History YMMV / BambiII

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

** As stated under FanDislikedExplanation, the more character-driven nature of the plot is particularly contentious. Many fans of the original believe it completely misses the point of it being an intentionally vague caricature of nature driven by ambiance, while others believe the more humanized character study format and WorldBuilding serves better than [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks retreading the same steps of the first film]] like so many of the other direct-to-video Disney sequels. In general, the preference depends on those who appreciate Bambi more as a film or a character respectively.

* [[CantUnhearIt Can't Un-Hear It]]: Go on, just try to read the original book or adaptations of the original Disney movie now without hearing Creator/PatrickStewart's take on the Great Prince in this movie. Same with Creator/AlexanderGould's take on Bambi.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Due to his significantly expanded character, [[TheBully Ronno]] tends to get portrayed a lot more sympathetically (sometimes being turned into a JerkAssWoobie or AntiHero) in fanfiction than he is in the movie, where he's an [[HateSink unsympathetic bully]] who only got worse as he got older.

** Remember how [[{{Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration}} Captain]] [[StiffUpperLip Picard]] had trouble dealing with kids? Not so much this time!

* SignatureScene:
** The Deer Call scene tends to be the most remembered part of the film due to its downright eerie atmosphere and surprisingly tense tone.
** The scene with Bambi's pathetic attempt at roaring, due to it being a somewhat popular meme.
* SoOkayItsAverage: While ''Bambi II'' is considered among the better Disney sequels, few consider it to be as good as the original, and it is usually seen as average at best. Generally, the animation and premise are often praised, but on the whole, people consider it to lack the artistic ambition of the original, being a more formulaic Disney story, with tweaks like the altered characterisations, larger reliance on dialogue, and contemporary pop songs being very divisive. In short, you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who truly loves ''or'' hates this film.
* SpecialEffectsFailure: Late in the film, in a scene shortly before Friend Owl introduces Bambi to Mena, [[https://c8.alamy.com/comp/BPPK8P/bambi-father-bambi-ii-bambi-2-bambi-and-the-great-prince-of-the-forest-BPPK8P.jpg there's a shot]] where Bambi freezes alert in front of the Prince when he senses danger (who is just doing it to mess with Bambi) but the large size of Bambi's drawing combined with the even perspective of the background ruins the forced perspective and unintentionally gives the impression that Bambi suddenly grew to a size even larger than his dad!

** Many viewers think that Ronno is a {{Canon Foreigner}}. They don't recognize him as the buck that Bambi fought in the original film, namely due to a slightly different colour palette and the fact he was voiceless and nameless in the original. Also, this was ''not'' Ronno's first appearance as a fawn; that would be in Osamu Tezuka's manga adaptation of ''Bambi'', which predates the midquel by several decades.
** The midquel seemingly [[RetCon retcons]] the events of the original film by having the spring where Bambi is a yearling take place at least another year after his mother's death instead of the spring immediately thereafter. But the newspaper comic adaptation clarifies that this was always intended to be the case with the first film, pointing out that the later part of it did, in fact, take place over a year after that fateful winter.

* FoeYay: If you mute the audio, it often looks as if Ronno is hitting on Bambi. Hell, the audio has plenty itself, given how Ronno calls Bambi "Princess" in a sing-song voice that seems more like [[TheTease playful flirting]] than bullying.
* FoeYayShipping: It's fairly popular in fanart and fanfics to [[LesYay ship Bambi and Ronno together]], even though the two get along like a forest on fire in the movies.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: While the first ''Bambi'' was infamously cloying, it was partially down to WeirdAlEffect, with the film relying on more subtle imagery and at times becoming ''much'' darker. ''Bambi II'', however, while similarly rounded, amps up the cutesy cartoon animal behaviour and dialogue in some parts of the story, particularly the "Being brave" montage and the opening scenes with the groundhog.

** Heck, the entire climax involving the cute fawn-era Bambi [[TookALevelInBadass taking escalating levels in badass]] is oddly satisfying considering his ([[WeirdAlEffect sometimes undeserved]]) legacy with {{Bambification}} and Disney's TastesLikeDiabetes reputation.

