Dumbo

This review may contain spoilers!

This might not be the best live action Disney remake but it's the closest thing to a Tim Burton comeback I've seen in a long time. I would give Dumbo a 7/10.

Dumbo is about a young elephant born in the Medici Brothers Circus who has the astonishing ability to fly due to his oversized ears. Young Dumbo is raised by Holt Farrier and his two children, who work hard to teach Dumbo how to use his gifts while also trying to reunite this baby elephant with it's mother. This is a film with a ton of heart throughout, watching the children play and form a bond with this little elephant is really what steers the film a lot of the way. But the power comes in that constant drive to see the bond between Dumbo and his mother, it's a very hard scene when they are separated and to see them inevitably reunite is a really uplifting scene. This is a movie that celebrates the wonder of show be that what can be achieved within the circus or the Massive amusement park, Dreamland, I like how the idea of a massive flashy show in Dreamland can actually feel pretty empty as it is being driven by a colossal corporate tycoon; while the Medici circus is a family that is stronger together than it is apart. The cinematography throughout the feature looks exquisite, there's a great deal of thought put into how best to capture the shows so you feel like a spectator but also part of the performance which I really appreciated. The special effects are well crafted, Dumbo especially is a very cute and expressive character who is fun to watch and the Pink Elephant scene is something that has translated powerfully to live-action. The score for the film has the wild pomp that can only be incited by the circus and performance, while the soundtrack is made particularly special due to the 'Baby Mine' song that defines Dumbo and his mother.

Michael Keaton, who played V.A. Vandevere, is a great antagonist who really plays up this charming showman persona to wow those around him; yet Keaton does a great job of shedding this in key scenes and revealing the nasty greedy figure his role really is. Eva Green, who played Colette Merchant, is a role who is very sure of herself and her incredible talents that have made her so highly regarded; I love how Green builds this role up so you can see she's actually playing a person who is very compassionate towards those around her. Alan Arkin, who played J. Griffin Remington, is one of the best sources of comedy in the film; his skeptical banker always plays to the scenes very well and it's funny to see Arkin teasing at Keaton and DeVito constantly. Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins, who played Milly Farrier and Joe Farrier respectively, are very kind and gentle roles who do well at making you connect with the wonder and joy Dumbo brings; I enjoyed how Parker plays a bit more of an eccentric character who is fascinated by knowledge and study which is what makes her perfectly suited for connecting with and helping Dumbo. Deobia Oparei, who played Rongo, is instantly hilarious as the jack of all trades about the circus; I think Oparei's very curt performance plays well against the mania that is DeVito.

However, the best performance came from Danny DeVito, who played Max Medici. This is a character who seems constantly exasperated with the chaos of his surroundings and tends to let out his frustrations in a rather comedic way. Yet DeVito crafts this character so you can see that really deep down, he's all heart. There is a strong bond between Medici and those who perform for him and without the great commitment DeVito brings I don't think the family message you take away from this film would have been anywhere near as strong. Ultimately this is a character who loves to perform and you sense that in all he does, you can even feel how lost he is in a setting like Dreamland. Watching DeVito ultimately challenge Keaton and save his whole troupe from that antagonistic place is one of my favourite parts of Dumbo. 

While having a very strong main plot throughout the feature you can't help but feel the way things have been added on to the film hasn't really helped it all that much. The most glaring problem is Holt Farrier's missing arm and the discussion that brings about World War II, the film doesn't really know how to talk about such a serious subject and it constantly feels poorly applied to the feature. More than that there are a number of moments where the film takes some time out to play directly to the character and this feels rather cheap, not much is gained by doing this and you really feel pulled out of the whole experience. There are a number of moments where scenes slow right down and dwell in a moment just so the run time plays out a bit and this leads to some pacing issues in acts one and two.

Colin Farrell, who played Holt Farrier, isn't a particularly interesting lead in this film; Farrell doesn't play a distant father very well and he doesn't seem particularly motivated by this character. Roshan Seth, Miguel Munoz Segura, Zenaida Alcalde and Sharon Rooney, who played Pramesh Singh, Ivan The Wonderful, Catherine The Greater and Miss Atlantis respectively, are constantly present as the greater circus troupe but don't really feel like significant characters; this is a big group entity you're made to feel for but the performers never give you anything to make you connect with them. Lars Eidinger, who played Hans Brugelbecker, is a rather obvious first act antagonist; Eidinger plays to a very stereotypical nasty role who is almost cartoonish in the way he antagonizes the animals.