Milly Farrier: Here, Dumbo. You can do it, Dumbo. Show them.

Disclaimer: Synopsis may contain spoilers from the movie. Please read at your risk.

In a world full of mystery, Tim Burton yet again have soared his imagination and bring to life one of the most sought after cartoon of all time…the flying baby elephant, Dumbo.

We may have known Tim for his famous gothic-inspired and dark fantasy movies like Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Frankenweenie, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and many other famous films.

Today, he introduces another film that will make our imagination blast off our minds and no doubt, this is one of a kind, a Tim Burton kind.

Dumbo is a movie about a baby elephant that has been different from its kind. WIth his unique look, he was able to help a struggling circus.

In the beginning of the movie, it’s mother is a part of a 
town circus and she become ill, because she was pregnant. With the help of the circus master Max Medici played by Danny DeVito, even struggling, he took care of the elephant and convinced himself that the new born will be his luck and his ticket to success. and when Holt Farrier played by Colin Farrell returned from war-with his one arm gone, the circus has become to far too reach for him. Max asked him to take good care of upcoming fortune(Dumbo) and with the help of his children Milly and Joe Farrier, who grew up without their parents but only the circus around, they have discovered a magical creature that is about to be born.

Dumbo is a newborn elephant with an oversized ears, which makes him the big joke of the dying circus but Holt’s children discovered his abilities to fly(with the help of a feather being sucked by his long nose). The circus came to perform and introduce Dumbo to the public, of course, it was not that easy for the public but they were able to hike back the magical moment when Dumbo finally able itself to fly high. People from all over town had gone to the circus which made the business go back to life.

However, the fame of the elephant was then spread all over the city and Vandevere played by Michael Keaton gave the circus a visit and offered them to join his Dream Land. Max, of course, joined and embraced the opportunity, Dumbo was sent to Dream Land and performed with Colette Marchant, an aerial artist played by Eva Green. 

The circus opened a performance for Dumbo and at first, Dumbo was hesitant and had minor accidents, but later on he amazed the watchers with what his oversized ears can do.

With his greediness, Vandevere became  obsessed of seeing the elephant fly until the circus people have discovered that Dumbo’s mother is also hidden in the place. They planned an escape for both of the elephants, turning the world upside down and the whole place into nothing.

At the end of the movie, Dumbo managed to help everyone including his mother and were able to escape form the hands of Vandevere and the greedy was left with nothing but ashes. Dumbo and his mother were sent to the wild, to their natural habitat.

My thoughts; I have never seen the whole cartoon but I know that Dumbo is a flying elephant. The movie was a little confusing at first because everything was fast. Detail to detail was just to blurry. Knowing Tim Burton, and seeing his works, Dumbo is a little on the light side. It didn’t give me goosebumps but it has made me feel overwhelmed and a little scared for the life of the elephant.

It reminds me of those elephants in Thailand. Let’s be real, IRL, elephants were treated as means of entertainment too. I saw how other people have abused the elephants just to become a tourist attraction. Nowadays, many advocates have urged the public not to join the elephant back riding and showcase just to protect  them from the abuse. I felt like Dumbo and his mother experienced the same. I teared up when they got separated from each other and it was really heartbreaking to see a newborn in need of a mother but cannot have one.

The circus was just a dummy, I felt like the movie made the circus a wallflower, dumbo was the only apple of the movie’s eye. I know the movie is about the elephant but I was expecting more interaction between the circus and the people around. The movie went from circus to one-shot elephant movie. It’s like it’s made to be focused only to Dumbo. I was expecting a little flirty exchange of scenes between Colin and Eva and I was a bit curious about the life of the other circus performers. The limelight was focused on Dumbo, I know he is the main character, but yeah, it would likely be better if they made the story a little deeper, considering it’s a Tim Burton movie after all.

All in all, the movie was great, I had the chance to reconnect with my inner thoughts while watching it. I was able to feel like there’s something the world has to see and experience.

I will give this movie a 80% wonderroanne rating! For those who haven’t watched it yet, please do, it’s a must.