"Fly, Dumbo... fly."

Trailer Review 028 & Movie Preview 040

Dumbo

Disney

[March 29th, 2019]

Trailer(s) Effectiveness = 90% for successfully bringing the beloved animals to life especially Dumbo with the circuses shown to be the main vehicle for the narrative.

Tim Burton is on a redemption tour with the recent Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children signalling his return to form and now following it up with a big studio full feature on an ambitious retelling of another animated classic, this time on the elephant that can fly. There will always be detractors on the big corporation trying to cash in on their properties while some are too jaded to be entertained with feel good tales anymore but I am always an optimistic person and be behind any endeavour to entertain the masses. Disney's live action retelling has been on a winning streak lately (although stumbles in creativity and approach here and there can be highlighted) and this looks poised to carry it on with beautifully realised animals and most importantly DUMBO! Of course the original storyline will need to be updated for modern audiences and it appears they have done well here while still paying homage to the classic, with that pink elephant bubble representing the more wacky side of the original. The main variable here is how will they approach the narrative aspect since the trailer focuses a lot on the two children instead of the animals that may or may not talk. Will it be enough with expressions and mannerisms only without any voiceovers? The almost photo realistic models certainly helps in that department and I am more than ever looking forward to see this.

Full disclosure, this is the exact write-up as the one from this post.

Chance of Success = 90% with a nostalgic trip down the memory lane while being entertained with fully realised adventure with the circus as well as the animals.

a case for an auteur getting back into the groove:

+ Highlights +

Such a colourful track record with a lot of household names across variety of genres and sub-genres for decades.

? Main contention ?

Having his own signature look and style now, you know what you're getting into when you watch his features.

- Lowlights -

Being in the industry for so long, you're bound to hit a snag a couple of times, right?

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a case for the adaptation of a heartfelt tale:

+ Highlights +

How lifelike Dumbo is looking especially with that expressive eyes, and the colourful and lively world they are building up around the elephant's journey.

? Main contention ?

They will have a number of denileniations from the original animated counterpart to make it a newer experience ala Jon Favreau's the Jungle Book, with more updated storyline and (possibly) non-talking animals,putting the responsibility of the speaking parts to the boys and the humans that have bigger roles now comparatively.

- Lowlights -

Detractors will always be there for Disney trying to adapt their past beloved classics, ranging from those who want to leave the originals alone to those who're critical when the adaptation don't go the exact way they imagine,

~

This is now a great working formula for the company going forward with the successful projects in the Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella for example but it will always be viewed as a cashgrab to a select few. That's what this business essentially is.

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- Synopsis -
A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer.

(Voice) Cast

Eva Green as Colette Marchant, Colin Farrell as Holt Farrier, Michael Keaton as V. A. Vandevere, Danny DeVito as Max Medici, Alan Arkin as J. Griffin Remington, Lucy DeVito as Coat Check Girl, Sandy Martin as Verna The Secretary, Joseph Gatt as Neils Skellig, Lars Eidinger as Hans Brugelbecker, Sharon Rooney as Miss Atlantis, Nico Parker as Milly Farrier ...

(PG?, Director - Tim Burton [Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Mars Attacks!], Genre - Family, Fantasy)

- IMDb - official - wikia - wiki -

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