Looking back at a career that spans roughly four decades, Tim Burton remains one of Hollywood's most unique and talented visionary filmmakers. Directing short films throughout the 70's and early 80's, Burton's success as a director began with studio hit films such as Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, and Batman which later transcended into cult classics such as Edward Scissorshands, Mars Attacks and Sleepy Hollow. Despite a highly impressive track record that represents great versatility as a filmmaker, Burton has had hits and misses with his most recent work in particular which includes Alice In Wonderland and Dark Shadows. While those films contained the visual flair of Burton's previous works, they lack the storytelling and heart that went into his other films that made them special. Burton as a filmmaker does his best work when he picks projects that focus on characters presented as being outsiders in their stories with his traditional dark and gothic mood that makes his films come off as being eccentric in the best ways. Whereas to Disney fans, it may seem odd that such a whacky and eccentric director was chosen to helm one of the studios most precious animated classics. However if one steps back and sees the outsider perspective the main character in the film evokes, they can clearly see why Burton was chosen for this project as he specializes in telling dark and sometimes heartwarming stories centered around these characters. Tim Burton's Dumbo is not a perfect film as it feels slow in certain areas due to the filmmakers effort to extend the story with his live-action effort, but it succeeds as being an effective live-action adaptation that contains both visual flair and most important element of all, a heart.
The storyline for
Dumbo plays out much like the original film with a struggling circus owner Max Medici (Played by Danny Devito), enlisting the help of a former star (Played by Colin Ferrall) and his two children to care for a baby elephant with oversized ears named Dumbo. When the family discovers that Dumbo can fly, they make him the main attraction which leads to huge crowds and revitalizing a run-down circus. When a new venture for the circus is planned, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer. Much has been said about Disney's recent strategy to remake their animated classics in live-action as some fans see the new attempt as a pointless cash grab on peoples nostalgia while others see it as an enhancement of the stories and a brilliant way to reintroduce them to a new generation of audiences in a brand new format. If the movies themselves were poor in quality, one might assume that the first group of fans complaining about the live-action movies would be correct. That is not the case though as each attempt Disney has made thus far to turn their stories into live-action have not only become box office success but ended up being strong films in regards to quality. They don't just copy the exact same film shot for shot, they ground the films with the same story but tell their own version of it adding new characters and plot points to make the experience feel full. The main difference between both versions of
Dumbo is this one has human side characters, that become supportive friends and caretakers for Dumbo whereas it was a mouse in the original helping him achieve his potential. The human characters are presented as being likable and share empathy for Dumbo with the antagonists feeling like true villains in a classic Disney story. What makes the story of
Dumbo special is not just that it revolves around a cute elephant but it has themes that it celebrates honorably with genuine enthusiasm such as acknowledging differences, family bonds, the need for acceptance, staying true to ones morals, and fulfilling personal dreams. The film does such a noble job of handling those themes while maintaining that childlike sense of wonder the original film had when seeing Dumbo in action.
In terms of performances, the main cast of
Dumbo all deliver strong performances with Colin Farrell and Danny Devito making their characters appealing with Farrell's performance coming across as feeling heartfelt and Devito delivering his strongest performance in years. Michael Keaton delivers an equally satisfying performance as the films antagonist along with Eva Green and Alan Arkin. The child actors Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins are especially effective and do great with the parts they have. With all the great performances combined, the audience feels the enthusiasm that the actors have for telling this story as they clearly look like they are having a blast with it while showing devotion to the concept. Everyone was awesome here with the cast outside of the films visuals remaining one of its strongest points that makes the story of Dumbo come alive. Whereas Burton may struggle in the story department with some of his latest films, he has an eye for casting and always manages to excel in that level with this film being no different from his previous ones.
In terms of the films directing and writing, Tim Burton once again delivers his trademark visual flair to the film while giving it a pulse. He presents the character of Dumbo as being impossible to despise and sympathetic when mistreated and exploited for capitalistic purposes. In terms of directing, Burton knows what he wants to show here and does so with absolute confidence in presenting the story on the big screen. He incorporates offbeat humor to the film while presenting Dumbo as a symbol of innocence or an outsider who knows he doesn't fit in with the general crowd but wants to be taken seriously. As director, Burton goes to extreme lengths to make the live-action version of
Dumbo different from the original despite moments where the film legitimately struggles. Those struggles are mostly due to the films writing making it feel slow-paced and padded in the middle portion. Screenwriter Ehren Kruger does his best job to flesh out Dumbos story by adding human characters that care for his well-being, but it sometimes feel after the first hour that the story isn't sure where to go beyond establishing the main characters and setting where the crowds watch Dumbo fly around. What Burton and Kruger do best with the script as a whole is they create an emotional experience for the audience with them witnessing Dumbos journey from his birth to his exploitation in the circus to the moment he becomes free. Whereas the original placed great emphasis on the audience learning that Dumbo can fly, the new version establishes that twist quickly and focuses on the rest of his journey along with the people that care for him along the way. Although the film carries moments of slow pacing at times where the story becomes uneventful in between the beginning and the end, Burton and Kruger deserve major props for attempting to move away from the original and be different by adding to the story.
On a visual note,
Dumbo remains just as appealing as the next live-action Disney film and Tim Burton film as a whole. It's flashy, its magical, and it draws you into the world the story takes place in with stunning art-set decoration and costume design in addition to the impressive visuals that brought Dumbo to life. In terms of music, Danny Elfman once again delivers a solid score and proves that he does some of his best work when teamed up with Tim Burton. The make-up effects and cinematography are top notch adding to the mystical feel behind the story. The CGI work on Dumbo is very good and looks great on the big screen bringing the amazing elephant to life. On a technical note, this film is a delight to watch and delivers on almost every aspect as Burton is one of the visionary masters of Hollywood. Whereas sometimes Burton leans heavier on the visuals which outweigh the storyline at times, here he successfully manages to balance out both in delivering one of his sweetest and most family-friendly films yet that serves as a worthy remake to the original classic.
The new live-action adaptation of
Dumbo is a worthy installment in the recent stream of Disney turning their animated classics into live-action. While it may not be as strong as some of their other recent live-action works such as Jon Favreau's
The Jungle Book, 2017's
Beauty And The Beast or Guy Ritchie's
Aladdin, Tim Burton's
Dumbo still proves to be a pretty good reimagining while ranking as one of Burton's best works in a long time. With
Dumbo, he provides the visuals, the talented cast, Danny Elfman's heartfelt score, and the heart to make it a worthwhile experience while creating an emotional journey for the audience. It wasn't the remake that Disney fans requested in terms of being turned into a live-action story, but it proves to be just as magical and as effective as the others with a great message behind it that says that one shouldn't let others say what they can and cannot do.
Dumbo is a powerful Disney tale about growing up as evident by Dumbo being separated from his mother along with the human characters that mirror his experience. The story also plays as a morality tale against greed, animal cruelty, exploitation, and the desire to set animals free in the vein of
Free Willy with both endings providing hope for the audience. It may not be the best live-action Disney film to come around thus far, but its a much better movie than what critics make it out to be.
Dumbo is a triumph of a film that helps reaffirm the belief that Tim Burton is still one of the best storytellers in the filmmaking business both emotionally and visually.
Final Verdict: SEE IT, One Of Burton's Best Works In Years.
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