I've never found 1941's 'Dumbo' anything extraordinary, in all honesty.

While Dumbo is extremely cute and simply adorable, he's the only great thing that this film has going for it. The animation, even when compared to that of Disney's first two films, isn't that good. It's very cartoony, none of the characters have aged brilliantly in that regard.

The voice talent aren't anything grand, though that's expected given the main character doesn't speak. Edward Brophy's Mouse is amusing, though he's arguably a cut-and-paste of Jiminy Cricket from 'Pinocchio'.

The message of the film is a little blurred, also. It certainly teaches the audience not to judge a book by its cover, but you expect it to stir up questions about circuses and the way the animals are treated, e.g. Dumbo's mother, but it never truly does.

There's also a scene where Dumbo enters a hallucinogenic state which begins funnily, though really does go on for too long. It feels like it's just there to fill the already slacking run time, which adds to my belief that it's a film that was rushed out to make money - that could be me being overly cynical, though.

Reading this review back, it does come across as if I hate the film - I don't, I just think it has a number of flaws to it.

One of Disney's classics, though after seventy-five years its reputation may have outpaced the film itself. After the financial disappointments of Pinocchio and Fantasia a year earlier, the studio tightened its belt on Dumbo in an attempt to make up for the losses. It worked in one sense, giving Disney the box office victory it needed, but that penny-pinching and corner-cutting hurt the finished product.

It's astonishingly short, barely weighing in at an hour including credits, which forces a sudden, jarring climax. The story's pace is quite smooth until then, taking its time to build characters and back-story, so by contrast the immediate rush to wrap everything up in a frenzied flash is disruptive. While it's cruising along in the first half, though, things are good enough. Speckled with colorful characters and a fresh circus setting, it bottles that classic, emotive Disney magic while still taking a few risks. The infamous pink elephant scene, in particular, is an unexpectedly surreal animator's playground that's several decades ahead of the curve. I was shocked to find offbeat similarities Danny Elfman's work in the film's score, too, which may suggest an even broader influence.

Playful and heartfelt, though deeply under-cooked, Dumbo feels like a breezy short story when compared to the richer, more complete films elsewhere in the studio's early catalog.

**Dumbo** was originally meant to be an animated short like Mickey Mouse shorts. Watching it back to back with **Bambi**, **Dumbo** looks and feels like a direct-to-video title. Animators worked with much smaller budget ($950,000 vs. $1.7 million for **Bambi**). While animation is competent in many scene, details are minimal from the very beginning.

Even at svelt 64 minutes running time, the film often "feels long" -- particularly trippy dream sequence and a couple of musical sequences.

Yet there's something about **Dumbo** that makes it endearing. In many ways, **Dumbo** and **Bambi** share many parallels. Both have very strong maternal figure. Both are coming of age story about believing in yourself. Both have great supporting characters. But **Dumbo** takes more lighter approach, filled with more comical moments that balances out few very sad moments in the film.

As a 1941 film, there are few dated elements. Singing crows feel a tad racist at first, but I think the film actually eleviates them as heros and portrays them in a positive light. They are intelligent, free spirited, and kindhearted. Still, they look and sound like stereotypical black supporting characters of the era.

All in all, I liked **Dumbo** a lot more than I thought I would. Underneath very simplistic exterior lies a story with heart. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece but it's one of the stronger films in early Disney catalog.

I watched this as a kid. Wasn't always my favorite. I just never really got into Dumbo. Good for the kids though.

It's progressive, it's racist. It's heart-warming, it's depressing. It's a moral tale, it's apathetic. Whatever. All I know is: Pink Elephants on Parade.

_Final rating:★★★ - I liked it. Would personally recommend you give it a go._