Dumbo is a charming and enjoyable remake of the 1940s animated film, but is not without its flaws. This movie is about a young circus elephant whose huge ears enable him to fly. When the circus partners with a famous business tycoon, Dumbo and his friends begin to uncover dark secrets. Colin Farrell gives a fantastic performance. It takes a little time to really get behind the character, but he plays the emotional complexity of the role perfectly. Danny DeVito is a ton of fun as the owner of the circus. He plays the part well, but the role does not allow for many dramatic scenes. Michael Keaton gives a great performance. He is very over the top, but the fact he is clearly having a blast sells the craziness. However, he is using a very weird accent that takes some getting used to and it is distracting until you do. Eva Green gives an excellent performance. She has a good dynamic with Farrell and she makes you believe Dumbo is really there. Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins give good performances as the kids who train Dumbo. However, some of their delivery comes across as very wooden and occasionally unintentionally funny. Tim Burton does a great job directing. This is a very visually unique movie and the scenes of Dumbo flying were pure magic. The script is good but has a very slow start. While not without its moments, the first act of this movie was not good. However as soon as Dumbo flies, this movie begins to soar. The second and third acts of this movie successfully reinvent the story for 2019 and are truly something special. The visual effects are incredible and the movie has an almost dreamlike look. Dumbo himself is absolutely adorable and stunningly realized. I never thought for a single second that he was not there. At 112 minutes the pacing is a mixed bag. The weak first act drags on, but the strong second and third acts fly by. Overall, Dumbo was a really good update to the original animated film but due to a weak start did not quite reach greatness.
7.5/10
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