REVIEW: There’s something to be said for returning to your roots, with DUMBO re-uniting director Tim Burton with his three-time leading man Michael Keaton (BEETLEJUICE, BATMAN & BATMAN RETURNS) for the first time in twenty-seven years. The result is easily Burton’s best film since BIG FISH and a sumptuous, affecting re-telling of a Disney classic.
It helps that Burton had a lot of leeway with DUMBO, more so than he would have gotten had he signed-on to direct ALADDIN or THE LION KING. The original animated classic is seventy-eight years old, ran just over an hour and was so outdated (hello black crows) that anyone tackling it would have to reinvent the story somewhat to bring it up to date. It turns out Burton, whose track record has been spotty lately, was an inspired choice, grounding the film by making it something of a period piece, steeping it in post-WWI Americana, while attracting a high-pedigree cast filed with old favorites (Keaton, Danny DeVito, Alan Arkin) and new (Eva Green, Colin Farrell). The only question mark is whether the old-school approach, which aims for innocence that’s out of step with many modern kids films, might feel old-fashioned to a generation raised on other, more bombastic Disney movies. This might be one of those kids movies that parents like more.
Whatever the case, DUMBO is an imaginative re-telling of the story, aided by amazing CGI that makes the beloved big-eared elephant look uncannily real. The little guy is the star of the show here, with plenty of tear-jerker moments thrown in for good measure. If you don’t find yourself tearing up a bit when he’s separated from his mom, your heart just may be made of stone.
In addition to the titular creature, the spot on cast gets plenty of meat to chew on, with Colin Farrell adopting a Kentucky accent to play a former cowboy who, after losing an arm in the war, is reduced to caring for elephants to support his kids. The kids are more-or-less our leads here, with both low-key enough to keep them from being overly precocious (Disney tends to cast child actors well), although old-pros DeVito and Keaton chew the scenery enough to make them the real stars of the show.
Keaton, in particular, seems to be playing the type of Tim Burton role that would have usually gone to Johnny Depp. The difference between him and Depp is that Keaton, while over-the-top and funny, also knows when to dial it way down and reveal a human side. He adopts a flamboyant persona, but you see him slip in and out of it enough to make him seem real rather than a caricature. Eva Green also does well in what’s a relatively straight-laced role for her as the initially haughty aerialist who warms to both Dumbo, and Farrell and his family.
As usual for a Tim Burton film, he’s aided by a signature Danny Elfman score (returning after sitting out MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN) and cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel. It’s really a return to form for the oft-imitated director and his most affecting film in a long while. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and this is coming from someone a bit burnt-out on his more recent work.