Dumbo (1941)

Director: Too many to cite
Stars: Sterling Holloway, Edward Brophy, James Baskett
Runtime: 64 minutes

Synopsis: Ridiculed because of his enormous ears, a young circus elephant is assisted by a mouse to achieve his full potential.

Animation: 8/10
Performances: 7/10
Screenplay: 8/10
Editing: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 10/10

Verdict: Perhaps one of the most influential and culturally important films to ever come out, "Dumbo" still holds up for the most part almost 80 years after its initial release.

Before Tim Burton's remake comes out, I thought it would be fun to revisit Walt Disney himself's favorite film about a young elephant mocked for having larger than usual ears. I haven't seen this film in probably more than 15 years, and boy am I glad I gave it a second watch. "Dumbo" made me feel like a kid again, with its great message, beautifully displayed themes, and gorgeous, simple animation that still manages to look better than a lot of recent ones that benefit from technology that wasn't available in the 1940s. The soundtrack alone, which won the film's only Oscar at the time, is reason enough to watch this gem.
Having said that, "Dumbo" is still very much a product of its time. Not all lines of dialogue hold up, and the technical aspect does feel a bit dated. It also does contain a few images that would be considered taboo in 2019, however I found that to be fascinating rather than offensive as it perfectly shows the differences in mindsets people had back then.
"Dumbo" is definitely one of my favorite animated movies Disney has ever released, but I can't deny that it does contain some aspects that can be improved today, which is why Tim Burton's remake is one I'm extremely looking forward to seeing. 

FINAL GRADE: 8/10