** Does Bambi realize the true fate of his mother? The midquel implies via a late night conversation between Bambi and his father that he doesn't even realize what really happened to her, and naively assumes that she's simply missing and resting elsewhere. Then agin, going by an earlier scene where he quietly and solemnly asks "She's never coming back, is she?" to his father, it's possible that he ''does'' know and simply doesn't really comprehend what death is due to his young age. It's also possible that even after that fateful night, he's still clinging to ''some'' small hope that he'll see her again one day.

** Does Bambi realize the true fate of his mother? The midquel implies via a late night conversation between Bambi and his father that he doesn't even realize what really happened to her, and naively assumes that she's simply missing and resting elsewhere. Or, going by an earlier scene where he quietly and solemnly asks "She's never coming back, is she?" to his father, its possible that he ''does'' know and simply doesn't comprehend what death really is due to his young age. Its also possible that even after that fateful night, he's still clinging to ''some'' small hope that he'll see her again one day.

* AntiClimaxBoss: Despite his expanded story role and the build-up to it, Ronno's fight with Bambi is anything but spectacular. The latter actually manages to get the upper hand over him for most of it, and the fight technically ends in a draw after Ronno flees the scene due to the sudden arrival of Man (though Bambi is clearly the moral victor of it). It makes sense from a story standpoint, showing that Ronno is mostly all talk with little to show for it.
* AuthorsSavingThrow: While few were ''demanding'' a rectification, many think the midquel works well smoothing the transition between the death of Bambi's mother and [[MoodWhiplash birds singing gay little spring songs]] in the first film.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: One of the things that is always praised about the midquel is its ambitious art and animation. The midquel had a surprisingly large budget for most DTV fare (enough to gain a theatrical release in several regions), resulting in animation and visuals that can ''almost'' match the original, and are at least on par with the animation of Disney's 90's features. Having Creator/AndreasDeja supervise certainly helped.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: AwesomeMusic/BruceBroughton tries his very best to match the elegance of the first film's soundtrack in the {{Interquel}}, and doesn't do too bad a job at it. The {{Leitmotif}} that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PSAsYPUuDY represents Bambi and the Great Prince's relationship is particularly moving]].
* BadassDecay: The Great Prince has been humanized and developed more as a character, turning into at first reluctant but later loving (and sometimes even silly) father. While many fans see this as a good thing, it did cause him to lose much of that mysterious, quiet, serious, kingly dignity and majesty he practically radiated every scene he's in the first film, which many other fans see as a loss.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ronno. Depending on who you ask, he's either a [[RoundedCharacter surprisingly fleshed out]] and [[LoveToHate entertaining rival]] to Bambi whose presence helps to elevate the films rather [[ClicheStorm by-the-numbers story]], or an unmemorable cookie-cutter kiddy bully who adds nothing of real value to the film and would have been better off removed.

** The midquel with many fans of the original. Is it another cheap and pointless direct-to-video cash grab movie, or is it one of few Disney sequels that is up to par with the original? Is the plot and character handling more depthful and fill loose ends of the first, or is it derailment of the original's artistic approach in favour of contemporary clichés? Not to mention whether it was worth choosing a midquel when Bambi [[Literature/{{Bambi}} already had a sequel to adapt]].
** As stated under FanDislikedExplanation, the more character-driven nature of the plot is particularly contentious. Many fans of the original believe it completely misses the point of it being an intentionally vague caricature of nature driven by ambience, while others believe the more humanised character study format and WorldBuilding serves better than [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks retreading the same steps of the first film]] like so many other Disneytoons sequels. In general, the preference depends on those who appreciate Bambi more as a film or a character respectively.
** The vocal pop songs. Some fans of the film love it, while others (including [[CreatorBacklash some of the films staff]]) feel they're [[{{Narm}} cheesy]] and [[SoundtrackDissonance painfully out of place]] with the films tone and otherwise orchestral score.[[note]]It bears noting that the film initially used the entire score for the first film as temp tracks, and the pop songs werent done until much later in production[[/note]]
* CantUnhearIt: Go on, just try to read the original book or adaptations of the original Disney movie now without hearing Creator/PatrickStewart's take on the Great Prince of the Forest in this movie. Same with Creator/AlexanderGould's take on Bambi.

