Dumbo Special Edition Combi Pack (Blu-ray + DVD)
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Released:22/03/2010
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Studio:Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Cast: James Baskett, Herman Bing, Edward Brophy
Running Time:64 minutes
Amazon.co.uk Review
A Disney "classic" that actually is a classic, Dumbo should be part of your movie collection whether or not you have children. The storytelling was never as lean as in Dumbo, the songs rarely as haunting (or just plain weird), the characters rarely so well defined. The film pits the "cold, cruel, heartless" world that can't accept abnormality against a plucky, and mute, hero. Jumbo Jr. (Dumbo is a mean-spirited nickname) is ostracised from the circus pack shortly after his delivery by the stork because of his big ears. His mother sticks up for him and is shackled. He's jeered by children (an insightful scene has one boy poking fun at Dumbo's ears, even though the youngster's ears are also ungainly), used by the circus folk, and demoted to appearing with the clowns. Only the decent Timothy Q. Mouse looks out for the little guy. Concerns about the un-PC "Jim Crow" crows, who mock Dumbo with the wonderful "When I See an Elephant Fly", should be moderated by remembering that the crows are the only social group in the film who act kindly to the little outcast. If you don't mist up during the "Baby Mine" scene, you may be legally pronounced dead. --Keith Simanton
Tags
Childrens, General, Musicals, Classics
Reviews
I am writing this review partially in response to some of the comments below- something which I would not do usually, which shows just how affected I am by them.
I owned the original VHS of this film, and now the DVD. It still remains the only film that has ever brought me close to tears, both as an adult and a child (I now find the scene where his Mrs. Jumbo realises that Dumbo is gone as heart-wrenching as the famous lullaby sequence). I must have watched it dozens and dozens of times, and the reason why I bought it again was because my memories of it were that I was entertained and moved. The mother-child dynamic was perfect, the characters were all memorable, and the message against animal cruelty was not terribly overt, but still effective ("elephants don't have feelings"- as Dumbo walks past with tears in his eyes). This may seem like part of a past era- and it is- but it does not mean that it is not relevant. Do children now never treat animals badly for amusement, not thinking that they could be in pain? No. Is the circus itself a metaphor for the world that I, in the nineties, not the thirties, grew up in- with playground teasing and ritual public humiliation for those who couldn't stand up for themselves or didn't fit it, and parents desperate to protect their children from this? Yes. This time is one that is shown in 'Dumbo' to be both fascinating and repulsive- something that we should not emulate now. And strangely enough, and no point did I ever feel compelled to believe that the only way to get ahead in life was to make myself 'commercially viable' because of this film- I always thought that Dumbo achieved this through gaining friends through compassion, getting confidence and belief that his 'weakness' could be what made him special, and then proving that to people and animals too engrained in their own prejudices to see sense otherwise. Children don't like being lectured to- they gain their own, innocent insights. Just a thought, from someone who remembers this from a child's perspective- and I was moved and enchanted by the story, the characters and the lovely and sometimes ground-breaking animation. You're either quite like it, or you're absolutely love it.
As the 'Golden Age' of the Disney studio almost came to a close, 'Dumbo' is the film that is most commonly remembered as being an integral release. It saved the business after the financial losses of Pinocchio and Fantasia before it, but did so astonishingly with such economy and simplicity.
This is the most striking aspect about Dumbo - its sheer emotional power through simple production. The story itself only runs for 64 minutes, yet in many respects, this condensed running time allowed for a more concise film. As for the plot, we see the animals from a travelling Circus receiving their new-born from the 'Delivery Stork', only for the very last delivery to be a baby elephant with unusually large ears. In response to name his mother chose ('Jumbo'), her female companions cruelly rename him 'Dumbo' due to his silly appearance.
Forget the usual heros and villains - for Dumbo, it is a chapter-like story that rides on the emotions. The best scene of the film (and possibly, one of the saddest in movie history) is that of the baby elephant visiting his mother, who had recently been locked in her own trailer as she scared the guests when Dumbo is taunted. Neither of them can see each other through the tiny barred-window, leaving them to stroke each through through the limited space. Its a lesson for any aspiring animator as the frame holds on Dumbo looking up at his mothers trunk, leaving the tears to fall down his eyes. You can't watch it without welling up.
The film contains every attribute you would want in the space of an hour, though. As well as this emotion, the Crows bring some humorous relief to the viewer with their wise-cracking talk and singing, while the 'Pink Elephants' scene dabbles in the surrealism that was in fashion at the time, with the likes of artists such as Salvador Dali.
This may not be a 'Diamond Edition' (for some strange reason), but the restoration says otherwise. It is yet another flawless Lowry-Digital remastering that astonishingly reveals many original colour consistencies on the cels, and really brings out the lush softness of the water coloured backgrounds. Although the film grain has been removed like all the recent Lowry efforts, you could argue that grain wasn't an intended product of the production. Quite simply, the artwork has never been clearer, which is all the more important for Dumbo as there are so many dark/night scenes.
As for additional content, the Blu-Ray contains a modest amount of extras (not a patch on the Diamond/Platinum Editions), but it should be enough for most people. The DVD is also included as with most Disney packages now, and it is all presented in a lovely shimmering slipcase.
In short, Dumbo my not be the most glamorous or technically advanced film the studio produced, but this only balanced the production over to a wonderful plot and use of imagery. The restoration is perfect (both visually and the audio) and at these prices, paying a few quid less for the stand-alone DVD version just doesn't make sense. Top marks Disney!
Tom Cat
Dumbo (1941), Disney's 4th movie, is a film that should be viewed by every child. Touching on subjects important to all children, bullying, parental love and friendship, it is a moving, entertaining and heart-warming story of an elephant, bullied because of his over long ears, who over comes his bullies with the help of his best friend Jeremy the mouse and four, halarious crows to become the most famous elephant ever. The animaton, as always is faultless, at only one hour it isn't as over-indulgent as many of Disney's films and the "pink elephant" sequence is something to be amazed. Definatley one of the best animated films ever.
dumbo is brilliant and so cute. They should bring dumbo back out and see more of him.
Love, hope, dreams - all human yearnings packed into the diminutive form of a deformed pachyderm. Anyone who doesn't fall for this classic slab of Disney deserves to be submerged in elephant plop.
