It had seemed like forever since we took ourselves out to a movie theater, so yesterday we decided to see the only movie currently in the local multiplex that had even the slightest appeal for us, Disney's "Dumbo". This is a live action version of the 1941 Disney animated classic. It is directed by Tim Burton, and this one delivers exactly what one might expect from Burton. It is dark and somewhat frightening. It is definitely NOT something to take the little kiddies to see.
Like the cartoon, this one is about the baby elephant with the freakishly big ears who is separated from his mother, and the movie is all about reuniting Dumbo with his mother. In this one, Dumbo is born while being a part of a run down circus just after the end of World War I. Danny DeVito owns the circus, and his star trick rider, played by Colin Farrell, is returning from the war a disabled man who now has to raise his two children on his own, as their mother died from influenza while Farrell was off in France. When the two kids discover that Dumbo can fly, in walks Micheal Keaton, in an incredibly hammy performance, as the evil impresario who wants to wring every buck he can out of the flying elephant. He does this at a park of his called Dreamworld, a bizzaro world version of Disneyland and Disney World, right down to the peddling of stuffed animal Dumbos to all of the customers. It was an interesting satirical take on the Disney parks, and I was surprised to see it in a Disney film.
The animatronic and digitally created animals are wonderful, and Dumbo is sure a cute little bugger, and it is amazing to see him fly, but I can't say that I loved or even seriously liked the movie. I also wonder how many parents will take their very young children to see this and come out saying "What the Hell? Was THAT supposed to the a kids' movie?" No, it isn't. However, this version does include homages to the song "Baby Mine", the Pink Elephants on Parade sequence, and the train, Casey Jr. So there is that.
Two Stars from The Grandstander.
Thought I'd close out with this sequence from the original...
I am dismayed about how the Hollywood Left can continue to put this type of trash out to the public...how can one mess up DUMBO? The new producers and writers are lazy, using technology to replace good screen writing and often times passing an "agenda" off on the screen. I will stay home and watch THE RIFLEMAN or RAWHIDE.
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