Tim Burton rewatch! The massive financial success of Alice in Wonderland looms large over Burton’s career, so that in 2019 it was time for another Disney remake with Dumbo.

Here’s what happens: After World War I, a soldier named Holt returns to the circus he thought was his home. Down on his luck, he’s put in charge of pregnant elephant Jumbo and her eventual offspring, Jumbo Jr., not-so-affectionately nicknamed Dumbo. The baby elephant’s ginormous ears make him too much of a freak, even for the circus, until those ears give him the miraculous power of flight. Dumbo becomes a star, with Holt and family riding stardom with him.

Origin story: The creation of Dumbo is somewhat murky. Apparently, it was a children’s book by Helen Abseron-Mayer, Harold Pearl, and Helen Durney. But then the original Dumbo was also a prototype toy called a “Roll-A-Book.” Whatever these objects were, they were enough to inspire good ol’ Walt Disney to craft a feature about a flying elephant. The movie had a reduced budget and was made in the midst of a tense animators’ strike, but is (mostly) regarded as a classic today.

Outsider theory: Dumbo is an outsider, first being labeled a freak because his ears, and then spending the rest of the movie feeling alone after being separated from his mother. Holt and his daughter are also outsiders, him with a checkered past and a war injury, and her with an interest in science rather than ordinary kid stuff.

Reality breaks through: Bear with me on this one. The second half of the movie had Dumbo and co. becoming part of Dream Land, a gigantic city-sized circus run my a mysterious millionaire. Instead of being the main attraction, Dumbo is now one of many attractions. Could there be an art imitates life situation going on here, with a successful filmmaker getting swallowed up in the massive Disney CGI remake machine?

Best bits: Vandevere: “You have something very rare. You have wonder. You have mystique. You have magic. Come with me. Together, we can soar… on that elephant’s wings.”

Thoughts on this viewing: I was good during the beginning, with everything building up to Dumbo’s first flight. The pacing is relaxed but engaging, and I liked Holt’s relationship with his kids and the circus folk. But when the movie gets to Dream Land, that’s where it lost me. The second act is meandering and dull, and I was mentally checked out once it got to the action finale.

Next: What day is it?

* * * *

Want more? Check out my ongoing serial, THE SUBTERKNIGHTS, on Kindle Vella. A man searches for his missing sister in a sprawling city full of far-out tech, strange creatures, and secret magic. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy hybrid full of action, romance, mystery, and laughs. The first ten episodes are FREE! Click here for a list of all my books and serials.