** Hell the entire final climax involving the cute fawn-era Bambi [[TookALevelInBadass taking escalating levels in badass]] is oddly satisfying considering his ([[WeirdAlEffect sometimes undeserved]]) legacy with {{Bambification}} and Disney's TastesLikeDiabetes reputation.
* ClicheStorm: One of the main criticisms of the film is that the story is a rather by-the-numbers and [[TastesLikeDiabetes overly childish]] take on the [[WellDoneSonGuy "Wayward son tries to earn the approval of his]] [[ParentsAsPeople stern, emotionally aloof parent]] [[ComingOfAgeStory by maturing]]" plot, a story thats been done before by [[WesternAnimation/AladdinAndTheKingOfThieves several]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}} other]] [[WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie Disney]] [[WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle cartoons]][[note]]in fact, ''[[WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove Kronks New Groove]]'', which was released just a year before ''Bambi II'', had just such a plot as its conflict, albiet [[PlayedForLaughs presented in a more comical way]][[/note]] and way too many live action movies to count. Not helping is that, being a [[{{Interquel}} midquel]], a viewer would [[ForegoneConclusion already know how its going to end]], so its events are seen by some as an ultimately [[MissionPackSequel superflous addition to the original]]. The general idea of conflict being sprung by tension between the parent and their ward was [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea absolutely]] [[WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook2 nothing]] [[WesternAnimation/ReturnToNeverLand new]] [[WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie for]] [[WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTrampIIScampsAdventure Disneytoons']] films, much less animated films, in general either. Even the films most popular character, Ronno, is often seen as a rather standard bully character thats common to animated cartoons. While ''Bambi II'' is at least often praised for being one of Disney's more heartfelt examples in execution and balancing it with a few clever expansions on the original film, it still relatively feels much more formulaic than [[ToughActToFollow the very unique flow of its predecessor.]]
* ContestedSequel: While it's near unanimously agreed that the first ''Bambi'' is a far bigger milestone as a film and an animated work, some fans contest they prefer ''Bambi II'' story-wise due to its more uplifting tone and rounded characters. Others detest it for that very reason, deeming it a more childish ClicheStorm compared to the more nuanced and artistic direction of the first film. It is at least often regarded as one of ''Disney Toon Studios''' most effortful attempts at a follow-up film, though whether that is saying much is also up for debate.

** There are fans who ship young Ronno and Faline together, even though the two dont interact much in-canon and what little interaction there is shows that Faline at ''most'' grudgingly tolerates Ronno's precense and at worst is outright repulsed him (and to say nothing of him trying to ''rape'' her when they're grown ups).
** [[FoeYayShipping Shipping young Bambi and Ronno together]] is a surprisingly popular fan pairing, even though it makes no sense whatsoever due to the two hating each others guts by the end, with Ronno in particular having nothing but [[ArchEnemy absolute contempt for his rival]].
* DracoInLeatherPants: Due to his significantly expanded character, [[TheBully Ronno]] tends to get portrayed a lot more sympathetically, sometimes being turned into a JerkAssWoobie or AntiHero, in fanfiction than he is in the movie, where he's an [[HateSink unsympathetic bully]] who only got worse as he got older.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Next to the Great Prince, the movies portrayal of Ronno as a fawn is probably the most popular (if [[BaseBreakingCharacter divisive]]) part of the film and has spawned a fairly large amount of fanart and fanfiction.
* FanficFuel: ''Bambi II'' caused a lot of attraction towards the franchise in this regard, since while it filled in parts (but not all) missing in the original storyline, it also made the previously vague work much more character driven, leaving broader archetypes and relationships for fan writers to play around with (particularly regarding [[BrokenBird Bambi]] and his relationships with [[BrokenAce his father]] and [[TheRival Ronno]]).
* FanDislikedExplanation: Most detractors of ''Bambi II'' criticize the films more thorough CharacterDevelopment of the cast (especially of [[BrokenAce the Great Prince]] and [[AlwaysSecondBest Ronno]]), arguing that it misses the entire point of the first film, which was primarily a nuanced environmental perspective piece with sparse dialogue and elements and characters [[TheyPlottedAPerfectlyGoodWaste intentionally left ambiguous and vague]]. The broader characterizations have some fans on the other hand, with some of them believing it to be an improvement on the original film's.

* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Prior to ''Bambi II'', Creator/PatrickStewart had wanted a role in a Disney film for nearly two decades, but other projects got in the way. He ended up voicing a character from one of Disney's most iconic franchises.

