As the Disney live-action remake trend continues to swallow up the entire back catalog of the Mouse House, I have a gut feeling that many of these movies are going to be at an inherent disadvantage with audience members and, by default, critics. Though virtually all movies are constantly trying to justify their existence and necessity in some way, it's an even more frantic quest to prove your worth when you're a remake of a beloved classic. At this level, every viewer who walks into a Disney remake will be equipped with two questions what is this movie trying to do and why does it need to exist? Why do we need a remake of The Lion King with hyper-realistic CGI? Did anyone really watch Aladdin and think, "Wow, this movie would be better if it was live-action AND starred Will Smith instead of Robin Williams"? I know these are nostalgia vehicles and I know they make a lot of money, but it seems as if we're reaching a period of identity crisis for Disney's live-action department.
From the opening minute of Tim Burton's contemporary re-imagining of Dumbo, that slowly intensifying identity crisis of the Disney brand is on full display. It's not a film that astounds with its derivative awfulness or lack of imagination, but it also is very clearly deprived of a solid rationale for its own necessity. Dumbo merely exists on the screen, repeatedly trying to dazzle the audience with its visual panache and CGI wizardry, despite the presence of precisely zero three-dimensional characters. Yes, it's very abundantly a satirical treatment of Disney theme parks and the concept of cookie-cutter pleasure (I'm shocked that this has been a matter of debate), but to what purpose? It's a movie that always seems to be out of sync with itself, where a scattered collection of potentially intriguing ideas are stuck in a constant disconnect.
In a remake that introduces dozens of new characters, Dumbo begins with.... traveling by map. That's right, before anyone even knows what we're in for, Burton whisks us along on a circus train ride through the United States in a post-World War I universe, where small towns are thrilled by the arrival of fresh entertainment. This particular circus is owned and operated by Max Medici (Danny DeVito), a charismatic conman (he claims to be part of the Medici Brothers Circus, even though he has no brother) forced to deal with dwindling sales at his traveling showcase. Living among the circus acts are Milly and Joe Farrier (Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins), two young kids waiting for their father to return from the war. When Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) returns missing an arm, the kids are shocked and a little scared but the bigger problem is that Holt no longer has a solid act for the show.
But just when all hope seems lost, a spark of life comes to the Medici circus with the birth of a baby elephant. Being the relentless grifter that he is, Medici is initially prepared to put this baby front and center at their next performance, making a quick buck off his natural cuteness. Unfortunately for Max, the baby elephant, who later earns the name of Dumbo thanks to some merciless spectators, has enormous ears. Dumbo is useless to Medici, until Milly and Joe realize that he's capable of flying with the help of a single feather and a sneeze. In an instant, Dumbo the Flying Elephant becomes a sensation, even capturing the attention of wealthy amusement park connoisseur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton). And when real money and true greed enter the picture, things get even messier.
I can't stress enough that Dumbo is a genuinely strange example of cookie-cutter event cinema, a film with fascinating elements in place that feels consistently robotic and dull in execution. It features the unique pop art hallmarks of director Tim Burton's style, but it has zero visual intrigue whatsoever. There are four or five new characters played by bona fide movie stars, but none of these characters undergo satisfying or fully complete character arcs. And while it is a satire aimed at the bland manufacturing of spectacle and entertainment anyone who has been to Disney frequently won't be able to miss it I'm not convinced Burton or screenwriter Ehren Kruger have much of substance to say on the matter. Plus, nothing in the filmmaking actually backs up this critical treatment of the material; the circus in the first act looks just as plasticky as Vandevere's magical world of audio-animatronics and whimsy.
So here's a film with a fairly unremarkable story, an abundance of movie stars (including Eva Green as trapeze artist Colette Marchant) and no main character, and a fitfully amusing satirical element that never clicks into place. What Burton seems prepared to offer in excess is a copious amount of awe and wonder, where the sight of a flying CGI elephant is supposed to repeatedly amuse and entertain us. In between moments of Colin Farrell's Southern drawl and Michael Keaton's preposterous corniness, we're treated to what feels like half a dozen scenes of circus audiences dazzled by Dumbo's surreal capabilities. I won't pretend it's not initially impressive, but by the time this scene has been repeated over and over again, it's difficult not to be more annoyed than entertained.
