Dumbo (Tim Burton, 2019) USA

Reviewed by Kaio Farkouh.

Disney has been remaking their classic movies into live action films, so far we’ve gotten “The Jungle Book”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Maleficent”, “Cinderella”, “Christopher Robin” and now they just released “Dumbo” and they still have “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” that will come out later this year. Based on amazing stories, so far just one, two at most came up to a point that you could say it was worth the remake of it, which for me are “The Jungle Book” and the underrated, “Cinderella”. With “Dumbo” hitting the big screen, it brings the question like they all these remakes bring, does the remake live up to its original story?

“Dumbo” is based on the classic story of the original animated movie from 1941, called “Dumbo”. The story follows an elephant with big ears, which seemed to be an ugly elephant turns out to be a special one, with the skill to fly and the circus owner sees it as an opportunity to get peoples attention.

Directed by Tim Burton, which is very known fore his visual style from “Alice in Wonderland”, “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and the list goes on, brings an amazing visual to his Dumbo. Even though Dumbo is CGI, which is amazing, and all the production design and the world created for the movie is very well made. And every time Dumbo flies, I had a smile on my face, I truly felt like a kid, at the time that I was watching the original “Dumbo.”

However, the movie lacks in storytelling, when the first movie was more about Dumbo finding his true potential, and fighting to be with his mom again. On this remake, there is a lot going on. The circus company failing apart, a family who is trying to reconnect with his dad, and the big corporations that explore and abuse animals looking for profit. With an all-star that includes Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Eva Green, Danny DeVito, Alan Arkin, the movie definitely not have space and time for all of them, besides Danny DeVito, who does a good job.

“Dumbo” is not a misfired by Disney, but definitely does not fly high like the original did, with an amazing cast that does not have much to do, “Dumbo” focus more in a story that shows how the big corporations threat animals and their interest in profits, and also the reconnection between families.

“Dumbo” trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWpGdITSR4


About this entry