Back To Childhood With The Live-Action Adaptation Of The Beloved Disney Classic "Dumbo"

V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), the primary antagonist of the movie, said he was turned back into a child as he saw Dumbo the elephant flapped his ears and soar. Tim Burton's remake of Dumbo sets out to do just that: Takes the audience back to a simpler time in their childhood. And the great director succeeds. This modern take on a well-known classic is a fun time for the whole family.

The movie starts with Max Medici (Danny Devito) and his down-and-out circus that gets a stroke of good luck when a baby elephant with enormous ears was born. After the circus discovers that Dumbo can fly with his ears, he became the main attraction of the circus. He breathes new life to it and brings fortunes to his caregiver, the Farrier family.

However, his popularity soon catches the eyes of the wealthy businessman V.A. Vandevere, who wants to buy Dumbo for his own gain. It isn't difficult to assume how the story would go.

Tim Burton's knack to turn anything into a visual spectacle makes up for the otherwise predictable plot. The movie centres around Dumbo and the makers have pulled out all the stops to make sure he stands out. The CGI flying elephant never looks out of place. There are enough moments in this movie for the audience to have a good time. Just not enough to make it great.

The downfall of Dumbo is in its screenplay and writing. Any struggles the Farrier family faces seem to fall flat. Furthermore, while the original plucked at your heartstrings, the remake misses them entirely. The furthest this movie goes to try and be emotional was when Dumbo got separated from his mother.

As mentioned above, the Farrier family fails to be relatable and comes off as poorly written. Regardless, other aspects of the movie balance it out. The soundtrack is serviceable, and Burton's style and palette are beautiful. The all-star casts, from Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Danny DeVito, Alan Arkin, Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins to Michael Keaton lived up to their name and performed well.

Fun fact: In the previous Tim Burton's movie, Batman Returns, Michael Keaton played the hero Batman while Danny Devito dawned The Penguin persona, a bad guy. In Dumbo, the director reverses their roles.

Overall, Dumbo is not perfect, but Tim Burton's directorial touch still makes it worthwhile. This is a movie for both adults who want to be a kid again, and kids who want to experience a new version of a classic.

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