In some ways, Bambi resembles Lady and the Tramp. It is a tale about a childlike youth enduring trials and having many curiosities. In other ways Bambi resembles The Fox and the Hound. This isn't surprising considering all three movies I've mentioned comprise my top three favorite animated movies of all time. In actual fact, Bambi is the grandfather of almost every single Disney classic that came after it and many of their post-Mermaid movies. Everything that made some of Disney's more popular movies great is owed to Bambi. Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mulan, they all take their influences from Bambi. It has everything all wrapped up in one of Disney's shortest movies ever. It has romance like Lady and the Tramp. It has drama like The Fox and the Hound. It takes everything that makes the other Disney movies and amps them up.

The animation in Bambi is unsurpassed. It is polished, colorful, and utterly brilliant. No amount of realism injected into computer animated movies could ever match the raw beauty seen in Bambi. In contrast to the sharp lines and colors seen in most other Disney movies, Bambi is animated with a soft, hazy palette, giving the characters an appealing, gentle quality. In other places, the animation isn't merely just realistic, it's a work of art. The music, too, isn't just a separate element like in many other Disney movies. It becomes part of the movie and adds to its artistic quality. It flows with the movie and unfolds with it. It dances with the characters and becomes part of their emotion, thus helping us feel what they feel. I especially love the haunting yet romantic song "I Bring You A Song".

And the characters themselves are wonderful. Like in many of Disney's early works, they are cliche free. Bambi, Thumper, and Flower all are colorful and adorable characters. The bouncy and fluffy feeling of the early parts of the movie may seem like a joke to some people today, especially considering how hip and energetic Disney movies have become. Yet it's still refreshing to know that the creators of this movie just let the characters do their own thing. The characters make us laugh without resorting to hipness or jokes or pop culture references. The humor comes from the charm of the characters. And the heart-warming ice skating scene where Bambi discovers snow for the first time is still a winner in my book.

However it's the honest, non-sugar-coated approach to hardships and emotion this movie takes that makes it one of the true greats. The portrayal of man as being evil may seem weird in today's PC world, but considering how a human is never seen, it's probably better to think of Man as a force to the forest creatures rather than an evil entity. The rest of this movie has true emotional power. It grips the audience, frightens, and charms them without ever pandering or talking down to kids. In my opinion, it is the greatest Disney classic ever and the second best animated movie ever.