Reviews for Dumbo

A visit from the stork to Mrs. Jumbo brings a new baby elephant to the circus, but a baby elephant with impossibly gargantuan ears. The other elephants are shocked and dismayed at this "freak" and soon everybody in the circus is calling him Dumbo. Mrs. Jumbo, however, doesn't care what the others think and loves her new baby. But after a bad incident, Mrs. Jumbo is locked up and Dumbo is left on his own. Soon enough, the sympathetic Timothy Q. Mouse decides to befriend the big-eared little elephant and help turn him into a star. They'll prove to the whole circus that Dumbo is special in his own way, but exactly how special will be a surprise even to them.

"Dumbo" was one of my favorite movies growing up. Though closer in style to shorts of the same period, this is no doubt one of Disney's masterpieces, as strong in message and theme as "Snow White" or "Pinocchio." It's a relatively short feature, but manages to hit the whole spectrum of emotions in its duration, from hilarity to heartbreak. Everything is kept very simple and direct, with few side plots and complications. The characters are great, the music is wonderful, and the animation, while nothing fancy, does its job. It's a warm, fuzzy-sweater of a movie meant for the younger set, but adults won't be bored for a second.

Most of the excellence of "Dumbo" is in the careful story and character work. The incomparable Timothy is neither a sidekick nor a hero. He's Dumbo's friend, which is all he need to be. The Ringmaster, the clowns, and the four gossipy elephants who ostracize our protagonist aren't villains separately, but together they're an antagonizing force no single bad guy could ever equal. There are delightful moments, such as Timothy's self-introduction to Dumbo, sad ones, like the "Baby Mine" sequence, and tense ones too, like the elephant pyramid act. There's so much genuine charm and boundless creative energy at work, it's no wonder the movie's inventiveness still surprises and its messages still resonate, even after sixty years.