* JerkassWoobie: The Great Prince. He genuinely wants what is best for his son, but unfortunately, his aloof, unaffectionate nature and insistence on tradition leads him to be unintentionally rejectful towards Bambi emotionally at first. Being pained by the death of his mate helps matters even less.

* LoveToHate: The films take on Ronno gets this reaction from fans. He's an obnoxious jackass at ''best'' and a throughly despicable sociopath in the making by the end of it. But he's also considered by some viewers to be a surprisingly rounded and entertaining take on the bully-type character, and he's just so unlucky and pitiful, that you can't help but love him regardless.

** During the otherwise [[NightmareFuel very tense deer call scene]], when the Great Prince screams "Run Bambi!" after seeing the glint on a hunters rifle, his mouth movement is briefly but noticably [[OffModel exaggerated to downright cartoonish, ridiculous looking proportions]] that look more at home on a ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' character than someone as serious and naturalistically animated as him.
** The film treats Mena being trapped by Man (via a rope that tangles her leg up) as a serious situation due to the looming threat of Man's hounds coming her and the fawns way. After Bambi distracts the dogs, cue the Great Prince [[BigDamnHeroes showing up and]]...[[MundaneSolution biting the rope hard enough to snap it]], which is something Mena [[IdiotBall should have easily been able to do herself]] and save both her ''and'' Bambi a lot of trouble.
** Bambi's DisneyDeath at the end is so painfully forced and cliche, that its very difficult to take it seriously, especially since you'd know from the ending of the first film that, [[ForegoneConclusion no, he's not really going to die.]] Making matters worse is that the editing and staging unintentionally gives the impression that Bambi didn't fall ''that'' far, making it seem like the Great Prince was seriously overreacting to the whole thing.

** The birds' "MAAAANNN" crow is kinda cheesy in concept, but the voice distortion making it sound like a proper bird call gives it a genuinely creepy touch.

* SoOkayItsAverage: While ''Bambi II'' is considered among the better Disney sequels, few consider it to be as good as the original movie and it is usually seen as average at best. Generally the animation and premise are often praised, but the midquel as a whole is considered to lack the artistic ambition of the original, being a more formulaic Disney story, with tweaks like the altered characterisations, larger reliance on dialogue, and contemporary pop songs being very divisive. In short, you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who truly loves ''or'' hates this film.
* SpecialEffectsFailure: Late in the film, in a scene shortly before Friend Owl introduces Bambi to Mena, [[https://c8.alamy.com/comp/BPPK8P/bambi-father-bambi-ii-bambi-2-bambi-and-the-great-prince-of-the-forest-BPPK8P.jpg theres a shot]] where Bambi freezes alert in front of the Prince when he senses danger (who is just doing it to mess with Bambi) but the large size of Bambi's drawing combined with the even perspective of the background ruins the forced perspective and unintentionally gives the impression that Bambi suddenly grew to a size even larger than his dad!

** Elements of the midquel that seem like new additions to the series, such as humanizing the characters personalities more, were already present not only in older spin off materials of the film (e.g. the many Dell comics and storybooks starring the characters and Osamu Tezuka's manga adaptation), but even in Felix Salten's own sequel to the original novel, ''Bambi's Children''.

** Many viewers think that Ronno is a {{Canon Foreigner}}. They don't recognize him as the buck that Bambi fought in the original film, namely due to a slightly different colour palette and the fact he was voiceless and nameless in the original. Also, this was ''not'' Ronno's first appearance as a fawn; that would be in Osamu Tezuka's manga adaptation of Bambi, which predates the midquel by several decades.
** The midquel seemingly [[RetCon retcons]] the events of the original film by having the spring where Bambi is a yearling take place at least another year after his mother's death instead of the immediate Spring after. But the newspaper comic adaptation of Bambi clarifies that this was always intended to be the case with the first film, pointing out that the later part of it did in fact take place over a year after that fateful winter.

* TastesLikeDiabetes: While the first ''Bambi'' was infamously cloying, it was partially down to WeirdAlEffect, with the film relying on more subtle imagery and at times becoming ''much'' darker. ''Bambi II'' however, while similarly rounded, amps up the cutesy cartoon animal behaviour and dialogue in some parts of the story, particularly the "Being brave" montage and the opening scenes with the groundhog.

