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Bambi

Bambi

Love Comes To The Forest Folk . . . and to you, in one of the world's greatest love stories!

194269 minGMidcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Directors
Arthur Davis, Graham Heid, Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Clyde Geronimi, David Hand, Norman Wright, Paul Satterfield
Starring
Donnie Dunagan, Peter Behn, Stan Alexander, Cammie King Conlon

Bambi's tale unfolds from season to season as the young prince of the forest learns about life, love, and friends.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Bambi?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Bambi streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Bambi?

Bambi earns 13 badges, led by Visual feast and Atmospheric.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Bambi worth watching?

Bambi's Midcredits score is the 89th percentile of all films, from 621K ratings across 6 sources. 76% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

89th percentile

Better received than 89% of films

83rd percentile among Animation90th percentile among 1940s
Acclaim (how much people like it)88th
Approval (how many liked it)86th

73 /100

88th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Animation91st percentile among 1940s

Critics 91 · Audience 72

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

76% liked it

86th percentile of all films

81st percentile among Animation85th percentile among 1940s
76% rated it 7–1024% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 73%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 3 Oscar noms · 5 wins / 6 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Music, Original Song
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

97th percentile

621K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Animation99th percentile among 1940s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 9% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$858K
Opening weekend$7.2M
Domestic gross$102M
Worldwide gross$267M

Returned 311.7× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Bambi is a visually stunning, slow-paced meditation on the cycle of life and death in a forest.

Fans praised

  • gorgeous hand-drawn animation and impressionistic forest backgrounds
  • emotionally powerful story of life, loss, and growing up
  • haunting portrayal of unseen threat creating real tension

Detractors panned

  • thin story with long dull stretches and minimal plot
  • overly sentimental and saccharine treatment of forest life
  • unremarkable song score with few memorable tunes

What stands out

Cinematography95

breathtaking impressionistic hand-drawn forest

Atmosphere90

immersive forest world with changing seasons

Emotional impact85

iconic tragedy of mother's death is deeply moving

Tension80

unseen human hunters create genuine dread

Characters60

lovable but simple animal archetypes

Sound and music55

fine orchestral score but songs unmemorable

Plot and story45

minimal story about growing up in forest

Pacing45

leisurely to the point of slow for modern tastes

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 19 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Bambi like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
WarmMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: middle
Warm humor
Register
WarmSentimental · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its story with earnest emotion and a gentle, loving regard for its characters.
The rideThe film shifts from warm and playful early scenes to a sorrowful middle with the mother's death, then settles into a peaceful, hopeful maturity.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from Bambi's birth to his becoming prince.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a sense of the beauty and fragility of life, and the hope of renewal.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% (this title) · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Liberation: Breaking free of a confining life (Room).

13% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story follows Bambi from birth to adulthood, culminating in his assuming the role of prince after overcoming loss and a rival.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% (this title) · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsComing of age · 5% of filmsNature · 2% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the parent-child bond and the journey from helpless fawn to capable adult stag, framed by the cycles of the natural world.
StanceThe film celebrates the resilience of family bonds and the natural cycle of life, treating loss as part of a larger, affirming journey.

The world

TimelessWildernessStylized realism
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Frank Churchill
SettingAn idyllic, unnamed forest across the seasons.
MusicThe lush, sentimental score underscores the forest's beauty and the emotional beats.

Content guide

Is Bambi okay for kids?

G

Bambi is rated G. As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (39/100), sexual content at minimal (10/100), language at minimal (3/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (4/100) and frightening material at intense (63/100). Overall it is heavier than 80% of G-rated films.

Ratings in 22 other countries
  • UKU
  • AustraliaG
  • Germany0
  • FranceTP
  • IrelandG
  • JapanG
  • South KoreaALL
  • BrazilL
  • Belgium12
  • DenmarkA
  • FinlandK-7
  • HungaryKN
  • ItalyT
  • LU6
  • Netherlands6
  • Norway6
  • PolandAL
  • PortugalM/6
  • ROAP
  • SpainAPTA
  • SwedenBtl
  • Switzerland6
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 26% of all filmsHeavier than 80% of G-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a G-rated film
heavier than 69%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
typical for a G-rated film
heavier than 30%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a G-rated film
heavier than 11%
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
light for a G-rated film
heavier than 10%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a G-rated film
heavier than 91%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what G-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Bambi have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Bambi?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Donnie Dunagan
as Young Bambi
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Peter Behn
as Young Thumper
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Stan Alexander
as Young Flower
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Cammie King Conlon
as Young Faline
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Will Wright
as Friend Owl
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Hardie Albright
as Adolescent Bambi
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Ann Gillis
as Adult Faline
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Tim Davis
as Adolescent Thumper
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sam Edwards
as Adult Thumper
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Sterling Holloway
as Adult Flower
newcomer then · star now

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Bambi?

Movies like Bambi include Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991), Wolfwalkers (2020) and How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set in a forest, and several are liberation stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its subject: coming of age. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Bambi?

827 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: animal. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.