Dumbo 2019 Parent Guide

Tim Burton’s live action remake of Dumbo marks an outstanding technical achievement on the part of Walt Disney Studios. The big-eared baby elephant is entirely computer generated, but it is almost impossible to tell while watching the film. The pachyderm’s skin is beautifully textured, it walks like it has weight, and every emotion shows in its remarkably lifelike eyes. Curiosity, fear, sorrow, despair, excitement, hope, and happiness all shine from Dumbo’s limpid gaze. Somehow, the tech geniuses at Disney managed to give this pixel and byte elephant a soul.

Sadly, Dumbo is the only character in this flawed remake for whom that can be said. The other characters are so flat it feels like they were written and acted by computer algorithms. Ironically Dumbo feels like a living elephant surrounded by CGI sets and characters. The child actors (Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins) are particularly bad; whether they lack talent or were poorly directed is hard to tell. But Colin Farrell acts like he’s uninterested in his part, Danny DeVito seems to be reprising his role from Taxi, and Michael Keaton is the only one who is occasionally fun to watch. It is possible that these are simply the musings of a jaded film critic, but I am not optimistic that other viewers will be charmed by this production.

This is not to say that the movie is irredeemably dreadful - in my opinion, it has improved the plot of the original 1941 animated version. The beginning of the movie hews closely to the original film: a baby elephant with large ears is born to Jumbo the elephant. When the little one is mocked and frightened, momma elephant goes on a rampage, is separated from her baby, and is shackled and sold. In the modern remake, two children teach the elephant to fly using a feather, and Dumbo delights crowds with his unique ability. The new film launches the plot on a different trajectory – which aligns more closely with 21^st century sensibilities – and which is a change for the better. But, unfortunately, the improvements in plot don’t compensate for the film’s poor acting and wooden feel.

Dumbo is likely to struggle to find an audience. It is too dark and frightening for preschoolers who will also be upset by the scenes where Dumbo is separated from his mother. Older kids may consider it dull or “babyish”. Adults will likely find the film’s flaws irksome. And parents will be disappointed to find even a small amount of profanity in a Disney feature: there are four curse words in the film and a brief humorous reference to alcohol. There is also some peril and violence in the movie, but none of it is gratuitous or gory.

The story does have some positive messages – it encourages friendship and loyalty and gives a moving representation of the power of the bond between mother and child. But the movie’s biggest problem remains that it lacks whimsy, magic, or enchantment. In Dumbo, the only thing that soars is the elephant. Everything else falls to earth with a disappointing thud.