Dumbo (2019)

Directed by: Tim Burton

Written by: Ehren Kruger, based on Disney’s Dumbo by Otto Englander, Joe Grant, and Dick Huemer and Dumbo by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl

Starring:

Colin Farrell as Holt Farrier

Michael Keaton as V.A. Vandevere

Danny DeVito as Max Medici

Eva Green as Colette Marchant

Alan Arkin as J. Griffin Remington

Rated PG for peril/action, some thematic elements, and brief mild language

Runtime: 112 minutes

Disney has been on a remake spree, including both the Walt Disney animated classics and the Disney Renaissance animated films. Some of the remakes have produced great results (i.e. Beauty and the Beast [2017]) and some have …not (The Jungle Book [2016] – just ask my wife). This trend makes me wonder if Disney is running out of ideas and decided to remake these movies to entertain the current generation of young filmgoers. I hope not. If I were to put my two cents in, they should just re-release the original films into theaters.

Side note from Ryan’s wife, Cheree: The magic of Disney will never run out of steam (Steamboat Willy, anyone? No? Okay.). This is simply Disney’s way of reimagining the classics to draw in a whole new generation of Disney addicts. This also gives them a chance to update some of the older films’ references that are racist/sexist/etc. Whether or not those references were a sign of their time is a conversation for another day.

Before Disney owned it, LucasFilm re-released the original Star Wars films in theaters with updated graphics and sound. This reignited the fans’ passion for the series, stirring up excitement and anticipation for the (then-upcoming) prequel trilogy, starting with The Phantom Menace (1999). No remake was required. I wouldn’t recommend that path for any filmmaker. If you’re going to do it, do it right the first time – then come up with new stories to tell. Here is an article I wrote about keeping Star Wars as is.

Back to the topic at hand! I was excited walking into Dumbo. Based on the previews, I knew it would be a delightful tale filled with moments that would awe both children and adults. In a rare feat for Hollywood, the trailer was a good representation of the finished product – the movie was excellent.

I liked the original Dumbo (1941), but it had too many musical numbers (my wife is glaring at me), with some of them being ethically questionable (Cheree concedes this point – see her sidebar above). They were probably included to keep the film in the feature-length runtime, otherwise, the plot itself would have only lasted for about a half-hour. Cheree is ranting about an excess of musical numbers being a requisite in Disney classics…and making up the majority of her iTunes library. The original still had its good moments, but the remake blew it out of the water.

I think one of the things I liked most was that it had a human element to the story. We are introduced to Milly and Joe Farrier (newcomers Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins) as they await the arrival of their father Holt (Colin Farrell). Holt comes home from fighting in World War I, but he’s missing an arm. His children take no time getting used to their father’s new appearance and are delighted to have him home. Milly even says in the film, “We’re all family here, no matter how small.”

Holt and his wife were the star trick-riding act in a traveling circus, but his wife passed away while Holt was away serving his country. Holt’s return brings new hope to the Farrier family. This was fun to see since we don’t typically see Farrell playing a good-hearted family man. He seems to gravitate more toward shady characters, but Farrell should consider playing these more wholesome characters more often. His southern accent surprised me, but I was impressed by how well he and the children Americanized their accents (both children are English). Parker’s and Hobbins’ performances in the film were also delightful.

The circus is owned by Max Medici (Danny DeVito), who dreams of becoming the next P.T. Barnum. Thankfully, though, he doesn’t let his ambition overshadow his desire to care for his troupe. Medici, just like any other businessman, wants his business to grow, but it seems that his glory days are behind him.

This changes when Max’s new elephant, Mrs. Jumbo, gives birth to baby Jumbo Junior, later known as Dumbo. This derisive moniker was given to the young elephant during his first circus appearance when his unusually large ears make it to the public eye. The impressive CGI that brought little Dumbo to life also gave him a lot of character. I wanted to cry every time Dumbo looked sad – he was so expressively realistic and so sympathetic.

Milly and Joe make sure Dumbo is safe, despite his unusual appearance and treat him well at home. This is essential to Dumbo’s happiness since Max had no choice but to sell Mrs. Jumbo when her protective maternal instincts made her seem violent. The kids soon discover (purely accidentally) that little Dumbo can fly – a happy accident indeed. The kids want to ensure that Dumbo is included in the act so they can get the money needed to reunite Dumbo with his mother.

Dumbo’s abilities attract the attention of V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), a ruthless businessman and owner of Dreamland, a futuristic theme park. Vandevere sees an opportunity to make more money by relocating the circus troupe to his park, but he is more interested in Dumbo. Vandevere’s companion, Colette Marchant (Eva Green), is a famed trapeze artist who is initially reluctant to be in the act. Can you really blame her, though? Who wants to be on the back of a flying elephant when the laws of gravity take over? However, her character becomes more likable as she begins to connect with Max’s circus troupe.

Once the film moved to Dreamland, I tried not to get too lost into that world. I wanted to lean over to my wife in the theater and ask if she wanted to go straight to Disneyland after the movie. It may be a ploy to get the audience into the mood, but I think it’s genius. Dreamland looked like Disneyland of the future, even though the film took place a hundred years ago. The production design was very impressive here. The details were incredible, right down to the narrator throughout the park (“This attraction is now closed.”) being nearly identical to the narrations at Disneyland. I think an Oscar nomination is in order.

I also enjoyed the faithful references to the original film, with a few classic musical numbers being subtly included unobtrusively. The opening show at Dreamland included mesmerizing bubble art, in the shape of elephants, a la the “Pink Elephants on Parade” scene from the original. The film stood out on its own but paid great tributes to the cartoon, and I admired that. The remake of the song “Baby Mine” was also very well done.

Dumbo is a must-see in the theater. It is filled with terrific performances, impressive set designs, and outstanding visual effects. It contains many of the elements that make an excellent film. Whether you are with your kids, or even out on a date with your significant other like I was, you will have a good time.

3.5/4 stars