney view option where the pillarboxes feature custom artwork. The original film elements don’t have the highly polished resolution of today’s digitally enhanced animated films but fidelity remains intact as image quality is simply beautiful. Blacks don’t have an infinite sense of depth but they are solid black and stand out well when onscreen with mixed content. Dark scenes have excellent contrast with discernible gradational stages and delineated color within backgrounds. The sequence where Bambi duels for the courtship of Faline is a good example of this. Whites sparkle and appear crisp, bright and punchy. I don’t think that we as fans could ask for this film to look any better than this.
Disney provides a lossy DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1 channel surround mix (the first I have seen) which naturally retains much of the feel of the original soundtrack. The main focus is in the front with superb music score spread over the entire soundstage. The four surround channels are mixed a bit lower than the mains so that frontal perspective remained intact while providing a discernible amount of spatiality that added dimension. There were one or two moments that engaged the subwoofer and provided tactile low frequency energy but nothing that I would define as substantial. I think that the mix was appropriate in that it didn’t feel disingenuous to the original soundtrack while adding a bit of polish. The audio was crystal clear and free of the edginess that sometimes accompanies older recordings. I didn’t feel it sounded compressed or dynamically inferior which says something for the restoration process. Obviously this isn’t a new recording but considering it was made nearly70 years ago it sounded very good indeed.
Edit: While I have no problems with the quality of this audio presentation I find the lack of lossless sound to be concerning. Disney has always supported high resolution lossless audio on their Blu-ray Disc releases and it is my hope that this isn't a precursor of things to come.
Bonus Features:
Final Thoughts:
Bambi is one of the most beloved of the Disney Classic animated feature films. Seeing it again after so many years brought back fond childhood memories. Kudos to Disney on a spectacular Blu-ray Disc offering that presents this wonderful family film looking and sounding better than ever. Its complimentary set of bonus materials includes exclusive Blu-ray and interactive features that present fans with a great way to enhance the high definition experience while taking a peek behind the curtain to learn some interesting background on the film. This excellent Blu-ray release will make for a welcomed addition to your Disney Collection and comes highly recommended.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS50 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Samsung BD-C7900 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Better Cables, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )
Film:
Extras:
Audio/Video total rating:
( Max score: 100 )
84
Studio and Year: Disney - 1942
MPAA Rating: G
Feature running time: 70 minutes
Genre: Family/Animation
Disc Format: BD-50
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.37:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1, French/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, resorted original theatrical soundtrack
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Directed by: David D. Hand
Music by: Frank Churchhill & Edward Plumb
Written by: Larry Morely adapted from the story by Felix Salten
Region Code: A,B,C
Blu-ray Disc release Date: March 1, 2011
"Love is a song that never ends"
Film Synopsis:
As morning light breaks across the meadow, a young deer named Bambi is born and hailed as ‘Prince of the Forest.’ Soon Bambi emerges from the thicket on wobbly legs, much to the delight of his new friends, Thumper, the playful rabbit, and Flower, the bashful yet lovable skunk. But the fun of nibbling on fresh blossoms and frolicking through the woods is only the beginning. Exploring his new world, and guided by the wisdom of Friend Owl, Bambi learns valuable life lessons with every adventure – experiencing the power of friendship, family, and love along the away.
My Take:
Bambi is Walt Disney’s fifth full length animated feature and is an endearing tale about a young prince of the forest who valuable life-lessons about the value of friendship, love, loss and the miracle of life. This is a classic film told from a coming of age perspective which crosses genre lines. I haven’t seen it in years but could help but feel as though today it would make for a great public service announcement for the preservation of forest wildlife (“man is in the woods!”). The cuteness factor runs high (as Disney does so well) and there are some suspenseful and moving moments. The “April showers” segment is a personal favorite and the integration of the music in the story’s telling is beautifully crafted. Bambi has easily stood the test of time and like many of Disney’s films has touched generations of viewers over the nearly 70 years since its release.
