Dumbo (2019) Movie Review

Dumbo (2019)

Rent Dumbo on Amazon Video
Written by: Ehren Kruger (screenplay by),  Helen Aberson (novel), Harold Pearl (novel)
Directed by: Tim Burton
Starring: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Alan Arkin, Nico Parker
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A live action remake of the animated 1941 movie, a young elephant's oversized ears enable him to fly and save a struggling circus. When the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer.

Verdict
This is better than some of Disney's remakes, though that could be because I don't remember much from the original. This does a great job with the big scenes of Dumbo flying, but it's the moments in between that falter. The story is introduced, but not developed. I feel bad for Dumbo, but there's not a connection. It's a fun way to revisit a classic, but it isn't even a twist. It's just a different format.
It depends.

Review
The problem with Disney's remakes is that there is a distinct lack of creativity. You watch the live action version, and the strongest feeling you have is to re-watch the original animated version. Maybe Disney's goal is to drive interest to the originals. Disney has remade The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. It's a method that seems to be working for them financially.

Danny DeVito and Colin Farrell play Max and Holt.

The trailer looked really good, as if it may actually expand the story rather than a scene for scene re-shoot. This is another iteration of Disney taking an animated classic and making it live action. Recycling old ideas isn't as interesting as a new idea, but they are making it a tried and true method of success. The trick is that the classics are old enough that people want to revisit them in a new format even if they have a suspicion that only disappointment awaits.

A down on his luck veteran returns to the circus. I'm not sure if the main character is Holt (Colin Farrell), his kids, or Dumbo. This has a strong start though it's emotionally manipulative and more spectacle than story. You feel bad for Dumbo, but there's no point in Dumbo's plight past making you feel bad for him.

The movie does a great job of making big moments feel meaningful. When Dumbo first flies in front of the crowd, that's a powerful scene.

It's been a while since I've seen the original, so I don't know how closely this follows. I don't remember Holt or Michael Keaton's character Vandevere, but I don't remember much of anything from the original. I know the pink elephant scene in this version takes some liberties. That scene seems to exist in this one only because it was in the original. It seems the writers don't have much freedom to divert from the source material, and that's true with all of Disney's live action remakes.

Flying Dumbo provides great scenes, but that can't carry the entire movie. We get a stereotypical greedy villain and a father that can't quite relate to his kids. Those points are introduced, but not developed. Could this be a better movie? Yes. Once Dumbo's act is bought by Vandevere I grew bored. The movie doesn't focus on the story or develop the deeper emotions that Dumbo's plight could represent. The story is just a means to connect the big set pieces.