You'd think a movie called Dumbo would be more about Dumbo. There are so many side plots and needless characters that it complicates a relatively straightforward story. There are a few moments of wonder, but they are far too few in between predictable tropes. Tim Burton was an odd choice to direct this film as well. The whole film is covered with his trademark murky aesthetic and it just doesn't fit. Danny DeVito is the only saving grace as far as actors. He is fantastic while Keaton hams it up and plays the over the top bad guy. Danny Elfman's score is decent. The film is just kind of boring though. It's so paint-by-numbers and lacking in imagination. Disney hopefully learns from this with any future live-action remakes of animated classics.
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cardsrock4 April 2019
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FrenchEddieFelson31 March 2019A must see. 80 years after the eponymous cartoon, Tim Burton appropriated pertinently this story, preserving the magic and the poetry but modernizing it, by adding new characters and encrusting spectacular computer-generated animals. In particular, Dumbo is such a cutie and his look is a total success: his eyes are extremely expressive and he is so adorable. This is otherwise not a surprise for a Burton: the atmosphere is darker compared to the cartoon. In three words: I loved it!
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michaelseither15 June 2019I had to write a review to add a sense of reality to many of the crazy 1 star reviews. Please, 1 star? Awful? Nonsense. Great cast, great production value, remake of a classic (as well as a new take on an old story). Didn't see any political correctness or bad acting or poor CGI. Nonsense. Full of great actors. Emotional story, well made. It's a good movie. I only gave it 7 stars because it's not a great movie but I didn't feel cheated at all and was glad I (we) saw it. If you liked the original at all, you'll want to see the remake. It is a little darker than Disney of old and Tim Burton's visions are unique but all in all I thought it was fun, unusual and worth our time. Don't pay attention to the 1 star reviews, they are nonsense.
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ironhorse_iv29 May 2019From all the recent Walt Disney live action remakes of their classic animation films as of this writing; this one directed by Tim Burton is perhaps my favorite. I really did enjoyed this motion picture loosely based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson. This flick was not a shot for shot remake of the 1941 animation film of the same name at all. It gave us something new with the story. Instead of slow burn focusing only on Dumbo's conflict of being an outcast within the circus because of his big ears. This motion picture written by Ehren Kruger solve that quickly by tighten the pace revealing Dumbo ability to fly early in the first act. It's in the second part that the film's true conflicts center on cruel people trying to exploit Dumbo's talent. Because of that, it made watching this movie a unique and interesting watch. The plot wasn't simpleton. It had some complex subplots that I kinda dig such as World War I amputee & ex-equestrian performer Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) having to deal with the loss of his circus job, his wife & his working arm, while managing a social family connection with his children, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins). Colin was fine actor in this. You really do see the depth and struggles his character has to go through. The kids not so much. They were a bit wooden and dull in their performances. Despite that I like how at least in this version, there is more genuinely kind circus workers like them. Nearly all the human characters in the original were awful avaricious antagonistic creatures. As for the villains in this remake. Rufus Sorghum played by Phil Zimmerman was somewhat stereotypical weak. However, I did like was the cryptic jab from Burton and Kruger on their employer. Like the clowns in the original movie representing the picketers during the 1941 animator strike. In this film, fictional theme park businessman V.A Vandevere (Michael Keaton) could be seen as the dark side of Walt Disney, a greedy cold entrepreneur who indifferent to the wellbeing of his workers. Keaton did a hell of a job showing that. By far, the sequences in Dreamland and him are the best thing about this movie. Eva Green as V.A's love interest, French trapeze Colette Marchant was not. The over the top snobby French accent was too much. Sadly, also Colin and Eva don't share much chemistry whenever they are put together nor with the kids. Because of that, the whole heel to face turn toward the end didn't seem believable. The love story between them felt kinda rushed. I also didn't