The original 1941 "Dumbo" cartoon was one of my formative cinematic experiences. I know every frame of animation, every note of the soundtrack, and every word of the script inside and out. And to say I was not looking forward to the 2019 live action version is an understatement. However, I felt oddly duty-bound to see the new beast and report back on exactly how different the adaptation was from the original. Also, I've seen every single Tim Burton feature to date, and I'm not stopping now.
And to my surprise, I didn't hate it. I don't think it's a good film, or a good adaptation, but there are salvageable pieces here and there, a few interesting ideas and improvements. It helps that the live-action "Dumbo" is very different from the cartoon "Dumbo," with the plot of the original only being the first act of the new version. Only the very basic structure is still intact, and the characters of Dumbo and his mother, Mrs. Jumbo, are the only ones retained. There are a few references to helpful mice and pink elephants, but they're brief. Instead, the story is mostly about human beings.
Former trick rider Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) comes home from the Great War to his children, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins), and the fading Medici Brothers circus, run by Max Medici (Danny DeVito). Because Holt has lost an arm, and his wife and act partner has died, Holt is reassigned to the role of reluctant elephant keeper. The new baby elephant, Dumbo, who arrives with outlandish giant ears, is initially treated as a freak and a source of trouble. However, he becomes a sensation when the children discover that he can fly. This attracts the attention of the sinister V. A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), an entrepreneur and impresario who wants Dumbo for his Dreamland park.
The retelling of Dumbo's origins and struggle to learn to fly is told very quickly and comes off pretty poorly. The CGI elephants are not remotely as appealing or expressive as their cartoon counterparts. The cute kids are a poor substitute for Timothy Q. Mouse, especially as the performances they turn in are unbearably wooden and stilted - though I prefer to blame the director instead of the young actors. There's an uneasy balancing act between seeing the elephants put in situations where they are exploited and abused, and keeping some of the human characters involved sympathetic. A new baddie named Rufus (Phil Zimmerman) is responsible for the most obvious acts of cruelty, but it's clear that the story doesn't work nearly as well when the elephants are no longer the primary protagonists.
However, once Dumbo learns to fly, we shift gears to an entirely new narrative and a new set of characters. Suddenly Vandevere shows up as the real villain of the piece, with Michael Keaton playing an evil Walt Disney type, complete with his own gorgeously overdesigned Disneyland analogue. Keaton is firmly in Ray Kroc territory with some extra smarm, and a joy to watch every minute he's on screen. I also got a kick out of Eva Green appearing as Vandevere's star aerialist, Colette, and Alan Arkin getting in a few scenes where he's supposed to be playing an investor, but is pretty much just playing himself. It also allows for the Medici Circus crew to position themselves firmly as Dumbo's friends and protectors against this greater threat, and it becomes much easier to root for them.
The story eventually turns into another frantic action movie in the final act, but it's one that flows pretty well and features a surprisingly satisfying ending. I also really like how this section of the movie looks, with the off-kilter amusement park imagery and some strong visual storytelling. "Dumbo" feels more like a Tim Burton movie than any Tim Burton movie I've seen in years. And when it's good, it's good in ways I can't help loving as a Burton fan.
And when it's not - well, it's not. Ehren Kruger's script is passable, but has some awfully weak dialogue. The cringey Disney "science girl" has officially become a stock type, and probably a counterproductive one. Dumbo, despite the best efforts of his animators and effects team, never looked right when he was flying. I really, really didn't need an Arcade Fire cover of "Baby Mine." Or the flabbergasting Michael Buffer cameo.
A "Dumbo" remake is, of course, completely unnecessary, but all things considered it could have been worse. At least is wasn't a slavish copycat like "Beauty and the Beast," or a soulless parade float like "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms." "Dumbo" was wise enough to keep the heart of the story about Dumbo and his mother. It was not, however, wise enough to actually be a movie about Dumbo and his mother.
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