If there is anything that is more quintessentially a perfect embodiment of the wholesome image of the Disney brand, it’s BAMBI. Coming home on the Walt Disney Signature collection to Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital, we had the opportunity to review a copy courtesy of our friends at Disney and were enchanted once more with the simple story of life, death, and growing up.

I’ve always had a special connection to Bambi, when I was little I could not be separated from my Bambi pillow. It was washed so much that the vibrant colored artwork faded into a soft dewey set of pastels not unlike the actual colors used in the film.

A film like BAMBI really highlights some of the differences between modern animated features and its early predecessors. What is so incredible about BAMBI and many of the early Disney features was that the artists were constantly finding new ways to tell stories visually utilizing varied techniques, artistic styles, and methods upon which they crafted these literal works of art. The beautiful soft look of the background paintings, the bold believable roundness of 2D characters, the simple yet endearing performances of the characters, it all comes together in a truly unique package that is simply unlike anything seen today today on the commercial level anymore.

Recognizing the unique impact of the film over the years, Disney has compiled a notable assortment of extras to take in with this release as well as adding in some deleted scenes and new extras plus another Oswald the Lucky Rabbit short! Each featurette runs between 3 and 8 minutes long which is to be expected of late instead of the long docu-style pieces of yore. Finding new material to really dive in to this well-covered classic–especially after having so much extensive material released previously–is certainly a daunting task but they’ve managed to turn out some interesting new looks into the legacy of BAMBI.

Check out the recaps of the extras below courtesy of Disney.

  • THE BAMBI EFFECT – “Bambi” was full of innovations for its time. Take a look at how those past innovations affected future Disney animated titles all the way up to today.
  • STUDIO STORIES: “BAMBI” – Recordings of Walt Disney. Listen in on intimate moments where he discusses the challenges, pitfalls and triumphs during the production of “Bambi.”
  • DELETED SCENE: BAMBI’S ICE AND SNOW – Bambi coaxes Thumper and his brothers and sisters to come play on the ice during the first snow.
  • DELETED SCENE: THE GRASSHOPPER – A grasshopper confronts Bambi and Thumper and finds himself in quite a predicament.
  • BAMBI FAWN FACTS – Think you know everything there is to know about Bambi and his forest companions? Well, it’s time to discover some fun real-life facts about the creatures that live in the forest he calls home.
  • OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT: “AFRICA BEFORE DARK” – Oswald Short.
  • CELEBRATING TYRUS WONG (DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE) – A heartfelt look at the man who played a key role in the success of “Bambi.” Much like Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle, Tyrus Wong had a unique signature style all to his own. The soft water-colored backgrounds and beautiful palettes in “Bambi” were inspired by Tyrus’ concept art paintings.

Of course, the new bonus features are joined by several of the previously released features offering the completists out there an unparalleled amount of Bambi-related content to enjoy.

BAMBI Walt Disney Signature Collection on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital is available June 6.