like how her character treat Dumbo for most of the film by kicking and jumping on him kinda rough. There was barely any sign of care for the elephant. . I really wanted Colette to fall to her death. Such an unlikeable character. Despite that, I do like the social commentary about the issues of using wild animals in entertainment. Maybe they do belong in the wild. The new ending involving Dumbo going back to Asia is such a better climax than the original movie which had the elephant continue to work for people exploiting his talent. Nevertheless, one thing that this remake doesn't do a good job on is comedy. Jokes involving a circus monkey bothering supporting character, Max Medici (Danny DeVito) came across as frightening rather than funny. Regardless DeVito does do a good scrappy performance as the ringmaster. Much better than Michael Buffer appearing as the ringmaster at Dreamland. That cameo was jarring. Still, I would had rather have Timothy the mouse in this rather than that awful monkey. As for the CGI, it works even if some of the background atmospherically visuals are highly dark & creepy for younger audiences like the Pink Elephants on Parade. This movie still had enough cute and bright stuff to look at. I love how Dumbo's expressions are expressed through body language & facial. Without any talking animal dialogue, it still easy to pick up on Dumbo's emotions especially during putting out the fire scene. Another thing due to the elimination of original talking animal characters like the highly offensive controversial racially insensitive Sambo like black crows that taught Dumbo how to fly from the first movie; catchy songs like 'When I see an Elephant Fly' were omitted until the end of the closing credits. Regardless of that, I still like Arcade Fire & Sharon Rooney cover of 'Baby of Mine' throughout the film. Even Aurora's version from the trailer was fine as well. As for the other songs from the 1941 version like 'Casey Junior is back' and 'Look Out for Mr. Stork', they weren't really needed due to the realistic tone. In its place of, Danny Elfman's score was well done. It was magically. Overall: While live action Dumbo fails to reach the lofty heights of its animated predecessor. I still believe the film is watchable for those willing to shell the expensive high movie theater ticket price. For me, it pass with flying colors. So do yourself a favor and check it out. Hopefully, you will enjoy it as much as my family and I did.
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fudgesinger1 April 2019So Dumbo can fly! Big deal. But that is not what the story is about This should be a simple touching fable of a little elephant finding himself over all odds. This has now been lost Loads of character actors hamming it up, obliterating everything around it including little Dumbo Over produced. and overlong ( The original was just over sixty minutes No heart; no tears;. No film What a shame!
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jessbir-2361821 July 2019After reading all the terrible reviews for Dumbo my expectations where very low going into the theatre and I came out genuinely surprised. the movie has very many flaws one of them being Nico Parker who plays Millie even though she is very charming her acting is pretty bad especially compared to the rest of the cast who all did a very good job. another flaw for me is the lack of colour almost every single scene has this dark murky texture to it that isn't very appealing. but I did very much enjoy this remake and I honestly don't think its that bad. for the most part the acting is very good especially from Eva Green who for me was the true stand out of the entire movie I found her acting the most believable and impressive. Dumbo is absolutely adorable and steals every single scene he is in and the flying parts of the movie are absolutely gorgeous and magical. the baby mine scene though not as emotional as it was in the animated movie is done beautifully here and it still made me tear up a little bit. the pink elephants on parade scene was absolutely brilliant and in my opinion was one of the better scenes in the entire movie. overall despite all the flaws I really enjoyed Dumbo and would watch it again.
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juzer0315 June 2019Found this to be surprisingly amazing. Did not think it would be good. Proved me wrong. Loved the story and the happy ending. This is a great movie for the family..kids.
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lindsaybarrington31 March 2019I accept the notion of an elephant flying more than the pretend political correctness of characters set in this time period. It's a condensed version of the original for 45 minutes, then what should have been a sequel. If they had given the original plot the time it needed, they would have made an amazing movie.
