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Disney dishes up another gem with 'Bambi'
I'm not going to lie to you -- I love Disney films. With the exception of a small few, I've enjoyed everything the company has released and I am continuously knocked out by the presentation by which they deliver their movies.
With multiple versions of Disney films out there, the company continues to make them fresh and give us enough new goodies to keep us coming back for more. Their newest release is the Diamond Edition of "Bambi" and once again they knock it out of the park.
I'm not going to go into details about the story of Bambi other than to say it's a beautiful story that explores life, friendship and love. But this edition looks amazing on Blu-ray. Everything pops off the screen and adds a new element to the classic tale.
"Bambi" was Walt Disney's fifth animated feature and was released in 1942 during World War II. Five years in the making, the film used a technique called a multiplane camera, which gave the landscape a realistic look, yet surrealistic feel.
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards and ranked No. 3 on the American Film Institutes Top 10 Animated Films of All Time, behind two other Disney Classics "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Pinocchio".
This new DVD/Blu-ray combo pack has a slew of extra features to dig into including "The Making of Bambi: A Prince is Born", "Tricks of the Trade", "Inside the Disney Archives" and "The Old Mill", the 1937 winner for Best Short Subject/Cartoon at the Academy Awards.
On the Blu-ray, you also get a few deleted scenes, a deleted song "Twitterpated" and a gallery of images created in the design process for "Bambi".
My favorite feature is "Inside Walt's Story Meetings -- Enhanced Edition". Good ol' Walt had the story meetings transcribed and what you get on this disc is a re-enactment of those meetings. The re-enactment goes hand-and-hand with the film to deliver a nifty little feature that's worth is weight in gold to see the creative process.
And since most people buying the combo pack with have little ones in the house, "Bambi" has a few awesome games such as "Disney's Big Book of Knowledge: Bambi Edition" and the cute "DisneyPedia: Bambi's Forest Friends".
Final Cut: What's there to say when you're talking about a Disney classic? They instantly transport you back to your childhood and Walt Disney wouldn't want it any other way. "Bambi: Diamond Edition" is another masterpiece.
Movie: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 5 out of 5 stars
Bambi: Diamond Edition
Starring: Bobby Stewart, Donnie Dunagan, Hardie Albright, John Sutherland, Paula Winslowe, Peter Behn, Tim Davis, Sam Edwards, Will Wright, Cammie King, Ann Gillis, Fred Shields, Stan Alexander, Sterling Holloway (all voice talent)
Director: David Hand
Writer: Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Gusaf Tenggren, Felix Salten (novel)