Disney’s current run of live-action adaptations of their animated classics seem to have fallen into two categories so far. They either improve on/further their respective films or are well made but inferior versions when compared to the animated originals. Whether you look at 2016’s “The Jungle Book” (a flawed but genuine improvement to the 1967 original) or 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast” (a glossy and fun but ultimately pointless remake to the 1991 Disney classic), it’s safe to say that these adaptations will not stop so long as there is a generation with a nostalgic tie to that property. This leads us to this year’s “Dumbo,” a star-studded adaptation to a Disney classic nearing eighty years old. This remake probably would’ve gone under some people’s radar had it not been for the director attached to the project: Tim Burton.
In my opinion, Burton hasn’t created anything truly fantastic in over a decade, especially when compared to his earlier work. That being said though, he’s a director I’ve always been interested in due to his unique vision, choice of actors/actresses, and choice of projects. I’ve wanted to see him create memorable films again and while I didn’t truly expect “Dumbo” to be his return to form, I was curious to see how he’d handle a Disney classic I’m not emotionally attached to. Maybe Burton will improve on the original? With even more time to expand on the original’s ideas, the answer to that question is an astounding...kind of.
Tim Burton’s take on the film starts in 1919 as the elephant Jumbo gives birth to a baby with extremely huge ears, causing him to fall over them and be a tad clumsy. The head of the circus (Danny DeVito’s Max Medici) tasks Colin Farrell’s Holt Farrier, a World War 1 veteran with a missing arm, and his children to take care of the elephants. After the baby elephant’s first show goes horribly wrong, he loses his mother and is given a cruel name: Dumbo. Trying to cheer him up and keep him company, Holt’s children Milly and Joe discover that Dumbo can use his ears to fly. Once Dumbo overcomes his fears to show the circus his talent, he becomes the show’s starring act. That is until Michael Keaton’s shady V.A. Vandevere comes to the show and offers to make Dumbo the next big thing at his new venture: Dreamland.
That’s only the first half of the film. Burton’s 2019 remake speeds through the original film’s plot, getting to Dreamland just around the same time as when Dumbo and his mother live happily ever after in the original. This leads to almost an hour of time to expand on the new characters, Dumbo himself, Dreamland, and other aspects of this adaptation. Unfortunately, that doesn’t end up being the case because the new characters and plot developments are a nice change but nothing substantial. Once the Medici Bros. Circus teams up with Vandevere, the film leaves the original’s roots and starts to follow a noticeable, predictable path of an adventure film with very little real spectacle.
The biggest problem with the film is that the final product is neither worse nor better than the original film. The new characters have very little depth, the performances range from over-the-top to nothing special, the visuals are good but flawed, and the script lacks a real emotional punch. Despite the iconic scene where Dumbo grabs his mom's trunk in a loving fashion, almost all of the film’s emotional moments just fell flat. It really says a lot when, right before the film's finale, very tragic news is said to the Medici Bros. Circus family only to get the most lackluster response I've ever seen from news of that caliber. It honestly bummed me out because the film has so much more potential than it seemed to ever realize.
Speaking of its potential, “Dumbo” honestly has something going for it. Dumbo looks great all the way through the film, the film has very little pacing issues, the score is very reminiscent of the Disney classics of the original’s era, and the acting ensemble is fantastic. They're never given anything memorable but they certainly work it to the best of their abilities. Colin Farrell is an incredible chameleon as the texan Holt, Danny DeVito is a wonderful ham as Max Medici, and Michael Keaton is a devilish antagonist as V.A. Vandevere, seeming as though he’s having way too much with all the scenery he’s chewing. Despite the talented cast having a good time with their characters, it’s the production design that is the true standout of the film.
The film’s production design is striking and dynamic. Unlike the 1941 classic, the remake creates a look that feels authentic to the early twentieth century while also playing around with the era. The Medici Bros. Circus looks like a lived-in, old settlement with advertisements showing all of the acts that were in their prime, including a visual introduction of where Holt stood in the show before he left for World War 1. However, it’s not until the gang heads to Vandevere’s Dreamland where the production design really shines. The attractions, posters, and fonts scream an early theme park with a Tim Burton flair, making a striking introduction in the film. It’s a nostalgic twist on those era’s designs while never feeling like they’re out of place, resulting in an element that truly adds something to the original’s foundation.
Despite its pros and cons though, the hardest thing about Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” is that it’s just okay. I didn’t feel like I wasted my time nor did I feel like the film did enough to make me remember it in a few days. Compared to Disney’s big live-action outings of last year (“Christopher Robin” and “Mary Poppins Returns”), “Dumbo” is underwhelming in almost every way. It’s certainly better than Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” adaptation though I think anyone could tell you that from just watching its first trailer. As I left the theater, I heard some kids and parents talk favorably about the film, making me glad at least some people in theater felt something while watching the movie. In the end, Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” is the perfect Disney film to watch when you’ve seen the Disney classics one too many times.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NiYVoqBt-8]