Dumbo (2019)

When looking back on Disney in the 1940s, there's an obvious difference to how the company was back then compared to now. In that period of time, their animated films may have had the vices of that era (alcohol, smoking, racism that was the norm for them, etc.) but their charm was in full display via their priority as being an animation studio first and a corporation second. Nowadays they are creating a monopoly by how much of a corporation it has become while being an animation studio second as their projects feel more safe and lacking the charm of their predecessors through their live action remakes. I dislike the live action remakes on principle and in practice as it's not only lazy for Disney to do this to their animated classics but how they're busy trying to make something old better instead of crafting an original idea. This brings us to this new remake of Dumbo, which was directed by Tim Burton and written by Ehren Kruger (Rings, Transformers 2-4). The marketing seemed to spark some interest that the original classic could have more good material to expand it but the film received a mixed critical reception. I entered the auditorium ready to see if this remake would be one of the better ones and I left it very underwhelmed.

My Thoughts on Dumbo (1941): I'm still impressed that this this short classic Disney film still has the heart and charm through it's visual display. The pain of being ostracized by those around him while experiencing some of the oddities of the circus are a treat to watch. It's definitely a product of its time between the racism of the crows and faceless black workers as well as the smoking and drinking involved. The visual storytelling is simple enough to gain sympathy for the protagonist as he struggles to rise above the abuse he faces from everyone, resulting in a heartfelt shine that does its job well. Yes, that pink elephant sequence is still trippy and very cool to watch. As mentioned before, this was the film where the House of Mouse was an animation studio first and a corporation second.

What's it about? This story follows a family working at a failing circus who encounter a baby elephant with large ears that can fly. The story has some aspects working for it in attempting to make sure it's palatable for modern audiences (or at least the studios interpretations of this). The racism from the original has been cleaned out (either they killed those infamous crows off-screen or they died from their smoking habits). In addition to that, any substances that's not very suitable for families such as smoking or drinking is out of sight ("no alcohol for the baby!"). It's not afraid to a little animal abuse type of bits to bring the sympathy points for the elephant in question (mainly in the first act). One weird memorable aspect that did stay was the pink elephant sequence, which isn't trippy or scary for younger audiences but is instead pretty cute to look at for a minute or two.

However, what's holding back the script this time around is attempting to work through the limitations of the realism it's aiming for. There aren't talking animals to lean on so it tries to lean on the recycled human character beats from their recent films (a single dad and his children struggling after the death of the mom). It doesn't feel like effort was placed in making these developments feel authentic but instead feels like another corporate product that's trying to look like it has substance when it doesn't. In fact, most of the events of the original are placed in the first act while the rest of the film is their standard fair of shenanigans that I'm sure their movies from last year have done.

How many Tim Burton cliches are here? The Burton movie ingredients that are here include good looking set design in the huge amusement parks, the ostracized protagonist, and a conniving evil businessman. It might have his name stamped onto it, but it's less of a Burton movie and more of a standard Disney cleanup remake flick. In fact, that white pale makeup others would associate with him is rarely used (namely the clown paint) as they are spending money on the other effects. Additionally, the weird circus folk in the troupe that he would normally use don't serve much of a purpose except as figures who have sympathy for the bullied baby elephant but don't contribute anything until the third act.

How's the titular elephant? With the limitations of what they were capable of doing with the animals, Dumbo is actually demoted to a minor role status due to the humans being relied on with carrying the film. The best way to describe this is with Burton's older project Beetlejuice where that title character doesn't appear that much either but that maniac made a strong impression, unlike this infant. The little guy has his adorable moments, however, it's difficult to remember the sympathy for him because he's overshadowed by a crowded script.

How's everyone else? In regards to the actors, there are two MVPs who definitely help in making this family flick watchable: Max Medici (Danny DeVito) and Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell). Danny is very reliable in having a screen presence that conveys the desperation in trying to make money and the caring nature towards his circus crew. Colin Farrell proves that his talent is underrated as his acting showcases the potential strength the movie could have had if the writing was as great as his talents. If most of the screen time was focused on them and the number of characters involved was reduced, it would have been a more smooth ride.

However, two dishonorable mentions hinder any chances to prevent the experience from being dull: Milly Farrier (Nico Parker) and V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton). The former is in the case of being miscast for the role where the story follows her around a lot and her terrible delivery is devoid of any emotional attachment (which can be attributed to dialogue where the dead mom is brought up almost every 10-15 minutes and direction from Burton). The latter is equally disappointing where Keaton is attempting to emulate Johnny Depp's style where he's changing his accent frequently and it's out of the actors comfort zone.

Overall Consensus: Dumbo has a difficult time being an engaging memorable remake because of a crowded script lacking charm, mixed quality of acting, and reliance on a tired formulaic approach that ignores the magic of a classic. ⭑⭑3/4💻 Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes PG

Reasons to watch it: You like any of the aforementioned actors. You enjoy these live-action remakes. You are a fan of the 1941 classic and have interest in seeing how it's remade.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You hate these live-action remakes. You aren't a fan of the 1941 classic. You don't like protagonists being overshadowed in their own movie. You want to see a family film with heartfelt genuine charm.