Classic Disney was innovative and because of it, profitable. New Disney is out to make a buck--period. I won't hold that against the current regime. Making a buck is the American way. However, when an iconic company digs into its archives to spew unnecessary remakes, prequels and sequels (and they all turn out flat), I must protest.
I didn't fancy "Maleficent" or the live-action "Beauty and the Beast", but then their foundations aren't my personal favorites, at least not since their sickening inundation over the years.
"Dumbo '41" (based on Helen Aberson/Harold Pearl/Helen Dumey's popular book) has always been and will always be special to me, no matter how often it's shown or promoted: a humble tale with humble flair that I hold in the same high regard as "Bambi", "Pinocchio"; "Lady and the Tramp"; and if I may be so rebellious, "The Black Cauldron" (yep, I'm serious, and to those who scoff, stick it in your friggin ear). Therefore, when I learned that "Dumbo" was being remolded for the big screen, I got a tad nervous, even knowing that deft director Tim Burton, an incontestable champion of underdogs, was on board to fiddle with the proven formula.
What's emerged in "Dumbo' '19" is neither good or bad. It's not a "Psycho" scene-per-scene retread (with some padding shoved in here and there, in the way of "Beauty and the Beast"), but all the same, it doesn't take its inherent sentimentality to the required, resonant level.
"Dumbo '19" is more or less a "Big Fish" knockoff, and of Burton's movies, the latter (despite its terrific cast) never did much for me. "Dumbo '19" is also a "Batman Returns" reunion with Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito as two, important leads and granted, they're wonderful actors who do a wonderful job as the film's showbiz entrepreneurs, but "Dumbo'"s focus shouldn't be on reunited, Batman actors, no matter how neat the novelty. To boot, sticking the enchanting Eva Green, the dashing Colin Farrell and affable Alan Arkin into the plot isn't enough to set things straight. "Dumbo" is supposed to be about a baby elephant who "loses" his mom and in the process of his woe, masters the extraordinary means of flight per his extra-large ears, not a bunch of other stuff.
Now, don't get me wrong: Portions of the original's poignancy and fantastic derring-do surface in Ehren Kruger's script. Even the lovely "Baby Mine" is woven among Danny Elfman's angelic chords. That's all fine and dandy, but cute-as-a-button, CGI Dumbo remains more of a supporting curiosity than a hopeful, headlining star. Try as I may, I can't wrap my head around that. Why retell the story if its hero doesn't seize the reins? Just render a "Circus of Dr. Lao" ripoff and have Dumbo soar through a sequence or two. That would more than suffice.
For what it's worth, Disney's "Operation Dumbo Drop" is as much an honorable variant as Burton's venture. At least the former didn't pretend to be anything more than a labeled homage. Burton's steampunk edition is a graze-the-surface deal that promises a big, endearing package, but falls far short. To confound matters, it dispatches circus life as a catchy, Art Deco concept (even when dealt as impoverished), but we're not supposed to like traditional circuses (let alone girlie-show buffoonery) in this PC age. That presumed dislike seems to be the film's noble denouncement, but there's so much mirthful, animal parading that it gets lost in the puritanical, "Mighty Joe Young" shuffle.
I've seen worse remakes, and I've seen better. A new Dumbo movie, whether a revision or sequel, should have captured the gamut of compassion and delight that marks the original. If a successful story is to be rehashed, then recycle its methodology with meticulous care. Don't toss computerized fluff onto the screen and hope it sticks. Heart and soul must surface throughout each and every scene, and if not...
Perhaps if I re-watch "Dumbo '19", I'll be more inclined to take it for what it is (and like it much more), but considering my unwavering allegiance to Disney's first, on-target take, I'm not so sure.
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