Rating: Summary: Absolute Favorite Disney Movie Review: This was my favorite disney movie as a child and it still is now that I am an adult. It gets better and cuter every time I see it. I hope my kids will enjoy it as much as I have.
Rating: Summary: A timeless family classic, with an important message... Review: I had the pleasure of seeing DUMBO again (after more years than I can remember!) with my nephew, and it was a wonderful experience. It's a beautifully animated film, with a message that speaks to us all--just because some folks may consider you "different" doesn't mean that you are worthless.Baby elephant Dumbo's big ears, along with his ruining a circus act, relegate him to the lowest rung of the totem pole--he's now a clown, and the other elephants won't even consider Dumbo one of "them." When Dumbo's mother tries to stick up for her baby, she is labled "wild," and chained up, isolated from everyone. Dumbo makes one friend, Timothy the Mouse, who helps Dumbo realize that he can make a contribution--those big ears, the cause of so much scorn and derision, allow Dumbo to fly. None of the other elephants can do that, and in the end, Dumbo triumphs, showing everyone that he really isn't "different" after all. He is reunited with his mother, and is the star of the show. It's an important message--one worth showing to your kids, and it's a great film to watch with your children.
Rating: Summary: Great Disney classic and a good DVD. Review: I'm so glad Disney is releasing their classics on DVD. "Dumbo" is one of them. My favorite extras on this DVD include the "Celebrating Dumbo" featurette, two Silly Symphony animated shorts "Elmer Elephant" and "The Flying Mouse", and best of all, a commentary by animation historian John Canemaker. He gives a great amount of information about the voice actors and animators. I recommend this DVD for Disney fans.
Rating: Summary: Walt Disney's Favorite for Good Reason Review: I got this for Christmas and watched it with my 6 year old neice that same week. I had forgotten what a wonderful movie Dumbo is. The DVD has excellent images and brings back that feeling of being in the movie theatre to see Dumbo. Dumbo is the ultimate kids movie to teach them why you shouldn't make fun of someone just because they are different. And it is funny to remember when going to the circus was such a big deal. This is a must for Disney collector's and even if you aren't, this movie is excellent for children. My 6 year old neice loved it. And if you remember it from when you were little, you might just get a little nostalgic yourself.
Rating: Summary: an essential film and satisfactory DVD Review: How can one praise Dumbo enough? It is the shortest of the Disney feature films, yet it contains some of the most eloquent character animation of all time. It is one of the more appropriate Disney films for smaller children, with its simple message and less potentially scary scenes than Snow White, Pinocchio or other "classics." I find no fault with the short scene of alcohol use; in fact I am very grateful that Dumbo has not been revised for political correctness like other Disney works! I must disagree with the previous review stating that there is no benefit in replacing a VHS copy of Dumbo with this DVD. Please bear in mind that this film was not selected for the Disney Platinum treatment given recently to Snow White and later this year to Beauty and the Beast; thus it does not contain the buckets of special features that you'll find on the Snow White set. However, compared to previous Gold Collection DVDs, this one is the best yet, with a collection of valuable material. I hope this disc will set the standard for future Disney DVDs. The Dumbo DVD contains a commentary track by animation historian John Canemaker. While not as notable as the archive audio of Walt that was fashioned into the Snow White commentary, it contains a great deal of interesting information on the animators involved with the film. Mr. Canemaker points out when various animators take over the principal characters, and with his guidance you can actually pick out the stylistic differences. I did find the "Celebrating Dumbo" featurette very interesting, although it is truly a shame that almost all of the people involved with Dumbo have passed away and could not comment on it today. The "Sound Design" component is actually a five-minute excerpt of The Reluctant Dragon, showing the production of sound effects for a train sequence. (I'd like to have The Reluctant Dragon on a simple DVD of its own...) The production art gallery doesn't contain any strikingly varying designs like we saw on the Tarzan DVD, but it has some beautiful pastels of the Roustabouts sequence (putting up the circus tents.) I had only two small complaints about this DVD. One is that in the first 30 seconds or so of the movie, the cards with the credits seem a little crooked; they don't line up with the top of the screen. However this may be a flaw of the film as far as I know. I also was a little disturbed by the "sneak peek at Dumbo II." I can't understand why there is a sudden rush to make sequels to Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, Peter Pan etc. when there was a policy of no sequels for so many years. The Disney times, they are a changein'.