Why can't we just have a movie about a flying elephant? Why do we need a million unrelated agendas? There's no way to be invested in that many themes, so there's no connection with the characters. He can fly. He wants his mom. That's all you need. -
alexornelas5 April 2019I was in tears within the first 10 seconds of the movie. I have a soft spot for Dumbo and Casey Jr is my jam. Danny Devito is a national treasure and can do no wrong. Michael Keaton's character was a delight. Colin Farrell's character could have been better developed , but the kids were his saving grace. I loved the story and the whole world Tim burton creates on the screen. You can see the painstaking detail he puts in every part of the film. The costumes were SUPERB!!! I would have appreciated a bit more back story for the circus folks but all in all Dumbo was the cutest !!! I really think it's a great message against terrible animal cruelty which the original showed as well. The pink elephant scene was imaginative. It is a beautiful film to watch, can't wait to add this to my collection. Please go in with and open mind and heart and let go of unfair expectations. Tim is an artist and artists evolve. This is a collaboration of strange, unusual, and creative minds that wish to share their visions with the world.
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msbreviews2 April 2019If you enjoy reading my spoiler-free reviews, please follow my blog :)
1941's Dumbo was never a favorite of mine. It's a great movie with a sweet message (as most Disney flicks), but I was curious to see how a remake of a 60-min film would develop. Obviously, changes to the story not only will occur, but they need to. People have to stop desiring these live-action remakes to be a literal copy-paste of their originals and start being fair to these movies. Pure animation is different from live-action, and the latter provides a much more realistic environment than the former, so it's evident that every remake they produce will have some "updates" in the more "silly" aspects.
Furthermore, I've witnessed a couple of "critics" hating this Dumbo. Hating! Calling it one of the worst films of the year! Now that's a strong feeling to have against a movie that improves so much regarding its original. Yes, it has a bunch of narrative issues, and the dialogues can be cringe-worthy, but hating this 2019 remake while defending the original as it was some kind of masterpiece is ridiculous. Complaining about the 2019's ending when the 1941's is absolutely inadmissible is being a hypocrite. Whining about Dumbo not being 100% the star of the show when the original has the elephant discover his flight abilities four minutes before the end is dumb. In addition to that, this film runs for twice the original's runtime! What did you expect?! That human characters wouldn't be a necessary modification?
Some "critics" are even complaining about animal abuse or their unnecessary exploration ... Are they joking?! Have they seen the original? Do they remember how racist it was? How discrimination was treated as comedy? Even alcohol was handled as a plot point for God's sake! 2019's Dumbo barely has any animal violence, and its final message is against animal captivity or exploration, so any person who criticizes this ending is either a despicable human being or not a fan of the original Dumbo, at all.
Enough about those "critics". I feel sick just remembering what they wrote/said. Unfortunately, 2019's Dumbo does have a lot of screenplay issues. There's no way of denying it. The human characters are filled with cliche storylines and child-written dialogues. I know that analyzing children's acting is not exactly a fair critic, but I've seen so many remarkable young actors nowadays, who make Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins performances look not that good (their scripts also don't help). The visual style characteristic of Tim Burton is definitely present, even if its magic becomes overwhelming at times. 1941's Dumbo was very concentrated in one small location contrary to its 2019 remake where V. A. Vandevere's park feels like Disneyland.
The stiff dialogues don't help the movie's pacing, and its tone could be better balanced. Nevertheless, just the opportunity to watch such a gorgeous, magnificent, and visually jaw-dropping live-action elephant come to life is absolutely delightful and entertaining as hell. When a character like Dumbo makes you cry when he's crying, makes you feel sad when he's feeling sad, makes you happy when he's feeling happy, that's when you know the visual effects team has reached a point where live-action is pretty much reality. The little elephant looks like an adorable little elephant. I mean, what better compliment can I give a live-action character than "it looks and feels real"?
Even with the issues mentioned above, it's still a heartfelt story, filled with emotional moments, and a wonderful message. Technically, it might lack consistency and some overall quality, but I end up enjoying myself. Experiencing Dumbo's pain, happiness, and his bond with the kids flourish is special. Colin Farrell and Eva Green deliver good performances, and their character arcs, cliche as they may be, still carry some efficiency. There's a wrong vibe surrounding the word "cliche", like it's a bad thing. Not at all! Something being cliche just means we've seen that before a lot of times, it doesn't mean we've seen it performed better or worse. Dumbo is a remake of a very influential 1941 film, so obviously, cliches are a certainty. It's a Disney tale, after all.
