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 holds the world record for the longest span of time between two consecutive installments of a franchise, being released 64 years after the original film came out in 1942.

The film takes place in the middle of Disney's original Bambi, with the Great Prince of the Forest dealing with the now motherless Bambi. 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 killed by a deer hunter, Bambi stumbles upon his father, the Great Prince of the Forest, who takes him back to his den. The Great Prince asks Friend Owl to find a doe to raise Bambi, since his duties are to his herd, but Owl informs him that, because of the harsh winters, the does can barely feed themselves and their young. The Great Prince has no choice but to look after Bambi until the spring.

Sometime later, the Great Prince allows Bambi to accompany his friends, Thumper and Flower, to see the Groundhog, whose shadow will foretell if winter will end soon. At the Groundhog ceremony, Bambi meets up with his crush Faline. The Groundhog is coaxed out of his hole, only to be scared back in by Ronno, an older fawn. Ronno tries to impress Faline with stories of his encounter with Man, and the whistles they use to imitate deer. When Bambi believes the story and says it is unbelievable, Ronno takes it as a literal insult and is about to fight Bambi when he is called away by his mother.

While the other animals leave, Bambi falls asleep waiting for his father. He wakes up to what appears to 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 learn how to be brave, but in doing so, they encounter a porcupine who sticks his quills into Bambi's backside. Ronno and Faline, hearing the commotion, investigate; Bambi gets into a fight with Ronno when he sees him bothering Faline. Ronno chases him and Thumper through the forest until Bambi leaps to safety over a large ravine. The Great Prince, having seen the whole thing, is impressed by this feat.

The next day, Thumper encourages Bambi to talk to the Great Prince, and the two connect. The Great Prince decides to allow Bambi to come along with him on his patrols, and as the days progress, the two get closer. One morning, however, 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 one last time. The two get into another fight that sets off one of Man's traps, which ensnares Mena and alerting Man. While Ronno flees, Bambi saves Mena by leading Man's dogs away from her, as his father arrives and works to set her free. The dogs chase Bambi through the forest, and his friends help him fend them off. Using the techniques the Great Prince taught him, Bambi evades all but one of the dogs. Cornered at the top of a rocky peak by the last dog, Bambi kicks it off a cliff, but falls off as well when it crumbles beneath him. His friends and his father all grieve 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, until he is bitten on the nose by a snapping turtle and runs off, screaming for his mother for help. Bambi eventually leaves to meet up with the Great Prince, who shows Bambi the field where he and Bambi's mother met in childhood.

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