The film begins at the end of World War I, with veteran Holt Farrier ( Colin Farrell) coming home to a couple different kinds of families as an understandably changed man. (Both films are inspired by the novel from Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl.) But they failed to develop those characters beyond a few superficial traits, and Dumbo himself-while an irresistibly sweet and sympathetic figure-enjoys an anthropomorphism that’s head-scratchingly selective. Burton and screenwriter Ehren Kruger (who’s written several “ Transformers” movies) have significantly expanded on the beloved 64-minute original feature, adding many more human characters to carry along the story. There’s simultaneously too much going on here and not enough. And among the recent slew of live-action re-dos of venerable Disney fare-from “Cinderella” to “ The Jungle Book” to 'Beauty and the Beast'- it will surely end up being one of the least memorable. And the music from Burton’s decades-long collaborator Danny Elfman is frequently reminiscent of Elfman’s haunting score for “ Edward Scissorhands.”Īll these inevitable comparisons only highlight how inferior “Dumbo” is alongside the best of Burton’s work.

“Dumbo” also offers a “ Batman Returns” reunion, with both DeVito and Michael Keaton reteaming with Burton, albeit with their hero and villain roles reversed. Specifically, though, the century-old circus setting can’t help but call to mind “ Big Fish,” especially with Danny DeVito once again serving as ringleader. With his oversized ears that make him the subject of both awe and ridicule, Dumbo is a classic Burton misfit-the kind of character the director has focused on in twisted yet kindhearted fashion for the entirety of his career. Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” feels like one of the big-eared baby elephant’s early flights: It’s adorable and earnest but it causes a lot of commotion, and it only sporadically, haltingly soars.īurton’s live-action incarnation of the 1941 animated Disney classic consists of pieces of better Burton movies stitched together.

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