The Magic of Dumbo: Why Tim Burton's Live-Action Remake Works
Moving past his usual overly stylistic flairs, Tim Burton delivers an enchanting and surprisingly grounded take on the Disney classic.
I’ll admit it: I don’t like most Tim Burton films. While some of his projects have been bearable for me, he is not a filmmaker that I get excited to watch. But to my surprise, Dumbo was different. In Burton’s nineteenth directing effort, Dumbo has the perfect blend of magic and heart that I’ve rarely enjoyed in Burton films.
A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer.
The audience is introduced to the Medici Bros Circus, run by Max Medici (Danny DeVito) and assisted by Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children. We all know the story – or at least the premise – a baby elephant in the circus with large ears learns to fly. This adaptation of Dumbo does much more than that though. Once baby Dumbo’s strange power is discovered, the story becomes more a sequel than an adaptation, showing us the ways in which greed can take hold of some characters, while love lights the way for others.
If you’ve seen the original 1941 Disney animated version of the film, you’ll know it’s not the most engaging of Disney’s classics and it certainly doesn’t hold up by today’s animation standards (or societal standards, but that’s a story for another day). In fact, there’s not all that much content in the original film, clocking in just over an hour and relying heavily on its musical numbers to fill an already short runtime.
You can read my thoughts on Disney’s entire catalogue of live action remakes here:
Luckily, Burton and Disney had much more to bring to the table in this live-action adaptation. Shifting the focus away from the elephant itself and instead on how this elephant affects the humans around him was an excellent choice. We see their genuine reactions and emotions as the events unfold. The kids immediately believe and help Dumbo practice his extraordinary gift, Holt is skeptical, DeVito’s ring-leader is excited for the ways in which this new act could save his dying circus, and wealthy entrepreneur Vandemere (Michael Keaton) is clouded by greed and ambition as soon as he finds out about Dumbo.
Far too often stories like these treat extraordinary occurrences as if they are normal. I loved how the characters in Dumbo not only realize how amazing his gift is, but the story itself hinges on their varying reactions and motivations to his ability to fly.
The cast clearly had a blast making this one. Keaton revels in the opportunity to play a caricatured, over-the-top personality, and Danny DeVito brings his usual charm and humor to the role, a perfect fit. Colin Farrell even adds an emotional depth to what easily could have been a surface level character.
Tim Burton has a recognizable visual style that carries across nearly his entire filmography, for better or for worse. In Dumbo he walks a fine line between his usual flairs and more subdued visual storytelling. While this may polarize his fans, I found it to be refreshing. It allowed him to infuse the fantastical parts of Dumbo – circus scenes and crazy characters – with a more grounded story. I often find his stylistic choices to be distracting from the overall product, but in this instance his style adds to the film, appropriately sprinkled in rather than over-seasoned.
In an effort to ground Dumbo more in realism, some iconic elements have been removed, including Timothy Mouse, the stork baby deliveries, and songs like “Pink Elephants on Parade.” Fans of the original will at least be happy to see a few winks and nods to those elements, honoring the original while grounding the story.
Danny Elfman’s score fits the tone of the film perfectly, even if it’s not the most memorable of his endeavors (“Train’s a Comin’” is a particular highlight). The costumes and set design were well-done, and although Dumbo’s character may not be photorealistic, I was still impressed with the CGI and found this to be a better choice. It’s hard to watch him move around and not be overwhelmed by the sheer cuteness of a baby elephant with big ears.
In general, there’s just a sense of wonder and amazement in Dumbo that made me feel like a kid again. There are dangers in an over-reliance on nostalgia, but rather than building nostalgia for a specific film or property, Dumbo speaks to the childlike innocence and magic inside each of us. Maybe I’m being too sappy or maybe this is an overreaction. But I applaud Tim Burton and the team at Walt Disney Studios for a soaring success of a film, and I’ll happily watch any live-action remakes in the future if they make me feel like this one did.