Disney is a class act with an impeccable track record for wonderful family oriented films. This Diamond Edition home video release of Bambi is another example of their long standing dedication to offering quality home video releases. They, like several studios, have shown a fervent commitment to the Blu-ray format. Disney high definition Blu-ray discs have consistently been technically impressive as well as providing worthwhile bonus supplements. I appreciate the attention to detail and implemented features such as their enhanced menu navigation, BD-Live features/interactivity, Movie Rewards, Fast play, the inclusion of a DVD version of the film in the multi-disc Blu-ray release packages, and in this case their Story Meetings-Enhanced Edition feature which is innovative and just plain cool. Let’s not forget their willingness to digitally restore their films and bring them to life in a way that doesn’t negate the original elements. This is a great way for everyone to experience them all over again or perhaps for the first time.
Here is a little background on the making of the film from Disney’s press release:
BAMBI was Walt Disney’s fifth animated full-length feature film which released in 1942 during World War II and took approximately five years in the making due to the exquisite artwork and attention to detail of each and every scene, character and figure. The artwork itself was created by some of the legendary “nine old men,” including Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl and Eric Larson and in order to achieve the film’s unprecedented level of realism, animators modeled anatomical studies using live animals (including a pair of fawns named Bambi and Faline) and imbued each with a uniquely endearing personality. Bambi’s delightful forest home received the same painstaking attention to detail, as background artists painted hundreds of landscapes based on extensive field research and nature photographs. Walt Disney broke the longstanding animation tradition by casting child actors in the roles of Bambi’s young animals, including Bobby Stewart as Baby Bambi, Donnie Dunagan as Young Bambi, Hardie Albright as Adolescent Bambi and Peter Behn as Young Thumper. The cast also includes Sam Edwards as Adult Thumper, John Sutherland as Adult Bambi, Paula Winslowe as Bambi’s Mother and Sterling Holloway (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and The Jungle Book’s Kaa, the snake) as Adult Flower.
This Diamond Edition Blu-ray comes in the standard style case and includes a Blu-ray guide insert, Disney Movie Rewards code, and bonus DVD of the film. Blu-ray Disc has come a long way in the last year or so. We are beginning to see what the format is capable of and from what I can see Disney is looking toward the future by providing high quality releases that will hopefully solidify the place of this great medium. I am thrilled that this masterpiece has finally arrived in high definition. I can assure you that the wait was well worth it.
Parental Guide:
Parental Guide:
This film is appropriate for all ages.
AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65
**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
Audio: 78
- Dynamics:
- Low frequency extension:
- Surround Sound presentation:
- Clarity/Detail:
- Dialogue Reproduction:
Video: 90
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)
- Resolution/Clarity:
- Black level/Shadow detail:
- Color reproduction:
- Fleshtones:
- Compression:
Bambi comes to Blu-ray Disc from Disney featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 23 Mbps and lossy DTS-HD 7.1 High Resolution audio that has a constant bitrate of 2 mbps.
This film has undergone a restorative process to clean up the original print and the results are impressive. Colors shine brilliantly with pleasing saturation and striking hues that look absolutely beautiful. The 1.37:1 framed video is pillarboxed in black however Disney offers the option of viewing it via their Disney view option where the pillarboxes feature custom artwork. The original film elements don’t have the highly polished resolution of today’s digitally enhanced animated films but fidelity remains intact as image quality is simply beautiful. Blacks don’t have an infinite sense of depth but they are solid black and stand out well when onscreen with mixed content. Dark scenes have excellent contrast with discernible gradational stages and delineated color within backgrounds. The sequence where Bambi duels for the courtship of Faline is a good example of this. Whites sparkle and appear crisp, bright and punchy. I don’t think that we as fans could ask for this film to look any better than this.
Disney provides a lossy DTS-HD High Resolution 7.1 channel surround mix (the first I have seen) which naturally retains much of the feel of the original soundtrack. The main focus is in the front with superb music score spread over the entire soundstage. The four surround channels are mixed a bit lower than the mains so that frontal perspective remained intact while providing a discernible amount of spatiality that added dimension. There were one or two moments that engaged the subwoofer and provided tactile low frequency energy but nothing that I would define as substantial. I think that the mix was appropriate in that it didn’t feel disingenuous to the original soundtrack while adding a bit of polish. The audio was crystal clear and free of the edginess that sometimes accompanies older recordings. I didn’t feel it sounded compressed or dynamically inferior which says something for the restoration process. Obviously this isn’t a new recording but considering it was made nearly70 years ago it sounded very good indeed.
