In 1941, Disney Studios released the original animated Dumbo. This movie became monumental for the company, as it recouped the financial losses for the movie Fantasia with its success. The film helped create one of the most iconic rides at Disney Parks, Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Just last week, Disney released a new and recreated version on the classic film. Did it live up to the high expectations of the animated film Dumbo?   

One of the biggest and most notable differences, in my opinion, was that in the original movie, the film included talking animals as the main characters. With the recreated non-animated version, filmmakers could obviously not use talking animals, but they still tried to make the film as realistic as possible. In place of the main character of Timothy the Talking Rat, were two young kids. In the original film, Timothy helped encourage Dumbo, taught him how to fly, and was really “his voice” throughout the movie. The children of the circus took Timothy’s place by doing the exact same thing for Dumbo. They supported him, helped him learn how to fly, and helped him save his mother. I think this was a great way to fill in the obvious gap of the talking animals in the film.

Same as the original movie, the recreated movie did not hold back with the tear-jerkers. Sweet Dumbo was just as cute in this film as the original. His bashful personality and adorable ears did not disappoint the crowd. Throughout the movie, Dumbo grows from being a shy baby elephant to dazzling a crowd. At the beginning of the film, Dumbo is reliant on his mother, and gained comfort in her and her alone. But when his mother is suddenly ripped away from the circus, Dumbo loses himself and his personality. With the help of the children being by his side and reassuring him of eventually getting his mother back, Dumbo regains the confidence needed to put on a show. Because of this, I saw this story in a whole new light. I almost saw Dumbo go through a coming-of-age story.

Another part of the movie that was much different from the original was the villain aspect of the film. The recreated film had a much more elaborate and complex “bad guy”. I feel this part of the movie could get a little confusing for younger children, but it did add a little more excitement for older kids seeing the movie!

All in all, I was pretty impressed with the reproduction of the movie. I think the characters were adorable and fun-loving, the scenes were beautiful and colorful, and the plot was interesting. If I had to rate this film I would probably give it an 8 out of 10. The only thing I was not a fan of was the new villains. I thought the film could have gone without this complex idea. However, I love how Disney is reimagining classic films for the new generation to experience in a new light. Dumbo is in almost all theaters now! Take a night off your schedule to go see this fabulous new film.