Disney’s remake of old classics are coming to cinemas lately and all you can do is comparing the remake to the original one. Dumbo’s original 1941 version is one of the most devastating Disney animation of all time, besides being budget restricted after the studio’s greatest 1940’s Fantasia. The Disney effort to get their animations real into live-action movies are not without criticism. Critics said that Disney’s live-action movies like Beauty and the Beast (2017) and The Jungle Book (2016) are copycats of their original versions.
The interesting point of this remake of Dumbo is the collaboration with master of dark and gritty movies of misfits, Mr. Tim Burton. Director Burton has been well-known about the misfit characters like Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice. Director Burton is also n stranger several Disney’s live-action movies, of course with his signature dark and gritty theme, like his version of Alice in Wonderland and its sequel Alice: Through The Looking Glass (2016).
Disney’s live-action movie of Dumbo (2019) tells us about the one-handed war veteran Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) who has been assigned to take care of the elephants by his circus owner, Massimiliano “Max” Medici (Danny DeVito). Along with his two children, the aspired scientist Milly (Nico Parker) and the little Joe (Finley Hobbins), Holt helps the birth of a little elephant with oversized ears that soon becomes clown in the show. It was not long before Milly and Joe realize that the little elephant, later called Dumbo, can fly with his ears as his wings. The trouble comes when a persuasive entrepreneur VA Vandervere (Michael Keaton) and his mistress, trapeze artist Collette (Eva Green), come and try to manipulate Dumbo for their profits.
Dumbo is maybe Director Burton’s version of unsung hero after his strange series of misfits like Edward Scissorhands an Beetlejuice. The cute little elephant with oversized ears might be complex, but Director Burton gave him room and jolt of enough energy to develop his ability to fly. Dumbo’s antagonist, on the other side, is pictured in Vandevere’s dark ambition, although we can thoroughly see that Director Burton addressed his criticism towards the capitalism behind the entertainment world. In this term, Dumbo (2019) is a clever movie with social critics that Director Burton addressed to the world that gives him his reputation.
The characters surrounding Dumbo like Dumbo’s mother Kali, the Farriers and the whole Medici Circus’ members, later including Collette, are portrayed as victims to that dark side of capitalism. Here is the plot why Dumbo is the unsung hero for every each of them. Dumbo’s tale of missing his mother inspires every Medici’s circus member to fight back, and the message is clear at the end of this movie: No Animal Should Kept on Cage.
Unfortunately, the solid theme is not executed well. The signature dark and gritty theme is still there, but Director Burton is losing the grip of the overall story. He developed Dumbo, but he forgot to make room for every other characters. Milly’s interest in science could give more emphasizes to the story, but it was left underdeveloped. Michael Keaton is charming, but he feels like cartoon when it comes to be the main antagonist of the story. Mr. Keaton becomes the most disappointing point of this movie, makes us thinking that maybe, just maybe, the character of Vandevere would be more interesting if he is played by Director Burton’s regular actor, Johnny Depp.
Anyway, the castings of Mr. DeVito and Mr. Keaton has brought me back to the 1992 Batman Returns, and it excites me a while before the story becomes whimsical and nonsensical. Finally, this is the movie where you have mixed feelings for the sweet and cute Dumbo. On one side, you might be awestruck by his cuteness and his hard work to reunite with his mother, but on the other side, you will wish that this movie wasn’t stretched that long.
Directed by: Tim Burton | Produced by: Justin Springer, Ehren Kruger, Katterli Frauenfelder, Derek Frey | Written by: Ehren Kruger | Starring: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Eva Green, Danny DeVito, Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins | Music by: Danny Elfman | Cinematography: Ben Davis | Edited by: Chris Lebenzon | Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Tim Burton Productions, Infinite Detective Productions, Secret Machine Entertainment | Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios, Motion Pictures | Official Website
6.5/10
The Lady in Pink 