* ToughActToFollow: Unlike most of Disney's sequels, ''Bambi II'' has garnered something of a CultClassic reputation due to much better animation and story direction. But even those who love the {{Interquel}}, and hell, [[CreatorBacklash even some of the actual creative team]], will often admit it couldn't hope to match one of Disney's first and most iconic animated films.
* UnintentionallySympathetic: Ronno to a fault. Yes, he's [[HateSink clearly meant to be an unlikable jackass]], being a cocky bully and lying coward who deserved to be taken down a peg or two and absolutely crossed the line by goading Bambi into a fight by making fun of his dad sending him to live with a stepmom, which indirectly nearly got both Bambi and Mena killed. But he's also playing second fiddle to a younger fawn who, in his eyes, [[PrivilegedRival was born with a silver wheat in his mouth]] and seemingly ups him at everything he does without effort, and it's implied that his bullying and fragile, haughty ego is a result of a FriendlessBackground (however, it's entirely possible it was the other way around and his attitude as is isn't helping his case). And the aforementioned bit of nearly getting Bambi and Mena killed by hunting dogs was a complete accident on his part and him running off, while cowardly, was something he was specifically told to do by Mena. Heck, if he wasn't so [[ItsAllAboutMe obnoxiously self-centered]] and [[SmallNameBigEgo egotistical]], he'd be an outright sympathetic, if still heavily flawed, character. While it does '''not''' excuse any of his actions, it's at least somewhat understandable why he'd act like such a horse's ass, hence why he [[DracoInLeatherPants tends to get more sympathetic treatment in fanfiction.]]

** Deconstructed for Ronno, with his fawn counterpart portrayed as a loudmouthed, cowardly bully who sours over [[AlwaysSecondBest Bambi constantly upstaging him]]. Of course this takes place before his role in the first film, so it varies whether it's [[FridgeHorror more or less unsettling]] that this Ronno will still [[FromNobodyToNightmare become the sinister, eerily silent menace]] he is as an adult.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The midquel also set itself apart from most Disney sequel fare by having an impressive animation budget. Some of the forest shots are as lush as the original film and some impressively animated panning shots are used.
* TheWoobie: Bambi infamously losing his mother as a fawn already solidified him as one of Disney's codifying Woobies. The {{Interquel}} only furthers this due to his [[WellDoneSonGuy somewhat contentious upbringing by his father]] afterwards.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Ronno to a fault. Yes, he's [[HateSink clearly meant to be an unlikable jackass]], being a cocky bully and lying coward who deserved to be taken down a peg or two and absolutely crossed the line by goading Bambi into a fight by making fun of his dad sending him to live with a stepmom, which indirectly nearly got both Bambi and Mena killed. But he's also playing second fiddle to a younger fawn who, in his eyes, [[PrivilegedRival was born with a silver wheat in his mouth]] and seemingly ups him at everything he does without effort, and it's implied that his bullying and fragile, haughty ego is a result of a FriendlessBackground (however, it's entirely possible it was the other way around and his attitude as is isn't helping his case). And the aforementioned bit of nearly getting Bambi and Mena killed by hunting dogs was a complete accident on his part and him running off, while cowardly, was something he was specifically told to do by Mena. Heck, if he wasnt so [[ItsAllAboutMe obnoxiously self-centered]] and [[SmallNameBigEgo egotistical]], he'd be an outright sympathetic, if still heavily flawed, character. While it does '''not''' excuse any of actions, its at least somewhat understandable why he'd act like such a horses ass, hence why he [[DracoInLeatherPants tends to get more sympathetic treatment in fanfiction.]]

* {{Wangst}}: Bambi has this moment in ''Bambi II'' when he discovers his father was planning to send him off to live with another doe. And this is after they actually began to develop a bond with each other! And why? All because it's "[[BecauseDestinySaysSo what a prince would do]]." It actually gets Bambi so upset that he tells his dad:
-->'''Bambi:''' I wish Mother was here [[CallingTheOldManOut instead]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome of]] [[IWishedYouWereDead YOU!]]

* CantUnhearIt: Go on, just try to read the original book or adaptations of the original Disney movie now without hearing Creator/PatrickStewart's take on the Great Prince of the Forest in this movie. Same with Alexander Gould's take on Bambi.

** As stated under FanDislikedInterpretation, the more character-driven nature of the plot is particularly contentious. Many fans of the original believe it completely misses the point of it being an intentionally vague caricature of nature driven by ambience, while others believe the more humanised character study format and WorldBuilding serves better than [[ItsTheSameSoItSucks retreading the same steps of the first film]] like so many other Disneytoons sequels. In general, the preference depends on those who appreciate Bambi more as a film or a character respectively.