Rating: Summary: Classic Disney movie for all ages...score: 80 (out of 100) Review: The first time I came into contact with DUMBO (1941) was in Steven Spielberg's "1941", where a macho general (Robert Stack) is watching the "Baby Mine" scene. He starts to shead tears, and the audience uproars with laughter. When I rented the 50th anniversary edition, I knew why the general cried. I did the same, and then I started laughing, too. Here is a movie for all ages. It hasn't dated over the years, which makes it perfect. The message is clear - inner strength, friendship, and love conquers all. The "Pink Elephants" and "Baby Mine" scenes are still classics. The most touching scene in movie history, of course, is when Jumbo Jr. sees his mother in jail, and the song, "Baby Mine", is played. Although FANTASIA, SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO, and LION KING are much better animated films from Disney, DUMBO tugs more at the heart. Score: 80 (out of 100)
Rating: Summary: Great Review: One of my favorite Disney films! And, like I am sure DVD fans out there will agree with me: sure glad Disney put extras on it!!
Rating: Summary: DVD has no benefit over VHS Review: My wife and I saw Dumbo in the cinema as children, and it was one of our favorites. So, of course, we got the VHS for our daughter, who also worships Dumbo. Naturally, I grabbed the 60th anniversary DVD when it suddenly appeared at the local price club. The jacket promises a preview of Dumbo II. There is no preview on the DVD we received. We are bitterly disappointed, since this was the reason we bought a redundant copy. Furthermore, the "Celebrating Dumbo" featurette is just a bunch of young Disney employees making vapid comments about what a great movie Dumbo is. None of them have any connection to the original production, so they were incapable of showing any insight into the making of Dumbo. Now, I admit that we had just viewed the featurette for Snow White, which is undeniably awesome. By comparison, the Dumbo featurette is a content-free failure. Dumbo on DVD supports 5.1 surround sound, but--compared to the masterful remastering of, say, Snow White--there's not much advantage over the remastering of the VHS version. Too bad Disney couldn't give Dumbo the attention it gave Snow White. If you have Dumbo on VHS, don't bother with the DVD. [...] My regards to all big-eared folks, no matter your species...
Rating: Summary: One of the Best Disney Films of All Time Review: It is the shortest film, and cheapest made, by Disney; and yet, "Dumbo", released in 1941, was then, and remains now, among the best of the best to come out of Walt Disney. It was made for under one million dollars, and with very little of the film to reshoot, it did not take long to produce. Dumbo is the proud baby elephant of Mrs. Jumbo, a circus elephant. He is given the name Jumbo Jr., but later, as a cruel joke, by the other elephants in the circus, acquires the name Dumbo. By the end of the film, he wears this name with pride. Before then, however, the name of Dumbo haunts him, and causes him no end of grief and trouble. The cause for Dumbo's misfortune becomes clear when he sneezes, the force of which causes his ears to pop open. Immediately we see these ears are abnormally large. As the other elephants start to laugh, Mrs. Jumbo shelters her baby in her arms. When some children pass by Dumbo and begin making thoughtless remarks about his ears, and begin to tug on them, quite violently, Mrs. Jumbo's anger errupts. She assults one of the children. The circus people rush to the scene and quickly remove her. She is placed in a cage, seperated from Dumbo. Alone, and scared, Dumbo befriends an unlikely character - a mouse named Timothy. When the circus people discover how large Dumbo's ears are, they decide to make him into a clown. They drink to their success, during which a bottle of champaign is knocked into a water bucket. This is unknown to Dumbo and Timothy when they drink from the bucket. Dumbo suffers a bizarre nightmare, and awakes to find himself, and Timothy, high atop a tree. In trying to figure out how they got up there, Timothy strikes upon the idea that Dumbo flew. Some crows nearby take an interest in these two, and break out into song, singing a delightful tune "When I see an elephant fly". Of course this is too much for Dumbo, and he can't bring himself to believe he can actually fly. However, Timothy coaxes him to trying to fly. Timothy also gives Dumbo a "magic" feather, which he says will allow him to fly as long as he holds on to it. Low and behold, the feather seems to work; for Dumbo is flying! Now that Dumbo can fly, apparently through the power of the feather, what are the circus people to do with him? What are they to make of him? And will the other elephants begin to show him more respect, and stop taunting him? "Dumbo" is a story many of us can relate to, especially for those of us who have been taunted and teased during some dark time in our lives for a particular "flaw" we might have upon our person; something which others find to be worth attacking and critizing. Dumbo perseveres, and he shows us we can too. He also shows us that we need not hide our flaws, but wear them openly, with pride.
Rating: Summary: Great Movie - Grainy DVD Video Transfer Review: Dumbo, the classic story with a Rudolph the Red - Nosed Reindeer twist, about a little elephant with big ears that doesn't fit in until he discovers he can fly. This is the second Disney DVD title (the first is Pocahontas) that includes a grainy video transfer to DVD. I can't understand, with the magic of digital transfer why Disney would release any DVD with a grainy look. Especially given the time it takes Disney to release each one of their classic stories to DVD. I will say one thing though, the extras that Disney has been including in their DVDs makes it well worth the price despite the flaws.
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