In the end, cliche as it might be, 2019's Dumbo improves on a lot of aspects of its predecessor. I do believe these movies are almost incomparable since the dimension, runtime, and even the main plot are surprisingly (or not) different. Still, not remembering or even acknowledging the original not only is an absolute flaw, but it can ultimately make you a hypocrite, so be careful with what you write/say. I understand a person not enjoying this film or not liking it as much as I did, but if you hate (!) it, you better give me good enough reasons.
Dumbo is probably the most visually stunning and incredibly realistic live-action character Disney was able to produce so far. This little elephant alone is worth the price of admission. His arc is way bigger and complex than the one in the original, which can either delight or disappoint you. To me, it not only worked, but it finished strong and way better than the original. It's upsetting that the screenplay couldn't accompany Burton's impressive visual style, even if overwhelming at times, as well as the human characters who feel a bit detached from the actual story to tell. It's still a good time at the movie theater, so go see it! -
jjones9291 April 2019This was an embarrassing remake of Dumbo. First, the hue or color tone of the movie was so unnatural, almost campy, like I had stumbled into a showing of Batman and Robin. It distracted me constantly reminding me that I was at the movies watching actors instead of being part of a story. Secondly, the young female actress did not help that situation at all. She presence was very distracting. Her acting was wooden and unbelievable. She was a carny's kid, living in a circus in 1919 but in every scene, she looked like she had just gotten out of the shower. It was hard to watch. Finally, who is green lighting these Disney's screenplays? Fire all of them! This movie was called Dumbo but it was about so many other things the elephant and the real story that was told in the original was lost or buried. I was looking forward to these remakes but if they continue to rewrite them I will pass on the rest.
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caitlinmaryjean31 August 2019I don't get what people saw... I thought the movie was great & full of magic.
I will admit, the children seemed lacking and a little dull. It would have been nice if they had a little more emotion. The rest of the characters where great.
Now the story line is very emotional & yes, dark.... But what Time Burton fill isn't?
Dumbo.... Oh man, those eyes! The character himself makes your heart melt & explode with cuteness.
When he is trying to save the monkey & he flies is so magical. I was in awe. Each time he continues to fly, I felt the same!
Ultimately in the end, the sadness & darkness of the film is put aside. Dumbo & him mom are free to live in the forest amoung all the wild elephants.
I enjoyed the movie! Hopefully people can see past the lack of emotion from the kids but enjoy it for dumbo himself & the story -
mps_animaxfriends17 June 2019It's a nice movie, not great and not bad. It's clearly aimed at quite a young audience and this is illustrated by the cgi used. The story and the start itself was very difficult to get through. By difficult I mean it was very distressing to see (even as an adult) maybe it's because I can understand how cruel the whole scenario was. But I wasn't a fan.. Left the theatre and went to see a different movie.
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airelav-437-80247331 March 2019Honestly, he was the only good thing about the film. Every single actor forgot they were actors, everything felt so fake and forced, there was no magic. I don't understand why Disney keeps making these remakes. Yes, they have amazing CGI, but they seem to forget the story they're trying to tell. I think this is the worst live-action remake they've done so far.
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micalclark29 March 2019I think it's time for Tim Burton to stop. This remake has none of the charm of the original film. The first half hour maybe has occasional moments that appear as an homage to the original. There's a few scene's just remade in live action form and even a couple of what I guess could be considered very brief cameos by Mr. Stork and Timothy Q. Mouse, but those characters really play zero part in the film.
Beyond that first half hour it goes off the rails quickly and continues a downward spiral that has almost no relation to the original story, including caricatured antagonists and chase scenes. A cast that includes Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, and Danny Devito, turn in some of the worst performances of their careers. At least Johnny Depp doesn't make an appearance.