** [[FoeYayShipping Shipping young Bambi and Ronno together]] is a surprisingly popular fan pairing, even though it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever when you consider the two end up growing to hate each others guts in-canon, with Ronno in particular having nothing but [[ArchEnemy absolute contempt for his rival]].
* DracoInLeatherPants: [[TheBully Ronno]] tends to get portrayed a lot more sympathetically, sometimes being turned into a JerkAssWoobie or AntiHero, in fanfiction than he is in the movie(s), where he's an [[HateSink unsympathetic bully]] who only got worse as he got older.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Next to the Great Prince, the movies portrayal of Ronno as a fawn is probably the most popular part of the film and has spawned a fairly large amount of fanart and fanfiction.

* FanDislikedExplanation: Most detractors of ''Bambi II's'' more thorough CharacterDevelopment of the cast (especially of [[BrokenAce the Great Prince]] and [[AlwaysSecondBest Ronno]]) stem from the fact that the first film was primarily an environmental perspective piece with elements and characters [[TheyPlottedAPerfectlyGoodWaste intentionally left ambiguous and vague]]. The broader characterizations have some fans on the other hand, with some of them believing it to be an improvement on the original film's.

* LoveToHate: The films take on Ronno gets this reaction from fans. He's an obnoxious jackass at ''best'' and a throughly despicable sociopath in the making by the end of it, but he's also considered a surprisingly rounded and entertaining take on the bully-type character and he's just so unlucky and pitiful, that you can't help but love him regardless.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ronno. Depending on who you ask, he's either a [[RoundedCharacter surprisingly rounded]] and [[LoveToHate entertaining rival]] to Bambi whose presence helps elevate the films rather [[ClicheStorm by-the-numbers story]], or an unmemorable, cookie-cutter kiddy bully who adds nothing of real value to the film and would have been better off removed.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ronno. Depending on who you ask, he's either a [[RoundedCharacter surprisingly rounded]] and [[LoveToHate entertaining rival]] to Bambi whose presence helps elevate the films rather by-the-numbers story, or an unmemorable, cookie-cutter kiddy bully who adds nothing of real value to the film and would have been better off removed.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ronno. While he receives the DracoInLeatherPants treatment from a large portion of the series fanbase, there's also a portion of viewers who consider him one of the worst aspects of the film, mainly due to percieving him as being a rather generic [[TheBully bully]] character, and believe that the movie would have been better if he was removed.

* CantUnhearIt: Go on, just try to read the original book or adaptations of the original Disney movie now without hearing Creator/PatrickStewart's take on the Great Prince of the Forest in this movie.

* SignatureScene: The scene with Bambi's pathetic attempt at roaring, due to it being a somewhat popular meme.

* ClicheStorm: One of the main criticisms of the film is that the story is a rather by-the-numbers and [[TastesLikeDiabetes overly childish]] take on the [[WellDoneSonGuy "Wayward son tries to earn the approval of his]] [[ParentsAsPeople stern, emotionally aloof parent]] [[ComingOfAgeStory by maturing]]" plot, a story thats been done before by [[WesternAnimation/AladdinAndTheKingOfThieves several]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Tarzan}} other]] [[WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie Disney]] [[WesternAnimation/ChickenLittle cartoons]][[note]]in fact, ''[[WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove Kronks New Groove]]'', which was released just a year before ''Bambi II'', had just such a plot as its conflict, albiet [[PlayedForLaughs presented in a more comical way]][[/note]] and way too many live action movies to count. Not helping is that, being a [[{{Interquel}} midquel]], a viewer would [[ForegoneConclusion already know how its going to end]], so its events are seen by some as an ultimately [[MissionPackSequel superflous addition to the original]]. The general idea of conflict being sprung by tension between the parent and their ward was [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea absolutely]] [[WesternAnimation/TheJungleBook2 nothing]] [[WesternAnimation/ReturnToNeverLand new]] [[WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie for]] [[WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTrampIIScampsAdventure Disneytoons']] films, much less animated films, in general either. While ''Bambi II'' is at least often praised for being one of Disney's more heartfelt examples in execution and balancing it with a few clever expansions on the original film, it still relatively feels much more formulaic than [[ToughActToFollow the very unique flow of its predecessor.]]

