Dumbo (2019)

Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito
Runtime: 112 minutes

Synopsis: A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer.

Performances: 5/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Special Effects: 6/10
Costumes/Makeup: 8/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 6/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Entertainment Factor: 4/10

Verdict: Out of all the planned Disney live action remakes coming out this year, "Dumbo" was the one I was most excited about because it was the only one that had room for improvement by adding original content and storytelling. And while it is vastly different from its animated counterpart, I can't say that the added elements elevated the material in any way.

Tim Burton's re-imagining wasn't all bad obviously. The set and costume designs captured well the 1919 circus setting the story takes place in. The soundtrack was interesting at times, and I did enjoy most of the original's homages, including the famous Pink Elephants Sequence (taking aside the fact that Danny DeVito's character unnecessarily announces it). Burton's trademark style was also very much present and added to the film's darker tone. 

Everything else, unfortunately, had me questioning what the point of that remake was in the first place. The film's CGI was mediocre at best and the animals didn't look as authentic as expected from the studio that brought us "The Jungle Book", which is probably the reason behind Burton's focus on human characters rather than the young elephant. A decision I found odd and that certainly didn't pay off, especially considering the fact that I had a hard time sympathizing with these two-dimensional characters portrayed by actors who didn't seem to be interested in the movie's direction. The script also suffers from the usual predictability and cheese we've been accustomed to in most of Disney's family films, but that's understandable given the film's target demographic.

It's safe to say that I was disappointed by this remake that only confirms Burton's recent struggles. It may be a harmless film that might be worth checking out with your family, but it sadly failed to either offer something original that will be remembered in the future, or to take me back to my childhood in which Dumbo played a major role.

FINAL GRADE: 5/10