Bambi II

Bambi II (also known as Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest) is a 2006 American animated drama film directed by Brian Pimental and produced by the Australian office of DisneyToon Studios, animation production by DisneyToon Studios Sydney, Australia and Toon City Animation, Inc., Manila, Philippines, 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 is a followup to the 1942 film Bambi.

The film mainly takes place after the scene in the original Bambi film where Bambi's mother dies, and before the scene wherein Bambi is shown as a young adult buck. The film is mainly about The Great Prince of the Forest, who has to take care of Bambi after his mother is killed. The rest of the film mainly focuses on Bambi's efforts to earn his father's love for him. It was first titled Bambi and the Great Prince, but was renamed Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest and later Bambi II.

Plot
After his mother is shot and killed by a hunter, Bambi bumps into the Great Prince, who takes him to the den. The Great Prince asks Friend Owl to find a doe to raise Bambi, but Friend Owl tells him that the does can barely feed themselves. The Great Prince has to take care of Bambi for a while.

Sometime later, the Great Prince allows Bambi to be with Thumper and Flower. At the groundhog ceremony, Bambi meets up with Faline. The Groundhog is coaxed out of his hole, only to be scared back in by Ronno, who tries to impress Faline with stories of his encounter with Man. When Bambi believes the story, Ronno is about to fight Bambi until he is called away by his mother.

When the others leave, Bambi falls asleep waiting for his father. He wakes up to what appears be his mother's voice, which calls him into a meadow, but it turns out to be an ambush by Man. The Great Prince comes to Bambi's rescue and both of them escape, but Bambi is yelled at for endangering himself. Days later, Bambi informs Thumper and Flower about his wish to impress his father. They decide to help Bambi be brave, but while doing so, they encounter a porcupine, who sticks his quills into Bambi's backside. Ronno and Faline, hearing the commotion, investigate; Bambi sees Ronno bothering Faline and gets into a fight with him. Ronno chases Bambi and Thumper through the forest until Bambi leaps over a large ravine to safety. The Great Prince, having seen the whole thing, is impressed by this feat. Ronno, jealous of the young prince, tries to jump over the chasm himself, but falls in, thwarted for now.

The next day, Thumper encourages Bambi to talk to the Great Prince, and the two connect. The Great Prince allows Bambi to come along with him on his patrols, and as the two get closer, Friend Owl approaches them and introduces them to Mena, a doe that he has selected as Bambi's new mother. Bambi realizes the Great Prince had planned on sending him away and snaps at his father, while the Great Prince concludes that he is not meant to raise Bambi. Bambi sadly accepts the change.

On the way to Mena's den, Ronno shows up to taunt Bambi again. The two get into another fight that sets off one of Man's traps, alerting Man. Bambi saves Mena by leading Man's dogs away from her, and the Great Prince arrives. The dogs chase Bambi, and his friends help him fend them off. Bambi evades all but one of the dogs. Bambi kicks the other dog off a cliff, but falls off as well. Everyone grieves him until Bambi reveals he is still alive, and he and the Great Prince reconcile.

Sometime later, Thumper shares his version of the chase with the rest of his friends, and Bambi, whose antlers have just grown in, enjoys the tall tale with Faline. Ronno appears and vows vengeance on both of them before being bitten on the nose by a turtle and runs off. Bambi meets up with the Great Prince, who shows him the field where he first met his mother.

Cast

 * Alexander Gould as Bambi, the young prince of the forest. His mother dies, and he has to be with his father. Andrew Collins served as the supervising animator for Bambi.
 * Patrick Stewart as the Great Prince of the Forest. He is Bambi's father, and due to the death of Bambi's mother, The Great Prince is forced to be the fawn's guardian. Pieter Lommerse served as the supervising animator for the Great Prince.
 * Brendon Baerg as Thumper. He and Flower are Bambi's friends who help him be brave to impress his father. Ian Harrowell served as the supervising animator for Thumper.
 * Nicky Jones as Flower. He and Thumper are Bambi's friends who help him be brave to impress his father. Ian Harrowell served as the supervising animator for Flower.
 * Andrea Bowen as Faline. She is Bambi's romantic interest and is part of a love triangle between Bambi and his future rival, Ronno.
 * Anthony Ghannam as Ronno, Bambi's rival. He is the deer that Bambi fights in the original film. Bernard Derriman and Mark Henn served as the supervising animators for Ronno.
 * Cree Summer as Mena. She is to be Bambi's adoptive mother, and is a childhood friend of Bambi's mother.
 * Keith Ferguson as Friend Owl, who is told by The Great Prince to find a new mother for Bambi.
 * Makenna Cowgill, Emma Rose Lima, and Ariel Winter as Thumper's sisters. They annoy Thumper, who tries to hide from them.
 * Brian Pimental as The Groundhog and Porcupine. The Groundhog, timid, comes out of his hole to determine if winter will end. The Porcupine is grumpy and overprotective of his log.
 * Carolyn Hennesy as Bambi's mother. She was shot by a hunter, and because of her death Bambi must be looked after by his father.

Release
While the film was a direct-to-video release in many countries, including the United States, Canada, China, Japan, and Taiwan, it was a theatrical release in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Australia and some other European countries.

The film was officially the last Disney animated movie to be released on VHS, with the exception of Disney Movie Club Exclusives.

Reception
The film sold 2.6 million DVDs in its first week in the United States. It would also later on, win an Annie Award, for Best Home Entertainment Production, at the 34th Annual Annie Awards. Reviews for it were generally mixed; it currently holds a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Soundtrack
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. "Sing the Day" was written for the "Running Brave" sequence in Bambi II, but unused.
 * 1) "There Is Life" (Alison Krauss) – 2:19
 * 2) "First Sign of Spring" – (Michelle Lewis) – 3:49
 * 3) "Through Your Eyes" – (Martina McBride) – 4:07
 * 4) "The Healing of a Heart" – (Anthony Callea) – 2:43
 * 5) "Snow Flakes in the Forest" – (Bruce Broughton) – 1:40
 * 6) "Bambi's Dream" (Broughton) –  1:27
 * 7) "Being Brave (Part 1)" (Broughton) –  1:22
 * 8) "Being Brave (Part 2)" (Broughton) – 1:13
 * 9) "Bambi and the Great Prince/End Credit Suite" (Broughton) – 3:34
 * 10) "Sing the Day" (Anika Noni Rose, Harrison Chad, Marcus Carl Franklin, Leon Thomas and Chorus) – 1:53
 * 11) "Main Title (Love is a Song)" (Donald Novis) – 2:56
 * 12) "Little April Shower" (Chorus) – 3:54
 * 13) "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song" (Chorus) – 1:44