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ronno. While he receives DracoInLeatherPants treatment from some fans, there's also a portion who considers him one of the worst aspects of the film due to percieving him as being a generic [[TheBully bully]] character, and believes that the movie would have been better if he was removed.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Ronno. While he receives DracoInLeatherPants treatment from some fans, there's also a portion who considers him one of the worst aspects of the film, seeing him as a generic [[TheBully bully]] character, and believes that the movie would have been better if he was removed.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: Ronno to a fault. Yes, he's [[HateSink clearly meant to be unlikable]], being a cocky bully and lying coward who deserved to be taken down a peg or two and absolutely crossed the line by goading Bambi into a fight by making fun of his dad sending him to live with a stepmom, which indirectly nearly got both Bambi and Mena killed. But he's also playing second fiddle to a younger fawn who, in his eyes, [[PrivilegedRival was born with a silver wheat in his mouth]] and seemingly ups him at everything he does without effort, and it's implied that his bullying and fragile, haughty ego is a result of a FriendlessBackground (however, it's entirely possible it was the other way around and his attitude as is isn't helping his case). And the aforementioned bit of nearly getting Bambi and Mena killed by hunting dogs was a complete accident on his part and him running off, while cowardly, was something he was specifically told to do by Mena. While it does '''not''' excuse any of actions, its at least somewhat understandable why he'd act like such an horses ass, hence why he [[DracoInLeatherPants tends to get more sympathetic treatment in fanfiction.]]

** Does Bambi realize the true fate of his mother? The midquel implies via a late night conversation between Bambi and his father that he doesn't even realize what really happened to her, and naively assumes that she's simply missing and resting elsewhere. Or, going by an earlier scene where he quietly and melancholicly asks "She's never coming back, is she?" to his father, its possible that he ''does'' know and simply doesn't comprehend what death really is due to his young age.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: A big source of why [[HateSink Ronno]] tends to get [[DracoInLeatherPants a lot of sympathetic portrayals in fanfiction]]. Is his bullying and fragile, haughty ego an end result of a FriendlessBackground preventing him from having a proper moral compass and social skills, and thus driving him to [[MilesGloriosus act like a braggart and do ambitious things just for attention]] or to get a leg up over [[PrivilegedRival his rival]], or is it the other way around, with his situation being caused entirely by having such a bad attitude in the first place?

** The shot where Bambi attempts to roar is a fairly popular video to use for editing in different sound effects over Bambi's bleating, such as Franchise/Godzilla's roar or another character swearing.

** The film treats Mena being trapped by Man (via a rope that tangles her leg up) as a serious situation due to the looming threat of Man's hounds coming her and the fawns way. After Bambi distracts the dogs, cue the Great Prince [[BigDamnHeroes showing up and]]...biting the rope hard enough to snap it, something Mena [[IdiotBall should have easily been able to do herself]] and save both her ''and'' Bambi a lot of trouble.

* LoveToHate: The films take on Ronno gets this reaction from fans. He's a obnoxious jackass at ''best'' and a throughly despicable sociopath in the making by the end of it, but he's also considered a surprisingly rounded and entertaining take on the bully-type character and he's just so unlucky and pitiful, that you can't help but love him regardless.

** "A prince does ''not'' 'woo-hoo'."[[labelnote:explanation]]The Great Prince chiding Bambi early on when he gets excited about tagging along with him to look after the herd. Patrick Stewart takes what would otherwise be an incredibly ridiculous line regardless of context and pulls it off with complete conviction]], making it one of the funniest lines in the movie.[[/labelnote]]

** "A prince does ''not'' 'woo-hoo'."[[labelnote:explanation]]The Great Prince chiding Bambi early on when he gets excited about tagging along with him to look after the herd. Patrick Stewart takes what would otherwise be an incredibly ridiculous line regardless of context and pulls it off with complete conviction]], making it one of the funniest lines in the movie.[[/labelnote))

* MemeticMutation: The shot where Bambi attempts to roar is a fairly popular video to use for editing in different sound effects over Bambi's bleating, such as Franchise/Godzilla's roar or another character swearing.

* LoveToHate: The films take on Ronno gets this reaction from fans. He's a truly awful person, but he's also considered a surprisingly rounded and entertaining take on the bully-type character.