SNAPSHOT
From Disney and visionary director Tim Burton, the all-new grand live-action adventure “Dumbo” expands on the beloved classic story where differences are celebrated, family is cherished and dreams take flight. Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) enlists former star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when they discover that Dumbo can fly, the circus makes an incredible comeback, attracting persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), who recruits the peculiar pachyderm for his newest, larger-than-life entertainment venture, Dreamland. Dumbo soars to new heights alongside a charming and spectacular aerial artist, Colette Marchant (Eva Green), until Holt learns that beneath its shiny veneer, Dreamland is full of dark secrets. (synopsis via Coming Soon)
Every time I roll my eyes a little at the idea of Disney rather brazenly “leveraging” its animation back catalogue to make live action remakes, and my inner grumpy old man, who’s been a principled so-and-so since my childhood, rails at retread stories over originals, I see a film like Beauty and the Beast (not perfect but I rather liked it) and this trailer for Dumbo and I fall in love with the power of schmaltzy storytelling.
You see, even though I know Disney is doing nothing less or more than employing some fairly sound, if creatively-questionable commercial decisions, and yes there are a million brilliantly one-of-a-kind lurking out there, there’s something about a poorly-treated by some, dearly-loved by others, good vs. evil story of one little flying orphan elephant that gets me every time.
And this trailer, and the exquisite poster that go with it have grabbed my heart heard and are refusing to let go and honestly I don’t have a problem with that.
Well, unless the resulting film sucks to high heaven, to which Dumbo can no doubt fly, but somehow I doubt that … well, that could be my heart speaking but let’s leave it for there now and hope for the very re-imagined best.
Dumbo releases 28 March 2019 in Australia and 29 March in UK and USA.