Regardless, Dumbo is never exactly an excruciating time at the movie theater it's certainly watchable enough to pass the time. The eponymous elephant is obviously a sympathetic character, stuck in a film that seems to also function as a cautionary tale against human cruelty (although Medici and company are pretty much let off the hook at the end). And with Burton at the helm, there's certainly some amusement to be found in the presence of the kooky mannerisms that have defined his career. Yet through it all, Dumbo remains a terminally uninspired example of the Disney formula, failing to generate much excitement from its scatter-brained start to a tedious conclusion that is marred by an unnecessarily extravagant action scene. Without a strong narrative, thematic, or character-driven hook, the latest remake of a Disney classic is doomed to forever exist as a needless and unsatisfying diversion.
There are worse ways to spend two hours at the theater, but if that's the bar for Disney blockbusters at this point, how low have we fallen?
THE FINAL GRADE: C (5.4/10)
Images: Disney/IMDb
From the opening minute of Tim Burton's contemporary re-imagining of Dumbo, that slowly intensifying identity crisis of the Disney brand is on full display. It's not a film that astounds with its derivative awfulness or lack of imagination, but it also is very clearly deprived of a solid rationale for its own necessity. Dumbo merely exists on the screen, repeatedly trying to dazzle the audience with its visual panache and CGI wizardry, despite the presence of precisely zero three-dimensional characters. Yes, it's very abundantly a satirical treatment of Disney theme parks and the concept of cookie-cutter pleasure (I'm shocked that this has been a matter of debate), but to what purpose? It's a movie that always seems to be out of sync with itself, where a scattered collection of potentially intriguing ideas are stuck in a constant disconnect.
In a remake that introduces dozens of new characters, Dumbo begins with.... traveling by map. That's right, before anyone even knows what we're in for, Burton whisks us along on a circus train ride through the United States in a post-World War I universe, where small towns are thrilled by the arrival of fresh entertainment. This particular circus is owned and operated by Max Medici (Danny DeVito), a charismatic conman (he claims to be part of the Medici Brothers Circus, even though he has no brother) forced to deal with dwindling sales at his traveling showcase. Living among the circus acts are Milly and Joe Farrier (Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins), two young kids waiting for their father to return from the war. When Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) returns missing an arm, the kids are shocked and a little scared
But just when all hope seems lost, a spark of life comes to the Medici circus with the birth of a baby elephant. Being the relentless grifter that he is, Medici is initially prepared to put this baby front and center at their next performance, making a quick buck off his natural cuteness. Unfortunately for Max, the baby elephant, who later earns the name of Dumbo thanks to some merciless spectators, has enormous ears. Dumbo is useless to Medici, until Milly and Joe realize that he's capable of flying with the help of a single feather and a sneeze. In an instant, Dumbo the Flying Elephant becomes a sensation, even capturing the attention of wealthy amusement park connoisseur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton). And when real money and true greed enter the picture, things get even messier.
I can't stress enough that Dumbo is a genuinely strange example of cookie-cutter event cinema, a film with fascinating elements in place that feels consistently robotic and dull in execution. It features the unique pop art hallmarks of director Tim Burton's style, but it has zero visual intrigue whatsoever. There are four or five new characters played by bona fide movie stars, but none of these characters undergo satisfying or fully complete character arcs. And while it is a satire aimed at the bland manufacturing of spectacle and entertainment
So here's a film with a fairly unremarkable story, an abundance of movie stars (including Eva Green as trapeze artist Colette Marchant) and no main character, and a fitfully amusing satirical element that never clicks into place. What Burton seems prepared to offer in excess is a copious amount of awe and wonder, where the sight of a flying CGI elephant is supposed to repeatedly amuse and entertain us. In between moments of Colin Farrell's Southern drawl and Michael Keaton's preposterous corniness, we're treated to what feels like half a dozen scenes of circus audiences dazzled by Dumbo's surreal capabilities. I won't pretend it's not initially impressive, but by the time this scene has been repeated over and over again, it's difficult not to be more annoyed than entertained.
Regardless, Dumbo is never exactly an excruciating time at the movie theater
There are worse ways to spend two hours at the theater, but if that's the bar for Disney blockbusters at this point, how low have we fallen?
THE FINAL GRADE: C (5.4/10)
Images: Disney/IMDb
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