Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6940 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-04-11
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Dubbed, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Bulgarian, English, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish
• Dubbed in: Polish, Portuguese, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 64 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
A Disney "classic" that actually is a classic, Dumbo should be part of your video 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 ostracized 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

Synopsis
Deceptively simple, beautiful, moving, and hilarious, DUMBO is often overlooked when considering Disney's greatest films because perhaps of its lack of extravagance, its brief running time, and its simple story. Baby elephant Jumbo Jr. is delivered by the stork to his elephant mom with much fanfare but soon receives a cold shoulder from the snobby female pachyderms and the rest of the circus due to his oversize ears. When his mother goes on a rampage in order to protect him from some snickering rubes, she winds up locked away. Dumbo is left without a friend in the world until the street-smart Timothy Mouse decides to become his manager and a telephone line full of delightful jive-talking crows convince him he can fly. Highlights include Dumbo accidentally getting drunk and experiencing the surreal musical sequence Pink Elephants on Parade and a soundtrack packed with such priceless songs as the Oscar-winning Baby Mine and the crow's soulful number, When I see an Elephant Fly. There's nary an imperfect moment to be found in this raucous, tender, sublime film, which has been delighting audiences for generations.

Customer Reviews

A CLASSIC THAT I STILL LOVE TODAY
Dumbo is one of those films that works for all ages- the kids will gleefully follow along with the comic-tragic story of Dumbo and his friend Timothy Mouse; teens and young adults will want to watch it for the strange, surreal animation (and the humor, which is actually at times not quite meant for kids- i.e. the scenes with the crows); adults won't be bored by it in the least when they watch with their children. I would even equate the entertainment value of Dumbo with one of the more recent Pixar films- it's funny, but there are serious elements (in this case fairly dramatic; the animation is lively, detailed, and experimenting with the possibilities; and, its got heart behind its wit. For such a short film, it gives a lot to offer.

Although not quite a fairy tale, Dumbo presents a story that most kids can identify with- the importance of having someone to look after you, fitting in, being the outsider, and accomplishing something over odds with the world. Dumbo, of course, got the name from the gossiping, talkative elephants who are shocked at "Jumbo Jr's" huge ears. This becomes part of the tragedy of the story, as Mrs. Jumbo (in one of the more intense scenes of the film, among others) does everything she can to protect her from the circus crowds. Dumbo is befriended by Timothy the mouse, who helps to trump him as the elephant to give the ringmaster his big "climax" for his act. When it goes disastrously wrong, and Dumbo is made into a clown, it leads to a night of heavy drinking between the two friends (by accident, of course kids), and this leads to one of the virtuoso sequences in any Disney film.

The 'Pink Elephants' sequence, involving massive, perfunctory dream-like images of these creatures doing the strangest, most random things, is an example of something that Disney could do that could be appealing overall to an audience. Even today, there's something about the power, the danger, and the song and lyrics itself behind it that makes it effective. It has a message behind it, I suppose (maybe not to drink champagne and blow bubbles), but more than anything it adds a perfect sense of illusionment in the part of the story that needs it- Dumbo, before this scene, has had an extremely heart-felt connection with his mother (behind bars), and story-wise there has to be something that happens to him that takes him to the next step, the real discovery he and Timothy make about his future (i.e. the crows). Although much of the film is, like the circus itself, fantastical and bigger-than-life, I can't say enough about the pink elephants.

Not to say that the film isn't at all dated (I even knew when I was very young watching the film that it was not of my time- the way the crows speak has an underlying racist quality to it that was acceptable in Hollywood at the time), but there is a lasting power to 'Dumbo' that works more than sixty years later. The themes are clear, the songs are enjoyable, and the tones of the film shift like the best drama/comedies of the time in regular films.

they don't make em like this anymore!
bought this for my daugher who had a 'taped from the tele' video from when she was about 3 that was close to being worn out. we love this movie, the animation is fabulous, the characters ARE characters who evoke so many emotions as you watch. I think there are lots of morals to be told in this tale and i certainly found it a useful medium to explore people's actions with my young daughter. There are bad people in the world and children need to learn right from wrong and to recognise when someones behaviour is mean, cruel or just downright wrong. This film provided an opportunity to discuss things openly. there is fun there too though! the film makes me cry and laugh and sing!

Gorgeous
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.