Edit: While I have no problems with the quality of this audio presentation I find the lack of lossless sound to be concerning. Disney has always supported high resolution lossless audio on their Blu-ray Disc releases and it is my hope that this isn't a precursor of things to come.
Bonus Features:
- Inside Walt’s Story Meetings-Enhanced Edition - A fascinating, multi-tiered, in film interactive story-telling experience. Go back in time with dramatic voice re-enactments of the moments with Walt that led to the creation of this classic film.
- (HD) 2 never before seen deleted scenes – Bambi Stuck on a reed & Two leaves
- (HD) Deleted song: “Twitterpated”
- (HD) Bambi interactive photo galleries
- Disney’s Big Book of knowledge: Bambi Edition - An interactive educational gaming experience that uses the film as a learning tool. Players can customize their own Big Book of Knowledge and learn all about forest creatures, seasons and more! Each time a player completes a task, they are rewarded with new stickers to decorate their Big Book of Knowledge.
- Classic DVD Bonus Features:
- The Making Of BAMBI: A Prince Is Born - A comprehensive look at the making of BAMBI covers the story, the characters, the actors, the art design, the music and the history of Walt Disney’s classic film using behind the scenes footage, production stills, animation, artwork and multiple interviews with performers and behind the scenes participants.
- Tricks of the Trade (excerpt) - In an episode from the 1957 Disneyland TV show, Walt narrates the story of the multiplane camera, an animation innovation crucial to the production of BAMBI.
- Inside the Disney Archives - Disney Supervising Animator Andreas Deja guides viewers through Disney’s Animation Research Library, where artwork from past Disney animated feature films is stored, including early story sketches of Bobo the rabbit,” (who became Thumper), glass paintings made for the multiplane camera and more.
- The old mill Winner of the 1937 Academy Award® for Best Short Subject/Cartoon, The Old Mill was a testing ground for several techniques critical to Walt’s artistic vision for BAMBI, including the multiplane camera, animating realistic animals and experimenting with such natural occurrences such as wind, rain and lightning.
- Classic deleted scenes – Winter grass & Bambi’s first snow
- Original theatrical trailer
- Playback options include:
- Disney view
- Introduction by Diane Disney Miller
- Fast Play
- Disney’s Second Screen App is being introduced for the very first time on the BAMBI Diamond Edition release, and will further transform the at-home movie watching experience by empowering viewers with the ability to engage with film content on multiple media platforms and bring them to life in their own hands at the touch of a button. By simply downloading the Second Screen App onto an internet-connected computer or iPad and synching it to the movie, consumers will instantly be able to dive deeper into the film by engaging with fun interactive elements like animated flipbooks, galleries, photos, trivia and more. Disney’s Second Screen technology is not widely available in all territories. (* I wasn’t able to obtain the App during my evaluation but will follow up once I have tried it via my iPad)
- Bonus DVD of Bambi
Final Thoughts:
Bambi is one of the most beloved of the Disney Classic animated feature films. Seeing it again after so many years brought back fond childhood memories. Kudos to Disney on a spectacular Blu-ray Disc offering that presents this wonderful family film looking and sounding better than ever. Its complimentary set of bonus materials includes exclusive Blu-ray and interactive features that present fans with a great way to enhance the high definition experience while taking a peek behind the curtain to learn some interesting background on the film. This excellent Blu-ray release will make for a welcomed addition to your Disney Collection and comes highly recommended.
Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS50 3D Ready 1080p High Definition Front Projector
Stewart Filmscreen - Studiotek 130 G3 100” 16x9 Screen
Anthem AVM50v THX Ultra 2 Preamp/Video Processor
Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Samsung BD-C7900 3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Toshiba HD-XA2 HD DVD Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
Sony Playstation 3 Blu-ray disc Player (HDMI Audio/Video)
System Controller: Apple iPad/iRule HD Universal Remote Control
Canton "Ergo" Series speakers
Axiom Audio QS8 Quadpolar speakers
SV Sound PB-13 Ultra (Rosenut finish)
APC AV S15BLK Power Conditioner/Surge Protector
Furman SPR-20i Stable Power Regulator
Wireworld, VizionWare, Audioquest, Better Cables, Best Deal Cables - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
Cool Components - CP-CP102 cooling package