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Every now and again, whenever certain blockbusters come out, there are always a handful of critics who proclaim that there’s no reason for those movies’ existence. Some may argue there’s very little need for MOST films to exist whatsoever. Yet in the case of Tim Burton’s Dumbo, that notion has rarely proven more true. There is no fathomable reason to go anywhere near such a classic piece of Disney history and try (hopelessly) to expand on its ideas. There’s no reason for Colin Farrell’s character to refer to the titular elephant as “Big D” all the way through, no need for the script to hammer home the notion for the umpteenth time that the little girl character is interested in science and no reason to include literally half of the characters in telling what is a straightforward tale. But all of those things do exist, and Dumbo is all the worse of a movie because of it. The only plus working in the movie’s favor is that it barely saves itself from being on the same level of dreck that the trailers for May’s live-action version of Aladdin offer up.
In Dumbo, returning soldier Holt (Farrell) has returned home to the traveling circus he belongs to after his time in war cost him his left arm. Upon returning, he discovers he is now a widower and single father to Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins). But times are hard, and the circus is on the brink of ruin unless owner and emcee Max (Danny DeVito) can think of a way to save it. When a newly-acquired elephant gives birth to a baby with oversized ears, Max doesn’t think things can get any worse until the animal shows he has the ability to fly, wowing everyone, including French trapeze artist Colette (Eva Green) and wealthy businessman V.A. (Michael Keaton).
On paper, it’s easy to see why Burton was attracted to Dumbo as a property. So much of the core story are tropes which has largely defined the iconic director’s career from the beginning. However that might just be the problem. The material in front of Burton is so earnest and upfront and the director is so well-versed in it, that there’s very little new area for the two to venture into together. Dumbo tries to stress the value of family through the many heartugging moments in which the big-eared little one is longing for his mother and Holt struggling to relate to Milly and Joe. Meanwhile, the script has Max undergo a lesson in loyalty, while everyone learns the importance of standing out from the crowd, unlike the movie itself which is content to remain as generic and by-the-numbers in both its execution of themes and cinematic panache. The fact is that Dumbo should have been a slam dunk for Burton, especially since the film’s biggest theme, that of the misunderstood outsider, is the most Burton-esque of all. Yet while there is an attempt at empathy and tenderness given to Dumbo as someone chastised for being different, the director seems to be exploring his plight from a distance, at times seeming unsure as to just how his interest in Dumbo as a character actually goes.
It isn’t all a dire affair, however. There’s a glorious and surreal circus sequence involving elephants made out of bubbles which is right out of Fantasia and filtered through the director’s unique vision which proves to be pure magic. Apart from that, Burton does save himself with Dumbo’s production design, bringing it always to create a world that’s both dreamlike and authentic. The film’s first half, taking place in the rural countryside as the circus troupe has set up camp, shows a world full of earth tones and faded flashes of red, populated with folks just trying to hold onto crumbling dreams with all their might. By the time Dumbo gets to V.A.’s lavish world (after he has convinced Max to let him buy the circus and give them a home at his sprawling theme park) bright pastels bounce off the screen, along with a pop feel that’s as enthusiastic as can be. Foregoing his usual style (there isn’t a black and white striped item to be found here), Burton has recreated the two sides of turn of the century America, with one end trying to hold its spirit together in the face of hard times, and the other prospering and full of wonder. It’s through the design of Dumbo that Burton’s movie displays its most telling theme; namely that of the future and some fearing what it may bring while others more than eager for it to arrive.
The performances here come off almost as bland as the film they belong to. While the cast as a whole have proven themselves as actors, they can’t help but feel lost here. For the most part it seems as if everyone is playing to compete with the sweeping production design, delivering lines and gestures as artificial as the world they’re in. Interestingly enough, this has rarely ever been a problem in a Burton film. His masterful and wondrous sets have always inspired actors to find the oddballs within the people who belong to those worlds and bring them into the light. Not only do the actors fail at that task here, but most of them seem content to just play certain character features (Farrell amps up the southern while Green essentially struts around) rather than fully explore the characters themselves. Only DeVito and Keaton (in a welcome Batman Returns reunion) are the only ones who pull their true weight, acting-wise, with the former employing his trademark (and always welcome) exasperation and the latter managing a campy groundedness with such great precision.
At the end of Dumbo, by the time the sweet Arcade Fire rendition of “Baby Mine” comes on, the only question to be asked is: What happened to Tim Burton? The last three outings for the director have seen one of the diverse periods of his career. Frankenweenie saw a director return to territory in which he excels; balancing the funny and the subversive with entrancing black and white stop motion animation. Big Eyes, meanwhile, showed a more human Burton as he explored the tale of a woman finding her own voice in both art and in life. Finally, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children may have been a mixed bag, but was saved thanks to an undercurrent of dark playfulness that is 100% Burton. Dumbo is a hugely significant step back from those achievements, taking its place alongside Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Planet of the Apes as third tier Burton efforts. However with Beetlejuice 2 still in the pipeline (and the director still very much eager to bring it to life), although it may seem Burton has disappeared, there’s no questioning he’s eager and curious enough to someday be back.