Movie Review: Bambi 2

Disney has never had a very good track record when it comes to sequels. They're usually pointless, have no reason to exist, and are just shameless, half-assed cash-in's. And these sequels just seem to have this real childish feel their predecessors didn't have. The originals were children's movie's sure, but there was still this dignity and matureness to them that made them more than just kid's entertainment. These cheapquels don't have any of that, they are clearly just for kid's movie's with no dignity whatsoever.  But there are a select few (and I really mean few) that, while still shameless cash-in's, manage to actually be kinda good. The Lion King 2 is pretty good, and the Third Aladdin movie was also pretty good. And the movie in question is among those sequels.

Yeah, Bambi 2 is actually not a bad movie all things considered. And for a Disney Sequel (or midquel in this case) it's pretty damn good. For one, there was some effort put into this. The animation is actually pretty impressive, not as good as the original of course, but it's actually some pretty good animation that is very close to the original. And they apparently got a head animator from the original Bambi as an adviser! 

And they got voice actors who sounded as close to the originals as possible. For example, Alexander Gould (of Finding Nemo fame) voices Bambi, and they even managed to get Patrick Stewart on as the Great Prince of the Forest!

That was some ideal casting! And Patrick Stewart is easily the best part of the movie. He is just spot-on as the Great Prince. 

So, aside from the animation and the casting, the story is not that bad either. At first at least. Bambi's dealing with his mother's death, and he's getting used to his father, who was before completely absent and detached, being around and trying to adjust to his ways. There's actually some really good scenes where Bambi and his father talk about his mother, and even a dream sequence where Bambi sees his dead mother!

I'm always with you, even if you can't see me. - Bambi's Mother

Wait just a god damn minute! That line sounds really familiar.

I'll be with you, even if you can't see me. - Littlefoot's Mother

Did they really just rip that line off from The Land Before Time? I mean, it's almost word-for-word! This can't just be a coincidence, those lines are too damn similar! Oh well, I'm not going to dwell on it. Despite that distracting little detail, it's still a pretty touching scene. And then they pull a scene right out of the original book! Bambi follows the mimic calls of a hunter, thinking they're his mother's calls,  and gets ambushed by some dogs. The Great Prince comes to save Bambi in what is a pretty cool scene with some great, stylish animation.

And after that, Bambi asks his father simply, "She's never coming back, is she?".  To which he simply reply's, "No." 

So the movie is certainly not without good scenes and moments. However, it still has that childish feel that I mentioned before, that seems to be a thing with Disney sequels. Compare Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 side by side and you'll know what I'm talking about. The original Bambi had this mature, kinda bleak tone to it despite being a very cutesy movie. This movie has scenes you've seen from plenty other movie's where the main character fucks up trying to impress the father or whoever they're trying to impress. It has fart jokes, and the animals just don't shut up! Bambi had very little dialogue, but in this they.... well my point's already been made. Oh, and Ronno, the older deer Bambi fights in the original, is god damn annoying!!!

FUCK YOU!!!!!!!

But despite all this, the first two-thirds are decent enough. But then we get to the last third, this is where it starts to fall apart. The song where Bambi and father are connecting really downgrades the majestic and regal character of The Great Prince. I know what they're trying to get across, they're finally connecting after not understanding each other at first, but what they do with it just does not work for this character. There's even a scene immediately after where the Great Prince, how to phrase this without making it sound awkward, blows into Bambi's stomach. No, it didn't make it sound any less awkward or stupid. I would show you a picture, but I cannot even look at that scene without wanting to vomit! So anyway, after.... that scene, Friend Owl introduces a doe named Marena, I think, to Bambi to take care of him, and this leads to the father-son argument, big not-so-dramatic and drawn out chase scene with dogs, The Great Prince thinks Bambi's dead after falling off a cliff, he's not and they embrace.... Blah Blah Blah. Everything about these last 10 or 20 minutes is cliched as fuck, the chase scene is too long and too damn stupid, and the part where the Great Prince mopes then Bambi turns out to be alive is sappy and again, cliched. But, they do manage to end on a kinda high note.

You know, I was like you once. - Great Prince of the Forest

Another touching little scene and a father-son connecting moment that actually works for the character. If the rest of them were like this and not like.....

..........................

So, to conclude, Bambi 2 was decent in the first 2/3's, and a complete mess in the rest except the very end. But, I did expect a lot worse, and it had plenty of good scenes, the animation was nice, Patrick Stewart is awesome, and it was better than I expected. So it was worth it I suppose. Though I probably won't watch it again. And besides, there was a much better story they could have told! 

Why Disney? Why?!

Bambi 2 - 2.5/5

Movie Review: Bitch Slap

We had to get this stinker out of the way eventually.

Movie Review: Gravity

Warning: This Review contains Spoilers!

Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity follows two Astronauts, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) who are working on a Space Station when the debris from a destroyed satellite destroys the station and leaves the both of them at risk of drifting in Space for all eternity.

I've seen plenty of movie's that take place out in space. Alien, Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, I admittedly haven't seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, but I have seen a good number of space movie's. But none of them have shown a realistic portrayal of what it's like to be in Space. Gravity is the first movie I've ever seen that really shows a Space with no gravity. The Astronauts float around as if they were in water, shuttles are pulled out of control by even the slightest bit of resistance and tension, and the Astronauts are in huge danger of drifting away into Space and possibly drift for all eternity. The movie even shows tools and materials that are not tied down floating around just like they would in Space. I'm sure there were plenty of moments throughout the film that are scientifically accurate for dramatic purposes, but it's the most realistic portrayal of what its like out in Space I've ever seen.

