Dumbo (2019)

Remaking masterpieces is rife with folly. Disney's been doing a spotty job in my opinion. Either they basically retelling the exact same story only with "live" actors (Beauty and the Beast), or they tell a new story that has little if anything to do with the spirit of the original (Alice in Wonderland). I've always felt a remake is only worth doing if you can add something new, give us a reason to see a newer version, especially of a truly good film. I don't feel Disney has a good track record with this yet, but Dumbo might be as close as they have come.

You see the original Dumbo isn't really a masterpiece. While there is much beloved about it, it also remains rather problematic in numerous ways. This version takes just the basics of the Dumbo story and fleshes it out removing most of what doesn't work. It also adds in a critique of capitalism and throws in classic Tim Burton style and celebration of the marginalized for a take that mostly works.

By focusing the story on the people of the circus and adding in a plot about business exploiting artistry, the new Dumbo finds a reason to revisit the story. The pairing of Devito and Keaton is a fun revisiting of the hero villain complex but reversed. Overall I was surprised at how much I was enjoying it.

However the Dumbo story just doesn't have that much meat to it and this version remains rather thin. The film does feel like it's drawing out it's climax. Still there was far more here than I was expecting.

Dumbo
Starring: Danny Devito, Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Michael Keaton, Alan Arkin, Nico Parker, Finley Hobbins, Roshen Seth, DeObia Oparei, Sharon Rooney
Director: Time Burton
Writers: Ehren Kruger