Movie #1701 "Dumbo" with people --- I have to admit that I wasn't over anxious to see this one --- it wasn't getting a good score on rotten tomatoes.com and I didn't think I'd be the audience for it --- and after seeing it, I can still say the same. BUT I think the kids will enjoy it, especially the flying elephant (special effects/digital/animated/animatronic ) We kept watching it in awe wondering how it was done --- that was quite entertaining itself and thank goodness it works because the rest is not good ---- the story is weak, silly in parts, and this film tries to stretch it into more of a story that just weighs it down. There isn't enough for any of the people to do, esp. Colin Farrell, and the kids are expected to do too much, esp. the girl who says her lines way too fast and with little emotion (and fake tears). And don't get me started on Michael Keaton --- not good and all over the place. But don't worry about him scaring your kids --- he never centers on being one thing --- funny, menacing, whatever? But there is some creepy stuff like fires in the tent, while people still sit and watch the circus (beats me why people aren't rushing for doorways, seems the logical thing to do, but then this film isn't logical). The film tries to humanize the elephant so much that I expected it to wink at the kids once in a while --- there's no doubt elephants have feelings and they can be trained and there's all sorts of neat stuff to learn about elephants, but the film fantasizes the elephants so much, it becomes manipulative --- but kids won't notice that though---( I just hope they don't expect them to fly and pull levers to turn off electricity, etc). Bottom line: it goes so way over the top in the fantasy that I cringed a few times -----this cartoon has never been my favorite, but what it did capture is the goodness of the mom and her love for her baby even if he does have big ears, and the movie keeps that in it --- and if your kids focus on just getting those two back together again (albeit illogically?) then that's a fine message to leave after watching this movie. It's a pretty film --- and stick around for the end song (at end of credits? really?) when there's a nod to the original song ("When I see an Elephant fly") I would give this 3 stars out of 5.
PS --- the dark side mentioned below in netflix's summary is misleading --- there's a lot of talk but we saw no one manhandled --- (we do see a weapon that we can imagine was used on the mama elephant and roustabouts yelling at her; we also see a hint at a darker circus with chained alligators and lions, but it's just a quick in and out of that)
"DUMBO" 2019 1 hour and 52 minutes
In director Tim Burton's live-action reimagining of Disney's 1941 classic, young flying elephant Dumbo saves a faltering circus, only to find himself drafted for a far bigger show that has a dark side.
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