DUMBO, why are critics trashing your adorable new movie?

[Someone in a Tree2]

I don't get it-- Rotten Tomatoes has it at 50%, Metacritic has it at 52, and the theater was 3/4's empty yesterday. I thought this movie was glorious, nearly from start to finish (and it's got a long 2 hour running time!) Combining a Tim Burton movie with the classic Disney aesthetic hasn't always worked out for the best (Alice in Wonderland, anyone?), but this one finds just the perfect tone between the creepy and the adorable. The kids are interesting, the adults are pretty, that damn baby elephant is stupidly cute, and you really do get a heart-tugging lift every time little Dumbo goes airborne. Rick Heinrichs and Colleen Atwood have filled the screen with the most gorgeous designs in scene after scene (the film is set in a version of 1919 we only wish the real 1919 had looked like).

The only weak link, I'm sorry to say, is Michael Keaton's evil villain. His snow white hairpiece is brilliant, but everything else about him is ill-chosen, from his tie-less suits to his scenery-chewing style to his Snidely Whiplash motivation. A shame they didn't move Alan Arkin up from a minor cameo part to replace Keaton.

That aside, this is one of the rare great live-action reimaginings from the Disney vault, and Tim Burton and his team should be heralded for their beautiful little baby!

[haterobics]

Rotten Tomatoes does give a pullquote from each review as well as link to each of them individually, so it's pretty easy to find out why...

[UncleCharlie]

It's fine to say I liked it and am disappointed others didn't. But not to get how others could not have the same opinion you have? Has this never happened before?

[getupngo]

yikes and it only made 100 million this weekend... on a 170 million budget... plus another 75 million (if not more) for marketing... and they'll be lucky to break even..

I'm still not sure why they went with this story? they could have gone with a more popular one like little mermaid and been a guaranteed box office success

[Someone in a Tree2]

The Little Mermaid is far along in the pipeline, I believe with Rob Marshall at the helm. 

I never saw the original animated film, so I was frankly happy to see a movie with a storyline I didn't know already going in.

[SNAFU]

Yeah, I am afraid DUMBO is a flop. When I worked on Muppets Take Manhattan, I was told the rule of thumb was a film had to make 3 times it's production costs in order to start to turn a profit (nationally).

 I do believe it is because people are finally tiring of the CGI "Live Action" films. Personally, I thought that Dumbo himself looked like crap.

 

[Someone in a Tree2]

^ Curious if you're basing your "Dumbo looks like crap" observation on the trailer or the film? The face was weird, I admit, but I thought the movement of the body was pretty spectacular over the course of the movie.

On a side note, SNAFU, I love that you worked on Muppets Take Manhattan-- I spent a year and a half between 2010 and 2011 on The Muppets reboot, the project in my resume I'm most proud of.

 

[getupngo]

Someone in a Tree2 said: "The Little Mermaid is far along in the pipeline, I believe with Rob Marshall at the helm.

I never saw the original animated film, so I was frankly happy to see a movie with a storyline I didn't know already going in."

That’s right I remember zendaya as Ariel rumors. I would love if the got Ginger Minj from Drag Race to play Ursula

[getupngo]

Someone in a Tree2 said: "The Little Mermaid is far along in the pipeline, I believe with Rob Marshall at the helm.

I never saw the original animated film, so I was frankly happy to see a movie with a storyline I didn't know already going in."

That’s right I remember zendaya as Ariel rumors. I would love if the got Ginger Minj from Drag Race to play Ursula

[Valentina3]

getupngo said: "I remember zendaya as Ariel rumors."

Zendaya is Meechee.

[SNAFU]

Someone in a Tree2, One expects producers to put only the best clips in trailers to entice the audience.

 On a the second note: Did you work for Henson or Puppet Heap?

[Someone in a Tree2]

^ Neither-- without giving away my anonymity entirely, I'd just say that I played a key part in the art department on the feature, so I guess you'd say I was working for Disney who produced the film.

 

[SNAFU]

Fair enough!

Pass on to Disney to reopen their 2D animation studio!

 

[SmoothLover]

It is interesting that they are moving so fast on the stage version. Will be a hot Tony contender in 2020.

[haterobics]

Someone in a Tree2 said: "^ Curious if you're basing your "Dumbo looks like crap" observation on the trailer or the film? The face was weird, I admit, but I thoughtthe movement of the body was pretty spectacular over the course of the movie."

In this day and age, it is likely not the effects that are pushing people away... the dead eyes of Polar Express are pretty far in the past by now. I'm not in the demo for this movie, don't understand why we need live action versions of animated classics, and never saw anything to win me around to wanting to go...

[RippedMan]

It does seem to adult for children, but too young for adults? So who is the audience? 

[Someone in a Tree2]

I think they mis-sold it as a kid's film, when really it's a Tim Burton film, albeit a sweeter one than usual. Is it too adult for kids? I wouldn't say so, since practically every Disney movie ever made has scenes where the mother figure is threatened by the villain. It's just a loooong film for little, little kids; they could be bored silly waiting for the flying scenes. Having seen it and loved it myself, I think they should have marketed it as a film for anyone of any age who loves Tim Burton's brand of fantasy. 

Has anyone else on this thread actually seen it?

[SNAFU]

I have been burnt too many times seeing "Live Action" versions of childhood 2D classics to waste my money anymore. If it looks like **** in the trailer it is bound to be ****.

 

[VivianDarkbloom2]

SNAFU I just wanted to say I always loved Muppets Take Manhattan! The design was fantastic
And Someone, I don’t blame you for being most proud of the Muppets reboot, it seems like that was a real labor of love.
As for Dumbo, I think they rebooted this one rather than a more mainstream favorite because the original has some elements that are very problematic today.

[Bette's Turban]

It was a bore.  A flat and lazy movie.

[Roscoe]

My positive reaction to the movie might have as much to do with diminished expectations as anything else.  My interest was piqued by a couple of reviews indicating that some of the old Burton magic was on display, involving a Burtonesque Dark Coney Island Theme Park where Dumbo's family run circus ends up. And yeah. Some of the old magic was definitely there. Some good chunks of it, right there onscreen.  It's not really a kiddie movie -- the plots about the returning war veteran and the elements surrounding the hateful corporate magnate kind of cancel that out.

Some handsome art direction and filmmaking going on, and some good performances, including the welcome return of my man Roshan Seth. I rather like the way Burton handles the generically guaranteed budding relationship between that handsome rascal Colin Farrell, here displaying a weariness that only makes him more appealing, and that lovely rascal Eva Green, whose initial iciness melts over the course of the film without ever seeming phony. There are a couple of kids who only make one despair over the apparent absence of capable child actors in the current market -- the days of Haley Joel Osment, Christina Ricci and Freddie Highmore seem to be long gone. 

The good stuff in it is the first sign of hope in a few years. DUMBO is second-tier Burton, closer to amusements like SLEEPY HOLLOW and CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY than the brilliance of the great ED WOOD and BATMAN RETURNS and SWEENEY TODD, and far better than Burton failures like PLANET OF THE APES and that ALICE horror.  And I'll take Burton's DUMBO over a certain other movie about a walking piranha from a couple years back.

There's a lovely update to the famed Pink Elephant Parade in Burton's film which by itself had me as happy as I've been for a while.

[Miles2Go2]

I watched this on my flight on Sunday and was pleasantly surprised by it. Admittedly, as mentioned before I went in with lowered expectations which were exceeded. Also, it is definitely Burton-lite although there are definitely the aforementioned Burton flourishes.

[Impossible2]

I thought it was on par with Alice in Wonderland...awful x