Dumbo

Walt Disney Animation Studio’s fourth feature, Dumbo follows the title animal, a baby elephant with oversized ears, as he discovers self-confidence with the help of a friendly mouse named Timothy. It’s an awfully slight premise that’s employed to consistently watchable (yet rarely engrossing) effect by the various filmmakers, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the episodic structure plays a rather significant role in confirming the picture’s far-from-stellar atmosphere – with the lack of forward momentum doing little to allay the good-but-not-great feel. Dumbo‘s success, then, is due predominantly to its often eye-popping animation and the smattering of memorable sequences, with the latter especially true of the justifiably iconic “Pink Elephants on Parade” interlude, and it’s clear, too, that the affable (and thoroughly sympathetic) nature of Dumbo himself plays a key role in smoothing over the narrative’s deficiencies – which, when coupled with a completely satisfying closing few minutes, ultimately does confirm the film’s place as a solid early endeavor from the Disney studio.

*** out of ****