Dumbo (2019)

Directed by: Tim Burton | 112 minutes | family, fantasy | Actors: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, Alan Arkin, Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins, Roshan Seth, Lars Eidinger, Deobia Oparei, Joseph Gatt, Miguel Muñoz Segura, Zenaida Alcalde, Douglas Reith, Phil Zimmerman, Sharon Rooney , Frank Bourke

The next installment in Disney’s live-action renaissance is here. With ‘Dumbo’, the film giant has again produced a remake of an animation classic, after ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Cinderella’, among others. In contrast to the above examples, director Tim Burton manages to surprise the audience with ‘Dumbo’ with an original story wrapped in the material of the now 78-year-old original.

‘Dumbo’ (2019) is full of references to the old classic. For example, the infamous pink elephant scene has been given a dignified place, the feather is just as important to Dumbo and there are references to characters such as Timothy Mouse, the mouse who helps Dumbo in the original version, and the train Casey Jr. However, these references do not distract from the fact that the story is essentially different. Where the conflict in the original film is about finding a place in his own circus family by proving he can fly, Tim Burton goes one step further.

For example, fairly early in the film it becomes clear what Dumbo can do, but the famous elephant has to keep himself standing in the madness that comes at a flying elephant. Money wolves, unsafe situations and publicity thus come face to face with family, love and friends. The themes are classic, the execution is not very special, but it gives the remake a completely different conflict from the original.

Of course it is never fair to compare a remake to the original, but it should be judged on its own. While there are some elements of the film that will make the audience roll their eyes, in general ‘Dumbo’ is a well-structured whole, with strong visual support. The story remains simple and small, making it realistic and easy to follow. The visual elements, not unimportant in a film about a flying elephant, remain intact. The interaction between the different ‘real’ characters and the digital opponents is natural and does not disturb. This makes that the audience is easily drawn into the world of the circus, and the suspension of disbelief is preserved.

Around those ‘real’ characters, Burton has missed the mark several times. For example, a large part of the film revolves around the interactions between Dumbo and two children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins). While it’s often unfair to be strict on children’s acting, their role in this film is so vital that their characters’ failures have to be named. A substantial part of this does not lie with the acting performances; although the term ‘woody’ for the children’s acting is often weak. The scripts they had to work with don’t give their characters any direction at all. For example, Milly’s character can be seen throughout the film as a ‘child who shows an interest in science’. That is not a developed character, which makes it almost impossible to empathize with the choices she makes and the emotions that lie behind them. Milly is not the only example of this, most of the characters in the film are underdeveloped.

Tim Burton has produced an original, surprising film that honors the 1941 version, but does not copy it. With its own story, and countless references to the original, Burton knows how to enchant and make the audience float. The complete lack of developed characters, however, takes the wind out of his ears and brings the audience back to the ground. The overwhelming affection of the little elephant, combined with Disney’s trademark wonder and magic, makes ‘Dumbo’ a must for anyone who likes to immerse themselves in it.