Like his remake of the Chocolate Factory, and just about every other Burton film it has to get creepy at some point. Unfortunately, it does so in what seems such a forced way and what's become such a cliche way in Burton films; and it doesn't even really fit the story line. Danny Elfman's over dramatic score, another predictable staple of Burton's films, doesn't help.
Some of Burton's early films, like "The Nightmare Before Christmas" were brilliant and groundbreaking. Unfortunately, like many of his characters, he's become a caricature of himself with no new ideas, just remaking old ideas in his own style which has become a caricature of itself.
I actually found myself yawning and drifting off during what should've been the climax of the film. But there was little there but a cliched story with a bit of Burton's weirdness thrown in.
If you're a fan of the original, skip this mess of a film and watch the original again. Or maybe watch the first half hour, but skip the rest. There's little you'll recognize from the classic Disney tale. -
After reading all the reviews for Dumbo on here, I honestly only still went because I had a free ticket. But upon coming out, I'm really not sure what exactly is so bad about it?
Yeah there are moments when the acting is a bit suspect from those you wouldn't expect it to be, the imagery and artistry used is either love it or hate it and there are definite plot holes and things that don't make sense... but if we're honest, you don't come to a film about an elephant with ears so big it enables it to fly... to find realism.
Personally I thought it was quite enjoyable. It was really well paced and had some fun moments in it too. Colin Farrell put in a good showing and the graphics and visual effects were definitely not scimped out on. But most of all the film ends on a good note, and makes you feel good when you come out from watching it. It's a happy film, and a film I think children will like, which after all is what they were really going for. I don't regret using a few hours of my day on it at all... and don't think many people going really will.
Don't listen to the hate, though it must be said, I haven't seen the original, and I guess in some ways that disqualifies me from having a completely valid opinion. -
dianamarinelli1 May 2021Overall this film is really good can't beat the original but I love the message it shares. Dumbo is an ordinary elephant often teased for having big ears but his talent has no bounds and having a selfish businessman buy the circus and turn it into capitalism and love the ending when animals should be free and not captivity.
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MrDHWong28 March 2019Dumbo is a Disney fantasy film directed by Tim Burton based on the animated feature of the same name. Starring Colin Farrell, Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton, and Eva Green, it is an entertaining live action update of the 1941 animated classic, despite some missteps.
In 1919, Max Medici (Danny DeVito) runs the Medici Bros. Circus, a travelling circus act that is struggling to keep an audience. In an effort to attract more people, Max decides to bring in a newborn elephant with large ears as an act for his show, with Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) acting as his carer. Much to the astonishment of everyone, the young elephant is able to use his large ears to fly around the circus tent right before their eyes. Eventually, the young elephant, now named Dumbo, attracts the attention of greedy entrepreneur V. A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), who decides to buy out the circus act from Max and exploit Dumbo's talents for his own financial gain.
Featuring solid CGI effects and some rather touching moments, Dumbo is a nice reimagining of the original film and thanks in part to Tim Burton's unique vision, it's better in some ways. Just about all of Burton's trademarks are present; the creative set pieces, the quirky characters, and a whimsical Danny Elfman score to top it off. Unfortunately, the film does noticeably drag during the second act, with many supporting characters being shoved aside and forgotten until the climax of the story. The main cast was mostly good, with Colin Farrell (likely here because Johnny Depp wasn't available) being a likeable everyman protagonist and Danny DeVito getting some good laughs in most of his scenes. However, Michael Keaton's talents feel wasted in the villainous role, playing such a typical one-dimensional cartoonish bad guy. Despite all of these shortcomings, Dumbo is still fun show for just about all ages.
I rate it 7/10 -
naturenomad31 March 2019Wow, talk about marketing deception, When i first saw the trailers for Dumbo I was wowed, the magic was there on the screen. However when I actually paid for a ticket to see this movie, I felt as though I had walked into another theater and was duped. This movie was a travesty from the get go. The kid actors were the absolute worst, they were SO ANNOYING. All the actors were miscast, you felt disconnected and there was no magic at all. By far one of the worst Disney remakes in history and one of the worst films of the year. AVOID AT ALL COST!
