Flying into cinemas across the world is Dumbo, the latest live-action remake based on an animated classic from the Walt Disney vaults. The first of four such releases to hit multiplexes this year, 2019's Dumbo is brought to us by Tim Burton, who launched the sub-genre back in 2010 when he led Alice In Wonderland down the rabbit hole and to $1 billion in box office receipts, when such an accomplishment was less common. Can Dumbo soar to the same success, or will it struggle to get off the ground?
A failing circus' final hope rests on their newest arrival: a young elephant with abnormally large ears. When his unique ability to fly attracts the attention of an amusement park owner with a business proposition, Dumbo is positioned as Dreamland's star attraction but it quickly becomes apparent that the business alliance isn't as mutually-beneficial as initially interpreted. With a starry ensemble featuring Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito and Eva Green, Dumbo is perfectly pleasant family entertainment: nothing more and nothing less.
Promoting Dumbo as "from the imagination of Tim Burton" is quite the leap, as this remake rarely feels like it capitalises on his recognisable visual brand and directorial tendencies. While there is some quirkiness interlaced throughout the spectacle, and wonder to the sequences in which Dumbo flies, it doesn't always harness a visual identity of its own, something every successful Burton film tends to thrive on. It's certainly cut from the same cloth as his previous work and flair can be found in the major set pieces - but with clutter to every scene yet seldom a sense of scale, it feels oddly modest for the most part.
Not every VFX frame on display in Dumbo is creatively convincing but the animation of the elephant specifically is faultless, with so much emotion captured in his eyes in particular; anybody who doesn't fall head-over-heels in love with the big-eared goof has a heart made of stone. Elsewhere, a bubble-based moment plays homage to the original, and it's wonderfully, vividly animated. Superlative costume and set design aid the exhibition, with detailed work enriching the tone and atmosphere of the setting effectively, further supported by an immersive score from the ever-reliable (and long term Burton collaborator) Danny Elfman.
From a storytelling perspective, Ehren Kruger's screenplay is serviceable. Quite refreshingly, it's not all airy and light, as is often expected with anything bearing the Disney brand logo, with some darkness imbued into the film's relationships and situation. The family tragedy never quite works on an emotional level as well as it should, and the humour's pass rate is fairly hit-and-miss, but the thematic consideration of suffering and loss is really valued. It could have easily fashioned itself into something more easily digestible, uplifting and hopeful -- but its resistance in bending to the rules stands it in good stead.
However, its fault comes in shaping it as a human story which is (naturally) less compelling than a film about a flying elephant. It's clear why the film widened its focus from a wordless elephant - the original was only a shade over an hour in length and it takes far more to engage audiences given the plethora of entertainment at their fingertips - but it loses a great deal of the heart and, disappointingly, the emotion of the original in the process. While there are a few moments that pull on the heartstrings, it cannot quite capture the heartbreak of the 1941 animation (which, for my money, is one of the most emotionally profound pieces of work in the Disney back catalogue).
However, its fault comes in shaping it as a human story which is (naturally) less compelling than a film about a flying elephant. It's clear why the film widened its focus from a wordless elephant - the original was only a shade over an hour in length and it takes far more to engage audiences given the plethora of entertainment at their fingertips - but it loses a great deal of the heart and, disappointingly, the emotion of the original in the process. While there are a few moments that pull on the heartstrings, it cannot quite capture the heartbreak of the 1941 animation (which, for my money, is one of the most emotionally profound pieces of work in the Disney back catalogue).
While the film's villain is flimsy and strangely unflattering - a film from Disney, the single most dominative force within Hollywood today (whose recent merger with Fox increases their monopolisation of the industry further) portraying its central antagonist as a greedy, money-hungry individual poaching new talent for his own theme park and bottom line - it can be viewed either as a cheeky stroke of genius or an accidental, self condemning mirror image. V. A. Vandevere's motivations do not have the weight of the best Disney villains and he seems like a means for a cause, and missed opportunity.
There are arguably too many supporting characters to Dumbo's ensemble, yet the lead's do a solid job cutting through the clutter. Colin Farrell infuses pain and anguish into Holt Farrier, in keeping with the film's light exploration of PTSD and mourning, while the ever-delightful screen presence, Eva Green, delivers a compelling performance as Colette Marchant. Meanwhile, Danny DeVito is a certified scene-stealer, with his natural charisma and sunny disposition often alleviating the flatter jokes.
Michael Keaton's performance here can only be characterised as utterly bizarre - and very rarely in a good way. Even with the accent wobbles and flimsy character motivations aside, Keaton appears to be playing in an entirely different movie to everyone else. His work calls to mind Keira Knightley's similarly nuts turn in The Nutcracker and The Four Realms last year but while that film's theatricality provided scope for an outlandish performance, Dumbo - as a film - is far more grounded, making this performance rather jarring indeed.
Michael Keaton's performance here can only be characterised as utterly bizarre - and very rarely in a good way. Even with the accent wobbles and flimsy character motivations aside, Keaton appears to be playing in an entirely different movie to everyone else. His work calls to mind Keira Knightley's similarly nuts turn in The Nutcracker and The Four Realms last year but while that film's theatricality provided scope for an outlandish performance, Dumbo - as a film - is far more grounded, making this performance rather jarring indeed.
On the whole, Dumbo is perfectly pleasant, family-friendly entertainment that will most likely endear itself to general audiences. It suffers from the same fate as most of Disney's remakes, in that it isn't entirely called for; beyond financial gain, there is no discernable reason to bring Dumbo into the 21st century and, augmented by the film's self-critical antagonist, feels rather out of place. Yet, beyond that cynicism - which will go unchecked by the audience the film is made for - it is a harmless piece of entertainment and it gets the job done; while it doesn't soar, the impeccable animation of the Dumbo himself and the impressive production design make it enjoyable enough, and those big eyes will melt your heart.
6/10
Summary: Perfectly pleasant if entirely unchallenging, Disney's live-action Dumbo remake is family-friendly fun: nothing more and nothing less. It may not soar but there's enough to get it off the ground and entertain most audiences.
6/10
Summary: Perfectly pleasant if entirely unchallenging, Disney's live-action Dumbo remake is family-friendly fun: nothing more and nothing less. It may not soar but there's enough to get it off the ground and entertain most audiences.