Gravity is visually stunning, and it has a great survival story with well developed and likable characters. While it could be looked at as just a simple story, there's some themes about not giving up, rebirth, and plenty of others I'm sure. The thought of being up in space alone, with no rescue coming, and being at risk of being lost in the darkest recesses of an endless Space are pretty terrifying. The film exploits this terrifying idea masterfully. You really feel for the Dr. Ryan, because her situation just feels more and more hopeless as the movie goes on, and there's many points where she's just willing to give up. Actually, If I had any problems with this movie, it's that Sandra Bullock's performance is a little off at some parts. But she does a damn good job for the most part. George Clooney also puts on a great performance, the moment his character had to sacrifice himself was pretty sad.

Gravity has breathtaking visuals, is heavy in atmosphere, excellently directed and has the most realistic portrayal of Space I've ever seen. Catch it in theaters if you haven't already. 

Laputa: Castle in the Sky Review

This film is set in a Victorian era that might have been, influenced by the visions of writers such as Jules Verne. As Pazu, the apprentice of the engineer who maintains a mine's elevator machinery, carries his boss's dinner back to the mine, an unconscious pigtailed girl floats down from the sky into his arms. This girl, Sheeta, and her magical levitation-stone pendant hold the key to a mysterious, mythical sky-castle known as Laputa. Sheeta and Pazu must flee from both air-pirates, who seek the sky kingdom for its legendary treasure, and the army, led by a government agent with his own mysterious agenda for Laputa.

Another outstanding piece of work from Hayao Miyazaki! And probably the closest he's every come to being Disneyesque.

Book Review: Bambi's Children

Bambi's Children
Felix Salten, (1939)

And now we get to the sequel of my all time favourite book, Bambi a Life in the Woods. And seeing as it is my favourite book of all time, it of course put a lot of pressure on the sequel. The sequel being better than the original was not to be expected, but I was just hoping for it to, at the very least, be a worthy follow-up to the original. And.... it was. 

The sequel, more or less, picks up where the original left off. Faline is now raising two fawns named Geno & Gurri. Bambi himself decides to go against what his father taught him and becomes involved in his offspring's lives. His children grow up and experience life, face the challenges it presents, and above all, survive. Just like their father before them.

If this book sounds like a rehash of the original, only following Bambi's fawns this time around, it basically is. But there's plenty of new characters, new situations and stakes, and even a tone completely different from the original to be fresh. This book has a much lighter tone than the original, it's more of a feel-good entertaining story than a dark, depressing commentary on various issues like oppression,  man's impact on nature, and so on and so forth. Not to mention there's nothing in Bambi's Children that is nearly as profound as the conversation between the leaves (though, Salten does try to replicate that with several conversations between trees that only Geno can hear during his sleep). 

I'm sure a lot of people would absolutely abhor this change of tone, but honestly, I have no problem with it at all. After the really depressing original, it was good to have a feel-good closure. Besides, it's loaded with likable and interesting characters. Old characters like Friend Hare and the Screech Owl return. There's also new characters like the Great Horned Owl that's a prisoner of man (and probably one of the most compelling characters in the novel), two male Deer called Nello and Membo that are adopted by Faline, a bitter fox named One-Eye, a whole new family of deer that are close friends with Faline, Geno and Gurri (and at times throughout the story, bitter enemies), and a Socialist Squirrel. The two new main characters are also great, likable characters. Geno is very close to his father in character as he's a nervous, no-nonsense guy who's wise. Gurri is like a great mix between Bambi's wisdom, and Faline's curiosity and outgoing attitude. Bambi himself is awesome in this book. He's the leader of the herd now, he saves Geno from a wolf-dog, he saves Gurri from a pen when she was captured by man, and he even charges and fucks up a boy whose about to shoot Geno!

And speaking of Man, he's still very much a threat and the animals don't like him any better than they did in the original (and they still call him "He"). But Salten makes an interesting decision this time around to also show things from man's point of view. But again, here it kind of works. Because it's actually kind of interesting seeing things through their point of view and seeing how they contrast with the animal's point of view. Not to mention the gamekeeper is a fucking badass! I'd be willing to let this slide just for that even if it kinda worked against the book (which it thankfully doesn't).

And despite what I said earlier about the book not having as strong themes as the original, it still has quite a few scenes that are food for thought. There's a funny little argument between the Socialist Squirrel and the deer about nuts belonging to all squirrels. And then there's the Great Horned Owl who calls out crows and magpies as hypocrites when they claim him to be guilty of atrocities that they themselves are guilty of. And he talks about how he'd rather die fighting than live his life as a prisoner. Some actually very thought-provoking stuff. And even the several conversations between the trees are heavy in themes (though still not as profound as the leaves from the first book).

If I had any problems with the book, it's that the animals seemed a little too humanized when compared to the original. Also it introduced a lot of things like Bambi being the leader of the herd and these protocols that weren't around in the first book that messes with continuity a bit. But those don't get in the way at all. Bambi's Children is a great, entertaining follow-up to Bambi a Life in the Woods. If you love the first one, and you don't mind a lighter tone, you'll love this one.

You know, it's a real shame this book wasn't made into a movie. I mean come on! Disney had a movie sequel gift wrapped to them, and it wouldn't have been another pointless sequel as there's a book to justify its existence, but instead they went with.....

Oh, Fuck you Disney!!!