792 reviews
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.
I 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.
- michaelseither
- Jun 14, 2019
- Permalink
- ironhorse_iv
- May 28, 2019
- Permalink
A 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!
- FrenchEddieFelson
- Mar 30, 2019
- Permalink
After 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.
- jessbir-23618
- Jul 20, 2019
- Permalink
Found 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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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!
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!
- msbreviews
- Apr 1, 2019
- Permalink
I 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.
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.
- lindsaybarrington
- Mar 30, 2019
- Permalink
I 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.
- alexornelas
- Apr 4, 2019
- Permalink
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.
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.
- michaelktfc
- Apr 3, 2019
- Permalink
This 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.
- caitlinmaryjean
- Aug 30, 2019
- Permalink
- dianamarinelli
- Apr 30, 2021
- Permalink
Honestly, 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.
- airelav-437-802473
- Mar 30, 2019
- Permalink
So 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!
- fudgesinger
- Mar 31, 2019
- Permalink
Dumbo 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
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
It'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.
- mps_animaxfriends
- Jun 16, 2019
- Permalink
I 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.
Wow, 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!
- naturenomad
- Mar 30, 2019
- Permalink
- lisafordeay
- Mar 29, 2019
- Permalink
Well I wont spoil much. Dont worry. I'll just say the movie was better than I thought it would be. Yes it had its moments where it could been better but some reviews made it seem like this movie was either not that good or the picture quality was not good. I disagree with both. Overall it's a cute family film. The little girl in this movie is cute and smart and the characters overall were pretty good.
Movie 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.
- cunningham-42102
- Apr 3, 2019
- Permalink
Was 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.
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.
- wonderfullyberry
- Apr 9, 2019
- Permalink
Tim Burton's Dumbo is far from a perfect movie. The story is formulaic, the child actors are wooden, and it mostly plays things pretty safe. As someone who has never seen the original, though, there were enough positive elements to keep me entertained. In my opinion, Danny DeVito gave a very solid performance as Max Medici, bringing considerable heart and energy to the role. Michael Keaton is enjoyably hammy as the villain, and Colin Farrell and Eva Green both hold their own nicely. It actually was pretty cool to see Keaton and DeVito reunite with Tim Burton for the first time together since Batman Returns. Like most Burton films, the sets and visuals are incredibly pleasing to the eye, and Dumbo himself is animated with charming expressiveness. On the whole, while it's nothing great, I still thought this was a decent-enough film for families.
This 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.
- jiartigasc
- Apr 2, 2019
- Permalink