Bambi Meets Godzilla

The first time that I saw this amazing film, I wasn't really paying much attention. I didn't notice the title, and I was casually glancing at the screen every now and then just waiting for something to happen. Then it did. Life just hasn't been the same since...

I remember watching this short when it was bonus material for the video "Godzilla 1985." It was shown right before the feature presentation started. In the video, as "Bambi Meets Godzilla" was shown before "Godzilla 1985," which is the first Godzilla film I've watched, this cartoon was actually the first Godzilla I've encountered, strangely enough. For anything Godzilla-related, this cartoon was the first to bring it to me. What a first impression of Godzilla!

Animated film at its 90-seconds best with a punch line that leaves you giggling as if you have just seen a raunchier moment in the renaissance comedy. I adore the way Rossini's pastoral music is being employed here. Canadian wry humor (and some brilliant animated film history) meet the Bambi ideals of our youthful dreams? You bet! It's like life with its insurance policies when it suddenly steps on your head. And this Godzilla ain't no Inoshiro Honda either! This film has elements of perfection: the simplicity of form, the brevity, the unexpected, the Aesopian morale of the story (ouch, what a punch!)and, best of all, that joyful touch of grouchiness without even being mean-spirited. **** out of 5 stars/or in the IMDB terms 8/10.

Once upon a time there was a 7 year old boy who was staying up in front of the set well past his bedtime. What appeared to be anyway, was an innocuous introduction for a cartoon. An innocent fawn walked onto the screen,grazing so eloquently to the sound of the forest birds chirping so heavenly. So peaceful. Almost gracefully. What could possibly be more harmonious than this virginal rhythm of nature? What could...? What the...?! Where did that come from?! How could this be?! Where's my Mommy!?

BAMBI MEETS GODZILLA has long since been a cult classic and staple at cartoon/animation festivals. Well representative of the counterculture,it has won numerous accolades for best animated short in most quarters. If you haven't seen it yet, it is also featured on Cartoon Network every once in awhile. The last time I saw B.M.G. was about 11 years ago(long after the visceral assault on my prepubescent psyche)on the late nite show NIGHT FLIGHT. It was obviously an underground film,but since you can now find it at BlockBuster and buy it on Amazon.com, I'm not sure how the creators managed to sidestep(unlike you know who!) the Walt Disney Company. The film is no doubt groundbreaking(a relevant term)and had to be the inspiration for such artists as Tim Burton, Matt Groening,Mike Judge,Rob Zombie and Tre Parker to name a few. It's good to see that art can be a device as well as a form of expression.

Seeing as this cartoon is very short (I wouldn't be at all surprised if the opening title and closing credits run longer than the body of the cartoon itself), there are probably more laughs per second here than anything else ever done. The music is perfect, the credits are hilarious and if I write much more, this comment will come dangerously close to taking longer to read aloud than the running time of the cartoon. Bambi should have prepared more for this meeting. Highly recommended.