Following an extended hiatus, this week Disney’s Dumbo offered me the chance to reconnect with my local cinema.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn’t know from the trailers.
A baby elephant, whose large ears give him the ability to fly, takes a small circus to new heights…but the journey is not without peril.
Well, dear reader(s), I’ll be straight: I’m not much of a Disney fan. Other than that long-ago animated Robin Hood, if it’s Disney and it doesn’t have Jack Sparrow, I’m not all that interested. Having said that, I am *very* interested in Tim Burton, Colin Farrell, and Eva Green, so off to the Thursday sneak-peek of Dumbo I went.
Dumbo has a great deal going for it. Sincere performances from Farrell, Green, Danny DeVito, and Michael Keaton easily sell the fantastic premise, with the old story adapted for live action and new times. Sets, costumes, scenery, and Tim Burton's magical vision create a luscious landscape that is a true feast for the eyes, and, as always, it pairs perfectly with Danny Elfman's spellbinding score. The problem is, when you're done absorbing all that beauty, Dumbo is just...well...kinda boring. The movie clocks in well shy of two hours, but it felt like I was sitting in that theater for days. All the adorable elephants, colorful circus acts, and devastatingly handsome leading men in the world couldn't save it.
Dumbo runs 112 minutes and is rated PG for "peril/action, some thematic elements, and brief mild language."
Disney's Dumbo is a decent bit of Saturday-afternoon entertainment, but don't expect to remember it long after you've left the theater.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Dumbo gets five.
Until next time...
