Dumbo Doesn’t Fly Among Burton’s Best

Disney has the habit of coming up with an idea and milking that idea dry, from adapting popular fairy tales to giving those same fairy tales excessive amounts of sequels. In the 2010s, that habit manifested into live action adaptations of their beloved classics after the success of Maleficent, the insanely popular re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty. It took chances, and gave a fresh perspective to one of their most popular antagonists. And how else does a corporate juggernaut celebrate this flash of inspiration? By trying insultingly hard to replicate it, over and over!

In their latest attempt, Dumbo, Circus owner Max Medici enlists Holt Farrier to care for a newborn elephant whose oversize ears make him a laughing stock of an already struggling circus. But when Holt’s children discover that Dumbo can fly, persuasive entrepreneur V. A. Vandevere and an aerial artist named Colette Marchant swoop in to make the peculiar pachyderm a star.

There really isn’t a whole lot to say about this movie. When I heard that Tim Burton was directing it, I was mildly intrigued given his penchant for putting a goth kid flare to everything he creates. I figured he would make an entertaining spectacle of a film with Dumbo, but what I got was rather milquetoast.

It definitely looked good, the CG was solid and Burton’s knack for surreal settings shines without turning into nightmare fuel. But it also felt kinda safe. I honestly can’t put my finger on it, but I was hoping that one of the modern day masters of the macabre would have gone a little bigger.

That sense of playing it safe is clearest in the story’s overall pacing — the movie rushes through every nod to the original as if they were either embarrassed by its legacy or overly excited to show what they did differently. You get a beautiful rendition of “Baby Mine” that is a fantastic homage to the original, while “Elephants on Parade” is literally reduced to a light show.

Music is standard fare from Burton’s longtime collaborated Danny Elfman. If you have seen any Tim Burton film then you know what to expect.

The acting was not award winning, but it was fine. Michael Keaton and Eva Green made great stand ins for Johnny Depp and Helena Bonam Carter. Colin Farrell with a Texan drawl sounds weird, but Danny Devito was easily the most entertaining part of this movie — nobody plays a lovable scoundrel like him.

Dumbo was as a whole unimpressive. I was never the biggest fan of the original and this didn’t change my mind. I honestly have no idea who asked for this. I’m glad I saw this for free because I don’t think it’s worth nearly 20 bucks to see it in IMAX. The kids will probably dig it though.

I give Dumbo (Walt Disney Pictures, PG, 1hr 52mins) a 2 out of 5.