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lisafordeay30 March 2019Dumbo is the latest Disney remake this year and is directed by Tim Burton. It stars Danny DeVito,Micheal Keaton,Colin Farrell and Eva Green and tells the tale of a widowed father named Holt Farrier(Farrell) who just came back from World War I where he lost his left limb due to the war. When his kids witness an elephant giving birth to a baby elephant,they are both shocked that the baby was born with big ears,resulting in the elephant to be made fun of at the circus when he gets older. However when an evil businessman named V. A Vandervere(Keaton) wants to take over the circus,can Holt,Mike(DeVito) and Holt's kids save both Dumbo and his mother?
What I loved about this remake was it wasn't a beat by beat like say Beauty and the beast or Cinderella,and the visuals was very good. The acting was great,Colin Farrell was great with his Southern accent(his from Dublin in real life) and Devito was great too as always. Micheal Keaton was grand as the villian,he had this Joker vibe about him and this toupee. Plus for a Tim Burton film it wasn't as Gothic or weird and don't worry Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter doesn't appear in this film.
If you loved The Greatest Showman and Water For Elephants than you will enjoy this film. Roll on Aladdin and The Lion King.
8/10 4/5. -
angeles5924 March 2020I dont know if its the nostalgic feelin of remembering watching this as a child and trying to avoid watching it on TV because I remember how incredibly sad it made me, but I literally cried the whole movie. Maybe me and the people who poor rated it watched two different pieces. But this movie has a special place in my heart. Not as iconic as the animated original version, but very beautiful nevertheless. Tim Burton, an artistic genius.
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cunningham-421024 April 2019Movie starts off good, looks good and Danny Devito is excellent. But again poor casting,poor acting, poor story and extreme amounts of superficial political correctness ruin what could of been a great movie.
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wonderfullyberry10 April 2019Was this movie PERFECT? No. But...it was very enjoyable. I'm confused as to what other people are needing... Great actors? This has that. An interesting story? Got it. Stunning visuals? Check. Drama? Sad moments? Happy moments? Nostalgia? Fantastic score? Elements from the original? A warm fuzzy ending? PINK ELEPHANTS?!! (It has all those things). In this day of opinions and people depending on screens to LIVE...I think we've forgotten the magic of the ORIGINAL screen. What happened to just going to a movie, and enjoying it for what it is? What is so EXCITING about your life that you find this boring? Umm there are a couple circuses and a freaking flying elephant in this movie!! To me, that's interesting enough. And the sweet sweet storyline between Dumbo and Mrs. Jumbo. Perhaps only the moms out there can relate...but there is NOTHING like the bond between a mama and her baby, and I loved that the story had a great deal of that to offer.
I love Tim Burton, and I think he did a really wonderful job with this movie. I dare you to go see it and leave your judgment in the car. -
ruipereirareis13 September 2020Tim Burton can fail in everything in a film but in the visual he never fails and this film is no exception. The visual effects are very realistic and very good.
The cast is convincing but Colin Farrel's performance leaves much to be desired. The best performance is undoubtedly Danny DeVito.
The story is not bad but it is very cliché and some things in the film are not very convincing, like Dumbo understanding humans from one moment to the next. Okay, it's a children's movie, but it has to be credible in what we're seeing. -
jiartigasc3 April 2019This is one of the worst ever Disney's cinema movies. Completely souless this is a forced progressive, naive, PC remake. It does almost everything wrong, looks like Disney had a really innocent childish pc script and needed something to make it look a little darker, so why not just offer a ton of money to Burton? He does add a little darkness, but is so little that former Dumbo looks like a psychological thriller compared with this one. I think it is fair to say this is the worst Burton's movie ever, the only good things are Eva Green and Dany De Vito's acting. Do not waste your time nor your good child memories.