Dumbo (2019)
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A circus elephant with unusually large ears discovers he can fly and must find his way back to his mother.
The story
In 1919 Sarasota, Florida, equestrian performer Holt Farrier returns to the Medici Brothers' Circus after World War I. The circus faces financial ruin, and Holt is hired to care for Mother Ella Jumbo, a pregnant Indian elephant. When she gives birth to a calf with unusually large ears, the Ringmaster orders them hidden to avoid public mockery. However, the calf accidentally reveals his ears during a debut performance in Joplin, Missouri, leading to public ridicule. After a chaotic incident causes the circus to sell Mrs. Jumbo, Holt's children discover the calf, Dumbo, can fly. The story follows Dumbo's journey as he navigates the circus world and seeks his mother.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1919 Sarasota, Florida, Holt Farrier, a WWI veteran, joins the Medici Brothers' Circus as a caretaker for Mother Ella Jumbo. She gives birth to Dumbo, a calf with large ears. After a public debut in Joplin, Missouri, where Dumbo is mocked and pelted, Mrs. Jumbo rampages and is subsequently sold by the Ringmaster. Holt's children, Joe and Milly, discover Dumbo can fly by flapping his ears. Dumbo is forced into a firefighter clown act that goes awry, but Milly helps him fly to safety, making him a sensation. V. A. Vandevere, owner of Dreamland, offers a partnership to the circus. During a debut at Dreamland, Dumbo panics and flies away to find his mother, who is being held on 'Nightmare Island.' Vandevere fires the troupe and shuts down the exhibit. Learning Vandevere intends to kill Mrs. Jumbo, the troupe works to free them. A fire breaks out at Dreamland, and Dumbo saves Holt's family. The troupe brings the elephants to the harbor to return them to India. The circus is reestablished with a policy against using wild animals, and Dumbo reunites with a herd of wild elephants.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tim Burton
- Writers
- Ehren Kruger · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Colin Farrell · Holt Farrier; Michael Keaton · V. A. Vandevere; Danny DeVito · Maximilian "Max" Medici; Eva Green · Colette Marchant; Alan Arkin · J. Griffin Remington; Nico Parker · Milly Farrier; Finley Hobbins · Joe Farrier; Roshan Seth · Pramesh Singh
- Genres
- fantasy; period adventure
- Themes
- believing in oneself; overcoming disabilities; individual identity; animal rights
- Tone and mood
- sweet; fantastical; grounded; sinister
- Setting
- 1919 Florida, Missouri, and New York City
- Premise and plot tags
- live-action adaptation; period piece; fantasy adventure; circus film
- Source material / true-story basis
- Walt Disney's 1941 animated film
- Franchise connections
- Dumbo
- Content notes
- animal rights
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the performances of DeVito and Keaton but criticized the script. It was considered a disappointment at the box office, ultimately losing money despite a large budget.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 51 · scale: 100 · review count: 55; PostTrak · score: 3.5 · scale: 5
- Production trivia
- Tim Burton described the film as 'quite autobiographical' at a certain level.; The film does not feature talking animals.; The group of crows from the 1941 film were excluded.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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