Animation Source Forums

Once again, I post a late comment on an old topic, but I do have something to say on the matter.

Since everyone cited his personality differences in both films, I'm gonna point out differences in the way he was drawn.

1st Movie: Prince was drawn more realistically. He didn't have any range of emotion in the way he was drawn, mainly the eyes. The were big, empty eyes. I did, however, notice that he appears to be more masculine in his face, but has a slimmer body. His rack in much larger and more impressive in movie 1. His colors are a bit on the drab side and they tend to run together.

2nd movie: Prince is more stylized, with a lot more emotion and depth added to his eyes. He has a never-ending range of emotions (not to mention a British accent which he didn't have in the first movie...but it's all good. Patrick Stewart is cool!) I did notice his face was a bit more feminine, though his body was way buffer then in the 1st. His rack appeared smaller, too. His colors are bolder and more defined; almost garish; which I found to be a pleasure compared to his washed-out colors in the first film.

All in all, there are some aspect about him in the first movie that I liked, and some in the second movie that I liked, too. So, I'm gonna have to say both. I love that in both movies, Prince looks more like an elk then he does a white-tailed deer. It makes him stand out above all the other cervine, that's for sure!

Well said, and I agree actually, now that I think on it (I voted originally for the second movie version). And I think Patrick Stewart brought great life to the character...with his Shakespearean-trained voice and experience as an actor, I don't know who else could have done as well as he did. (And, well, let's face it...if anyone wants to be technical about it, all the characters should have a German accent. )

Oh man... It's hard to choose when this focuses on a character like the Great Prince. Here's my little breakdown on the versions:

"Bambi" Great Prince: I agree with a lot of the comments said so far.

To be honest, he reminds me a lot of the White Wolf from the first Balto movie all throughout the film. In the beginning, he is seen as mysterious and meaningful, a true leader and a wise stag that all deer revere and show respect to. It's not until after Bambi is orphaned that we officially learn that he and the young prince are truly Father and Son. Yeah, I know there were hints - AKA the obvious titles. "Little Prince"? "Great Prince of the Forest?" Of course they have to be related, right? - but as Bambi mourns silently for his mother, it's the Great Prince that comforts him and you could say teaches him that death is as natural as life itself. The picture books do it better and with more words, but the message just by watching is still the same. By the ending, he is a motivator to his son while Bambi feels ready to let an injury weaken his body and spirit. The stag knows that Bambi is destined to take his place as the new Prince, so he stays by his side, making sure that the young Prince not only survives the fiery disaster, but also returns safely to those he will soon have dominion over, including his mate Faline.

I like how he barely speaks, but when he does, it's nothing but wisdom of the important things in the forest that Bambi needs to know - Man's presence, Death, determination and love. Sure, he's not the father figure we'd love to see Bambi have, but meh. Tough love - nothing wrong with it in the world of the wild!




"Bambi II" Great Prince: Hnnng, I have many reasons to love "Bambi II"'s Great Prince. First off, Patrick Stewart. OMG, the tone just screams out "Great Prince", and I know that no other actor could pull off such a loved character better. Obviously, he helps add more depth to this majestic stag.

Then again, the story did a lot of that too. His personality is larger here, and we see that he has a large responsibility over the many herds and uses his senses to keep track of them all. He is strict and not really the father-type of deer - I love how he is true to how deer really act; the does [female deer] raise fawns, not the bucks or stags - but the obvious change happens. He literally begins to bond with him, realizing how important Bambi is to him. D'aww. It's nice to see the Great Prince having fun and saying... "Woo-hoo" for once. It's like Bambi unlocked the kid in the Great Prince, and it's unnecessary, but I thought it was just... too cute, even if it was out of character for him compared to the original film.

In the end, I really can't choose one over the other. Both versions are done well and show different facets of the same character, even with a 50-60 year difference. If I had to choose one, I'd have to go with the original. The mystery he has in every scene he's in, usually without speaking a single word, is just intense.

- Juuchan17

I liked the new one, personally. Admittedly my reasoning isn't so much a matter of artistry as emotion. The Great Prince in the first movie was kind of like the dad I had; the one in Bambi 2 was the dad I wanted, and the dad I hope to be someday. So maybe he's not, in some views, as dramatic as the older one, but he's more inspiring. And let's face it, even grown-ups need movies that inspire as well as entertain. The original Bambi was made to inspire regard for the future of nature; it's only fitting that the second inspire regard for our own.

The first movie. You understood his place and everything about him, even if it wasn't spelled out for you. He's mysterious, but just present enough to understand him as a character. He obviously cares about Bambi and it's clear that he is loving in his own way. That's one of the ways that makes the finale so great: the forest is restored and Bambi takes his father's place. In my opinion, I didn't need to see scenes of young Bambi and the Great Prince playing in the flowers and saying "Yahoo" - nor did I need to see him feel sad about the death of his wife. I didn't need to see ANY of it because Disney did a wonderful job of letting the movie speak for itself and saying so much without saying anything at all.

Ummm....hmmmm. I believe that I like the first version of The Great Prince. He was more of a mystery. And he was more like in the books.