Dumbo (2019)

                                                          Movie Review: Dumbo 

Disney has been very hit and miss with their live action versions of their classic films, from my vantage more miss than hit.  So much so, I’m about ready to write them all off as a loss and forgo seeing them at the theater.  Then I saw the first trailer for Dumbo (2019).  The lullaby, Baby Mine and the feather drifting across the screen alone had me fighting to hold back tears.  With the addition of the film being helmed by Tim Burton, I grabbed a nap and headed to the theater opening day.

First off, apologies.  I’m not really sure how I feel about this one.  Even as I sat in the theater, I was trying to put my finger on what it was I was thinking/feeling about what I was watching.  So, this may not be the most coherent review as I attempt to suss out my thoughts.

Okay, off the bat, I gotta say this live action CGI version of Dumbo is one of the cutest elephants you’ll ever see.  The kids in the theater were absolutely losing their minds every time he’s on screen.  Plenty of screams of “he’s soooo cuuuute” throughout the film.  I’m pretty sure there were a few adults joining in on that as well.  No doubt the cute factor played into having a number of said kids actually cheer/applaud a character death.  First time I’ve experienced that, rather unsettling for sure.

Anyway, while the character of Dumbo and by and large the film itself is undeniably cute, there’s not a lot more to carry the film. Yes, there’s some amazing sets and the visuals are stunning.  For the Tim Burton fans there’s a definite Burton-esque “feel/look” that gives the picture a slightly skewed otherworldliness vibe, but that’s about it.   I have to categorize this as another, “I didn’t hate it, but I certainly didn’t love it (and I wanted to)” film.  Danny Elfman’s score is good, but I found myself missing/wishing for the original Disney songs from 1941.  I mean really, no “When I See An Elephant Fly” in a Dumbo movie?!  Sacrilegious! The pacing is uneven and especially slow at the beginning.  I found myself just waiting for Dumbo to appear so we could get things started.

Therein lies the problem.  Whenever Dumbo is on the screen, the film is without a doubt at its most delightful, fun, emotional, and engaging.  And I think that fact is the crux of why the film is a bit of a disappointment.  Unlike the original animated film where the story is told from Dumbo’s pov, the 2019 version is told from multiple human characters pov.  So much so, that Dumbo becomes a secondary character instead of the main focus!  Huh?!  A certain WTF were you thinking decision if there ever was one.

Speaking of the human characters.  Wow, not at all what I expected/wanted given the caliber of actors involved.  Colin Farrell, Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, Eva Green, Alan Arkin give it their best shots, but it’s not enough.  They aren’t given a lot to work with given the expanded storyline. The characters are stiff, two-dimensional (at best), have little or no chemistry within the story or to one another, and come off as flat, emotionally void cardboard cutouts being moved around the set garnering no vested interest from the audience.  The two kids?  Even worse.  They’d have to step up their game at least three -fold to be worthy of disdain.  Nico Parker, I realize she’s a child, but her performance isn’t even Razzie worthy.

All told Dumbo (2019) is a standard somewhat bland film with all the creativity and imagination given to the visuals and little to the story itself.  Again, while not bad, it’s far from great and feels more like it's on autopilot than an honest attempt to reimagine a beloved classic family film.  On the Disney live action scale, Dumbo is a huge step up from Cinderella and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, but nowhere as good as Maleficent or Beauty and the Beast.  Kids will certainly love it and while I’m no worse off for having seen it, can’t say that I plan a repeat viewing.  Dumbo (2019) gets 5 pink elephants from me.