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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.
Critic Consensus
Critical reception for Dumbo leans mixed to negative, with most reviewers finding the film a disappointment relative to both the 1941 original and Tim Burton's own body of work. The visual scale and the charm of the titular character were the most frequently acknowledged positives. However, critics repeatedly pointed to a lack of emotional resonance, predictability, underdeveloped characters, and a sluggish or complicated screenplay as significant weaknesses. The broad consensus is that the film works better as a surface-level children's entertainer than as a meaningful reimagining.
7 rated reviews · 4 positive · 1 mixed · 2 negative
AI-generated summary of 9 critic reviews · may contain errors
Report inaccuracyCritic Reviews (9)
Updated
“In a world full of wondrous things, wonder is the thing in shortest supply. Burton had a chance to make you believe that a pregnant caged elephant, who has spent her life in circuses, could look at soaring birds through a barred window in envy and what may result is an elephant with flapping ears for wings. He squanders it.”Read full review ↗
“Tim Burton's remake is let down by a complicated screenplay, lack of emotional heft”Read full review ↗
“Film's visual scale towers above many of its obvious flaws, but doesn't quite lift it above Burton's legacy of creating magical realism in the past. While there are problems such as predictability, caricature characters and a sluggish pace, 'Dumbo' has its moments. Overall, it's a harmless family entertainer for children of all ages.”Read full review ↗
“Cute and appealing but not Burton's style...Tim Burton's craft is more simplistic here - even though the film is a sort of circus fantasia with all the aspects of an imagination running wild.”Read full review ↗
“This fantasy adventure film, with all the trappings of a typical Disney fare, is the story of a baby elephant, who uses his extra-large ears to fly.”Read full review ↗
“Overall, while adults will find this film tolerable, the kids are sure to lap it up with full gusto.”Read full review ↗
“An elephant flies but no one cries in Tim Burton's woke but boring remake of a Disney classic...Tim Burton's remake of 1941 Disney classic fails to take off. It underuses important scenes and introduces needless others.”Read full review ↗
“'Dumbo' gets by on the charm of its titular character...”Read full review ↗
“Tim Burton's magic can't save it...Disney's latest dip into its treasure of archives crashes before it can soar like its main character”Read full review ↗
Cast & Crew
Cast
- Colin Farrell · Holt Farrier
- Michael Keaton · V. A. Vandevere
- Danny DeVito · Max Medici
- Eva Green · Colette Marchant
- Alan Arkin · J. Griffin Remington
Director
Producer
Details
- Release Date
- 29 March 2019
- Runtime
- 2h 10m
- Language
- English
User Ratings & Reviews
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