Dumbo was Disney’s fourth animated feature film, and for the longest time, was widely used in many forms of media promoting Disney as whole. It received critical acclaim upon release, being nominated for two Academy Awards, winning one. When the Disney Renaissance came around, many of Disney’s older characters have gradually been phased out of general marketing and other related media. While they still use plenty of characters from their earlier films, Dumbo is unfortunately not one of them. Younger fans typically don’t hold the character in the same regard as they do those in The Lion King or Aladdin, which begs the question if Disney’s once unanimously beloved truly holds up these days.
The film starts off when circus elephant Mrs. Jumbo is delivered her new baby, whom she names Jumbo Jr. Due to her son’s abnormally large ears, the other elephant women torment the child, referring to him as Dumbo. When Dumbo is ridiculed by a group of boys, Mrs. Jumbo loses her temper and attacks the boys, which causes her to be tossed in a cage and separated from her son. A mouse named Timothy (voiced by Edward Brophy) feels sympathy for Dumbo’s hardships and offers to be his mentor, helping him gain confidence, become a star in the circus, and hopefully find a way back to his mother.
At a mere 64 minutes, the plot is incredibly simplistic and straightforward, though it benefits immensely from keeping things really short. The film moves at a wonderfully brisk pace, only spending a brief amount of time on each scene, though managing to get its point across pretty succinct. The only detour this movie really takes is the trippy “Pink Elephants on Parade,” which has gone on to be known as one of the strangest moments to ever occur in a Disney movie. While the song is fine on its own, within the context of the movie, it does go on just a bit too long, given the incredibly quick pace of the rest of the film. Otherwise, the film is over in what feels like the blink of an eye, though it still manages to effectively convey a wide array of emotions through visual cues, and lines of dialogue that are to-the-point.
Other than the Ringmaster, all of the primary characters in this film are anthropomorphic animals. Dumbo is actually the only animal who doesn’t speak a line of dialogue in the entire film (Mrs. Jumbo is a close second, only speaking one line), and this ends up being to the movie’s benefit. A lot is conveyed through Dumbo’s many facial expressions, and it’s incredibly easy to find sympathy for him. At first, he’s incredibly cheery, with his glowing smile immediately capturing the audience’s hearts, and it takes a couple of scenes for him to realize that he’s being ridiculed. So it makes it very easy to feel bad for him when he goes into a depressed state shortly after the realization. Out of all of Disney’s creations, Dumbo himself is a marvel to watch in action.
The rest of the characters are pretty solid. There’s never really a true antagonist throughout this movie, which does give the movie a sense of realism, as not every conflict needs to a be a product of “good vs. evil.” There are simply mean characters, ranging from the arrogant Ringmaster to the cliquish, stuck-up fellow elephants. These characters can be a bit grating from time to time, but the obstacles they put in the way make Dumbo’s journey a lot more satisfying.
Timothy is a fun supporting character, though his New York accent can get slightly tiresome from time to time. He does, however, manage to get in some fun little exchanges with the titular elephant and keeps the mood from not being totally dark and dreary. As far as the controversial crows go, the fact that they play some pretty blatant stereotypes is abundantly clear, and can be cringeworthy to sit through. The only positive that does come from these crows is the fact that they are the only other characters outside of Timothy who are genuinely very supportive of Dumbo, and while it doesn’t excuse the stereotypical behavior they portray, their actions at least advance the plot in a positive way.
While the film is ultimately a sad experience, the film still has plenty to offer in terms of its visual experience. The circus is often viewed as a bright, extravagant affair, and the film uses that notion to contrast with the overall grim nature of the plot. For example, while Dumbo is in an act that involves clowns dressed as firefighters escaping from a burning building, the audience sees how it makes him miserable, allowing this one important detail that advances the plot to stand out among all the visual flare.
Even in some of the less serious sequences, the film constantly uses bright colors. Timothy is dressed in a brightly colored red suit that usually stands out in a lot of the sequences taking place at night, while all the crows’ attire are unique, flashy garments. “Pink Elephants on Parade” sees the film with its most liberal use of color. Taking place against a black background, the elephants themselves quickly switch from the titular pink to just about every other color imaginable, morphing into all shapes and sizes while at it, further solidifying it as one of Disney’s biggest standout moments in their animated films.
The film also benefits immensely from its music. While Dumbo’s songs aren’t as highly regarded by younger fans today like many of Disney’s other films, the soundtrack is overall a joy to listen to, having won the Oscar for Best Score in 1941. “Baby Mine” was also nominated for Best Original Song and manages to effectively pull at the heartstrings in arguably the film’s most emotional moment. Many of the other songs are catchy little tunes that mostly only last for about two minutes each, such as “Look Out for Mister Stork” and “Casey Junior.” “When I See An Elephant Fly” is probably the most redeeming factor of the crows, as the song is a very cheery, upbeat tune that adds a nice positive spin in the film’s third act after some of its more upsetting sequences. While one doesn’t hear many of these songs used as “go-to” Disney songs these days, they still hold up as being enjoyable as many of their more well-known efforts.
Dumbo is often forgotten by younger audiences, and it’s a shame, as it still holds up to this day as a classic. The film is one of the most emotional Disney experiences of all-time, pulling at the heartstrings constantly through the titular character’s extremely sad, yet perfect facial expressions. Despite some serious emotional weight, it does have some fun, humorous moments to balance things out and make for an enjoyable time. It has some great songs and is a visual treat, with bright, vivid colors employed throughout, especially during many of its songs. While it’s not as bombastic or grandiose as many of the Disney Renaissance films and beyond, Dumbo to this day remains to be Disney at its finest.
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