Why Bambi II Is Better Than BambiAnd why Disney shouldn't kill the straight-to-DVD sequel.
Posted Tuesday, July 17, 2007, at 6:06 PM ET
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StumbleUponOf course, none of this would matter if the movies abused the beloved classic characters whose stories they take up. Pixar's head honchos seem to believe this is the case, but their concerns are misplaced. The sequels stay true to the characters, using them to teach some of the same gentle lessons as the originals. Lady and the Tramp II follows Scamp, the rambunctious son of Lady and Tramp, as he learns that finding a family that loves you is more important than trying to be "wild." And Bambi II tracks the evolving relationship between Bambi and his father, the Prince of the Forest, as Bambi comes of age and comes to grips with the loss of his mother and his fear of the unknown.
Is it sacrilege to say that some of the characters and themes in these sequels are actually better-handled than in the originals? In Bambi II, Bambi's father learns how to be a devoted, hands-on dad. As a father myself, I'd rather have my daughter watch the kinder stag of Bambi II than the distant, regal cipher of the first film. Plus, while his mother's death certainly weighs on Bambi in the sequel, there's nothing approaching the traumatic sequence in the original when Bambi's mom gets shot.
Or take the example of Cinderella III. In the original film, the wicked stepsisters are oafish caricatures who exist solely to abuse the lovely heroine. In the latest sequel, magical mischief (and a bit of time travel) allows one of the stepsisters the chance to experience the love of Prince Charming; as a result, she reforms her wicked ways and becomes a friend and ally to Cinderella, and a braver, richer character herself. Cinderella III even has a little fun with the absurdity of the original's conceit: "You think there's only one woman in the whole kingdom who wears a size 4 and a half?" the Prince's father asks at one point.
Far from sullying the spirit of the original classic films, Disney's straight-to-DVD sequels respect their inspirations while finding new stories to tell. In Lady and the Tramp II, Scamp and his junkyard-dog belle Angel visit the same Italian restaurant famously visited by Scamp's parents. They share a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, just like Scamp's parents did. Adult viewers watching the sequel likely brace themselves, as I did, for some embarrassing gaffe that will tarnish their memories of a beloved childhood moment. But that gaffe never comes. Scamp noses a meatball over to Angel, but in a witty, doggy divergence from the original, she scarfs up the whole plate with nary a glance at her beau. It's a charming moment, and an emblematic one: No, the sequels aren't the originals, but yes, they're awfully sweet all on their own.
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Remarks from the Fray:
There is a very simple quote for which Walt was famous in animation. "You can't top pigs with pigs." It was Walt Disney's philosophy on sequels. He didn't like them and didn't believe in them as a focus of Disney's artistic efforts in feature animation. He believed in innovation and taking the art form to the next level...always seeking the next great story, characters and songs, not simply reprising the past successes.
When he was asked, shortly after the release of the wildly popular Three Little Pigs cartoon, if he would produce another one in response to the overwhelming audience response...he said no....more specifically, he said "You can't top pigs with pigs." A delightfully eloquent way to sum up what we now know as "Disney Magic." Being an innovator is what always set Disney apart. Not being innovative, but instead churning out horrible straight to video sequel after sequel in pursuit of the almighty bottom line has jeopardized the modern Disney.
Lasseter and company were brought in to restore that magic. Anyone who knows anything about Disney history, and especially animation should be wise enough to heed Walt's words and understand that they are the cornerstone upon which "the magic" is built.
--MyOpinion7
(To reply, click here.)
My daughter had never seen Bambi the original. We rented Bambi 2, she was 2 years old and loved it, so we rented Bambi 1. She was scared of it.
Some of the older classics are indeed very scary for young kids and the sequels seem more geared for the younger set. Later that summer, my daughter named an inflatable moose for our pool "Bambi 2" and still calls it that. at 3 years old as do all her cousins. Everyone argues over who gets to sit on "Bambi 2".
I can attest to feeling like these sequels are letdowns in comparison to the originals but I am not the one watching them really, my kids are. My daughter loved Lady and the Tramp, watched it over and over and over. She watched part 2 and was less than thrilled but still excited that it was the same characters. She just watched Fox and the Hound 2 and danced the whole way through! That's good entertainment right there!
The sequels have their place for little kids to enjoy. I agree that the relentless pop culture references of Shrek, etc get really tired and the movies are too long for kids!
--beckerdude
(To reply, click here.)
Saying that "because kids like them, adults don't need to" justifies putting out trash. Kids like candy, but parents should give them food that is healthy. These sequels typically remove any moral depth from the story. Yes, they may provide good practice for animators, and the animation may be as good as you say. However, the storytelling is a writers' sweatshop, where attention to quality is sacrificed to ... well, to the next quarterly earnings report, I suppose. I don't work there, I just have seen the product.
There are so many good movies out there, movies with messages, with maturity-inspiring themes, that the latest PC-stuffed DVD sequel really should be treated like junk food, not like real content. Dora the Explorer and Avatar come off better, heck even Blue's Clues has more meat than these things. Congratulations to those who care about making quality over a quick profit (at the expense of the brand name).
--Mr_A
(To reply, click here.)
Mr. Kois. you make the mistake of comparing the DVD sequels to all of the animated product in the marketplace, Disney should only be compared to Disney. All the other American animation houses are either reactions against, or knockoffs of Disney. When Disney brings its A game no one does it better. It's awfully disingenuous of you to focus on everyone but Pixar (the true inheritors of the Disney animation legacy) when comparing modern animated films to the DTV sequels.
As to your claim that the DVD sequels are worthy successors to the original animated films, I have to respectfully disagree. The animation in the DTV DVDs is never as good as the originals and the films generally retread the same territory through a modern politically correct lens. Backwards as some of the messages of those original films may seem to our modern eyes, those movies were genuine marvels of art and commerce. Walt consciously played with archetypes, myth, and folklore in those films so deftly that they became timeless and still pack a punch today. You may not necessarily feel comfortable with the politics of Bambi or Cinderella, but damned if they don't evoke some serious emotional responses.
The DTV sequels may not use pop cultural references like the Dreamworks abominations, but they aren't made to last either. Lassiter and the folks at Pixar want to create classics and nothing but classics. Unobjectionable, okay, and cute are not enough.
Disney is Disney because their rightful legacy is one of timeless excellence. The move to do awaywith the DTV sequels is the way to maintain that legacy and secure the future of the company.
--mattcable
(To reply, click here.)
(7/19)