defective_saint’s review published on Letterboxd:
Sometimes remade is blander.
When this remake of the Disney classic was announced back in 2015, skepticism (and some vitriol) set in. Four Disney remakes later (five at this time of writing), this one doesn’t quite fly... but it’s not a total crash either.
Quite the opposite, actually. This new baby is harmless, inoffensive, alright... unless you’re really attached to the original. Even then, this one’s got its problems. Judging it as a Tim Burton film AND a remake, this feels reheated in spite of him changing up the ingredients. Even Danny Elfman’s score comes across as recycled from previous collaborations. Burton’s direction operates in a weird flux between quirky and bland. Sad to see he’s lost his energy even though he can still make his stuff look good. Characters are one-note and stiff (especially the little girl, whose performance was wooden). Also, I had a hard time distinguishing between three bald dudes in Dreamland since it felt like they were the same character? At times, the visual effects verge on the uncanny valley, particularly when they focus on Dumbo. This new take on the Pink Elephants scene disappoints, the plot drags, and none of the jokes work. Heck, I wasn’t annoyed when kids were talking or a baby was crying behind my seat since I had very little reason to care in spite of its sugar-coated attempts to elicit sentiment and whimsy.
Why this doesn’t entirely fall apart lies in the fact that this film looks really good. The old-world aesthetic shines through. Colors pop. Costumes dazzle. Sets feel real. Danny DeVito appears to be having a blast so it’s refreshing to see him smile like a little kid. Eva Green also does well in her role. Some nice circus freak action in the third act is mildly engaging, moreso than the actual plot. It’s got some nice themes in there too, even if they don’t entirely feel earned.
This new elephant in the room is nowhere near as interesting, odd, wild, or... fun as it could have been (or at least not as much as its granddaddy). Instead, it settles for the bare minimum, which should be fine for not-so-picky families. But Dumb-O does little to dissuade people from the notion that most of these Disney remakes feel more like soulless cash-ins than new interpretations.