A beautifully realised milestone in children's animation that balances outright sentiment with gentle wit, and negotiates its darker moments with skill.
Comment
09/02/08
Bambi (1942)
89
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:38
Fresh:34
Rotten:4
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: Elegantly animated and deeply touching, Bambi is an enduring, endearing, and moving Disney classic.
Runtime: 69 mins
Genre: Childrens
Synopsis: A fawn named Bambi is born, destined to become "Prince of the Forest." He soon befriends other woodland creatures such as Flower, a bashful skunk, and Thumper, an outgoing rabbit. As the years... [More]
Starring: Peter Behn, Paula Winslowe, Bobby Stewart, Cammie King
Director: David D. Hand
Reviews for Bambi
Top CriticFrom Disney's richest period, interleaving splendid animation with vulgar Americana.
01/26/06
Top CriticThe fun and fear, the silliness and heartbreak, are taken to vivid extremes by Walt's entwining of high art and what snobs will always deride as Disney-kitsch.
02/02/05
Top CriticVies only with Pinocchio as the most technically accomplished work of animation to come from the studio's Golden Age... the last gasp of a maturity and gravity that would immediately disappear from Disney's features.
11/02/09
Click to read the article
10/29/08
This animated feature based on Felix Salten's book about the coming of age of a fawn and his various forest friends (including the beloved Thumper) does convey some of the primal emotional power of Disney's features during this period.
09/03/08
For the first time, Disney has done his backgrounds in oils instead of watercolors. The result is striking.
09/02/08
Top CriticThe glow and texture of the Disney brush reach new heights, especially in the treatment of a summer thunderstorm and a raging snowstorm.
09/02/08
Top CriticStill a fantastic fable with some excellent animation and a great story
08/09/07
In 1942, the emotional scene in which Bambi's mother is killed by hunters was controversial: Some critics charged that it traumatized young children while defenders claimed that it was honest, realistic, and less graphic than its depiction in the book.
03/30/07
Walt himself would have been proud of the two-disc special edition, which restores the Disney classic back to its original museum-quality luster ... maybe the only missing extra in this treasure is Bambi Meets Godzilla.
04/06/06
Fawn-dly revered Disney classic.
06/08/05
Among the best Disney animated features
05/12/05
What has been lost in the 60-plus years since its intial release is what a watershed work Bambi was for its time.
05/10/05
With an emphasis on character development over plot, the film isn't quite as accessible as some of Disney's more recent efforts...
05/08/05
There are two ways to look at Bambi/i>: as a museum piece or as entertainment. Focus on the latter and the film unravels.
04/08/05
Some classic sequences, but also too much Disney deer kitsch.
04/07/05
I had forgotten how utterly, astonishingly beautiful the film is.
03/03/05
“Look, Ma! No fungus and no moss-syphilis!”
03/03/05
Bambi is . . . MALE?!
02/28/05
Latest News for Bambi
June 28, 2009:
Five Favourite Films with Diego Luna
Diego Luna is bristling at RT's suggestion he pick just five favourite films. "It's really unfair to have to say only five films," he complains as he picks his final choice.... More...
February 11, 2009:
Video Exclusive: Bolt Behind the Scenes - Characters
Bolt, the story of a canine TV star who finds himself on a cross-country journey when he gets separated from his owner, arrives in UK cinemas this week after a Certified Fresh... More...
February 10, 2009:
Video Exclusive: Bolt Behind the Scenes - Story
Bolt, the story of a canine TV star who finds himself on a cross-country journey when he gets separated from his owner, arrives in UK cinemas this week after a Certified Fresh... More...
February 05, 2009:
Video Exclusive: Bolt Behind the Scenes - Design
Bolt, the story of a canine TV star who finds himself on a cross-country journey when he gets separated from his owner, arrives in UK cinemas this week after a Certified Fresh... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds