It takes a special kind of talent to twist an uplifting story and turn it into a depressing slog. The animated Dumbo (1941) is widely considered one of Disney’s 10 greatest animated films by published critics who make it their business to rank such things. That’s not my opinion it’s simply a fact. How director Tim Burton was able to take a heartfelt animated treasure and pervert it into this soulless shell of a disgrace is almost incomprehensible. For the purposes of this review, however, I’m going to try.
Tim Burton actually worked for Walt Disney as an apprentice animator beginning in1980. By 1984 he directed a short while there called Frankenweenie. He was summarily fired by the studio shortly thereafter. Could this be some sort of pent up anger finally being released decades later? He’s worked with the studio several times since. That 2010 Alice in Wonderland adaptation isn’t great either but at least it had a modicum of reverence for the source material. What Burton has accomplished here is the desecration of a classic. The original was about how an outsider comes to terms with what makes him different and then capitalizing on that supposed weakness. Dumbo’s big ears became a strength allowing him to triumph over adversity winning the hearts of all those around him. This aberration of a film marginally runs on the fumes of that idea, but it’s really about something else entirely,
The animated Dumbo (1941) clocked in at a mere 64 minutes. That’s roughly an hour folks. Burton’s Dumbo is near twice that length. Dumbo isn’t told from the perspective of the animals. None of the critters talk in this version. Dumbo is a saga about people. The financial woes of a struggling circus appear to worsen when a newborn baby elephant is born with oversized ears. Widowed and one-armed horse trainer Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) is hired by circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito). He’s got two dead-behind -the-eyes children. Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) channel all the excitement of a damp dishrag in their performances. They discover early on that Dumbo can fly. The cute little guy takes off so frequently for audiences at Medici’s circus that it feels like no big deal. This catches the attention of V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton) an entrepreneur who wants to showcase Dumbo in his latest, larger-than-life amusement park, Dreamland. The carnival feels like a veiled attack on Disneyland. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Vandevere and aerial artist Colette Marchant (Eva Green) make the odd pachyderm a star in his circus. Unfortunately, life under his big top is not all that it seems.
Before I completely tear this sacrilege apart, I want to give Dumbo its due. The production looks impressive. Most noticeably, the photo-realistic digital CGI representation of the main character looks convincing. The set design by Rick Heinrichs and costumes by Colleen Atwood convey a magical fantasy that’s beyond compare. Visually my eyes were satisfied by the painstaking details. Additionally having real-life announcer Michael Buffer portray a ringmaster that bellows “LET’S GET READY FOR DUMBOOO!” was a nice touch. However, I’d have to go back to The Wiz (1978) to find a stunning work of art based on a joyous original that was so inherently empty. Like that 70s musical adaptation, a lot of obvious care and craft has gone into creating something that looks beautiful. Yet peel back the meticulous facade and it’s devoid of substance. Dumbo sucked the life out of me.
Despite its distended length, Burton eviscerates everything that made the prototype so great. Granted I didn’t expect the crows to make an appearance. Although reclaiming and redeeming those characters would have displayed the kind of confidence I admire in an auteur. Once upon a time, Tim Burton was that guy. The witty wordplay from the crows’ song “When I See an Elephant Fly” is still half-heartedly incorporated into the script. It’s the wittiest dialogue said in the entire film. But remember the part where Dumbo’s mother spanks an unruly child? Or where she rocks Dumbo to sleep in her trunk like a baby? Or Timothy Q. Mouse, Dumbo’s streetwise but supportive confidant? Or the whimsical elephants on parade number when Dumbo gets drunk? How about the climactic surprise of a circus crowd that first gasped to see an elephant take flight? Eliminated, corrupted and mishandled. All of it. Point blank and period. The screenplay by Ehren Kruger (Ghost in the Shell) subverts joy and exploits suffering. Dumbo is one of the grimmest tales meant for children that I’ve ever seen
03-28-19
6 Responses
Knowing Tim Burton’s body of work, I doubt that his version of Dumbo is intended for children. Its pretty much the same way as Zac Znyder’s Man of Steel sucking the joy out of the superhero genre.
I think in Tim Burton’s mind, he set out to make a film for children. He failed.
From an individual whose admiration for Tim Burton is limited to “Beetlejuice” (a loooong time ago) your invective was especially entertaining. Negative reviews – especially THAT negative – are usually more fun than positive ones.
On a different point, the original Dumbo had the significant moral and dramatic defect (shared with Rudolf and the Ugly Duckling by the way), of having the protagonist pander to people (or animals) who clearly don’t deserve his respect or ours, by having to show them that what-they-disapprove-of-him-for is really an asset rather than a defect.
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I suppose a better lesson would be that Dumbo learned to not care what narrow-minded people think. Of course, that’s hard when (with a few notable exceptions) he’s surrounded by them.
Very disappointing. Kids were so dull and boring. None of the originals magic. 1 1/2 stars
Those kids were atrocious. Dull and lifeless.