Movie · 1942 · Animation, Drama, Family · 1h 10m · G · English
Curator score: 6.6/10 (590.3K ratings)
Love Comes To The Forest Folk . . . and to you, in one of the world's greatest love stories!
Overview
Bambi's tale unfolds from season to season as the young prince of the forest learns about life, love, and friends.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.6/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.55/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Metacritic: 91
TMDB: 7.0/10
Director
David Hand
Production
Walt Disney Productions
Cast
Donnie Dunagan, Peter Behn, Stan Alexander, Cammie King, Will Wright, Hardie Albright, Ann Gillis, Tim Davis, Sam Edwards, Sterling Holloway, Otis Harlan, Thelma Boardman, Clarence Nash, Marion Darlington, Eddie Holden, Paula Winslowe, Fred Shields, John Sutherland
Where to watch
Disney Plus
Curator Review
Verdict
A landmark animated feature with extraordinary hand-drawn artistry, gentle humor, and a surprisingly severe emotional core. It’s less about plot mechanics than about atmosphere, seasonal rhythm, and the painful education of growing up.
Best for
viewers who love classic animation and visual craftsmanship
families comfortable with a sad or intense scene
people interested in nature-centered storytelling
fans of quiet, reflective coming-of-age stories
viewers who appreciate short, elegant features
Skip if
you need a fast-moving plot with constant incident
you dislike older animation styles or period pacing
you want a purely cheerful kids’ movie
you’re looking for dialogue-heavy character comedy
Overview
Bambi is one of the defining achievements of hand-drawn animation: fluid, expressive, and attentive to the textures of the forest in every season. Its pleasures come from observation as much as narrative, letting the animals feel rooted in a real ecosystem rather than a cute human imitation of one.
Worth noting
The film’s emotional power comes from its restraint. It moves with a childlike openness, then delivers one of animation’s most famous shocks with a bluntness that still lands. That contrast between innocence and harsh reality gives the movie its lasting force.
Bottom line
As a story, it’s simple and episodic, which may feel thin to viewers expecting a more conventional feature arc. But as a piece of visual storytelling and a meditation on growth, loss, and survival, it remains a major classic.
Top Letterboxd reviews
SilentDawn (5★) · 2470 likes
Here are some reasons why Bambi is the greatest animated film ever made:
- It shows life in all its little imperfections and grand tribulations.
- The amount of joy, humor, tears, and discovery to be found within its tight 70 minute run-time is indescribably beautiful.
- The characters are layered, fully-formed, and crafted to perfection.
-The animation is second to none, showcasing subtle details and landscapes that blow me away after every viewing.
- The classic themes are as… more
HAL (3★) · 1713 likes
Nothing really happens but it looks GORGEOUS while nothing really happens.
James (Schaffrillas) (2.5★) · 1455 likes
Didn't think there was enough story content or compelling character moments to sustain a feature film sadly. If this was a short film I'd love it
ThisIs Person (4★) · 1340 likes
Oh shit that skunk was a dude
DirkH (5★) · 795 likes
A firm favourite of my oldest daughter of seven. She has been harassing her four year old brother about watching it. Today he caved and asked if they could watch it.
There is something uniquely magical about what happens to kids' faces while watching these gorgeous hand drawn images. A smile, a frown, fear, but always eyes wide open flicking across the screen trying to take everything in and actually succeeding as the images are fluid and calm. They were… more