BAMBI: THE RECKONING (2025)

Available On Demand from Amazon from ITN Distribution!
Directed by Dan Allen.
Written by Rhys Warrington, from a novel by Felix Salten.
Check out the trailer here!!

A giant deer is irradiated by spilled toxic waste and attacks a mother and son on their way to a family dinner in the woods. Meanwhile, the rogues who spilled the toxic sludge are trying to cover up their mistake by taking out the irradiated animals in the forest. This doesn’t sit well with the giant horned deer, Bambi. Yeah, the one from the old Disney cartoon.

Oh deer! I mean, dear. Is it possible the folks behind the POOH: BLOOD AND HONEY Universe has made a good movie? Apparently so. Now, BAMBI:THE RECKONING is not going to change the face of cinema as we know it, but it really does nothing to make trend it either. It’s a typical monster movie inspired by an all ages story. Sure, using radioactive waste as the cause of Bambi’s monster-fication might be cliched as all get out. It still is utilizing a monster trope used all the way back to the 1950’s. So it’s a tried and true concept indeed.

Usually in this type of film, the effects can hardly be called inspiring. But the titular beast is rendered quite well. Any inconsistencies and shoddy CGI is smartly covered in shadow, making the monster deer all the more formidable and intimidating. The film really gets a lot of bang for its BUCK …get it? BUCK, as it highlights a ton of monster deer action as it smashes through houses, pursues people through the woods, and beheads people with its horns formidably well. This is one scary deer!

And the rest of the film is ok. Like the original Bambi tale, it’s about about a mother and child attempting to save its family, but realizing that to grow up, you have to leave your parents behind. These themes permeate BAMBI: THE RECKONING as a mother and child flee the deer and the thugs tying to cover up the mess and that child having a coming of age moment in the process. It’s not high drama like DOWNTON ABBEY, but it’s much more than I expected from the movie.

The acting isnt excruciating either. In fact, Roxanne McKey is quite good as the mother. The rest of the cast are t required to do too much acting gymnastics and play their parts well too. Color me surprised! I had a blast with BAMBI: THE RECKONING and if you go in like me not expecting much, you’re in for a hell of a fun monster movie!