Customer Reviews

Dumbo [VHS]

5 star:		(231)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Why am I not surprised that there is someone reviewing this classic who trashes it as if they had never seen it and were offended by the cultural sensitivity issues that are part of the film. (See the Tallahassee reviewer titled "Do not purchase this video for children" January 21, 2003) For crying out loud, this script reflects what was normal at the time the film was first released. It's full of classic pieces that of course include a white dominated societal commentary on what was perceived as appropriate black cultural roots at that time. Is it outdated? Sure, so is nearly every other film from that era. Does this make it less of a classic? Absolutely not. In fact, this is the *real* Disney, long before it was sanitized for the Anaheim-Orlando crowd. Is the film inappropriate for a 21st century kid? That's a parental decision, but if you plan to shelter your child from the real history of the U.S., they will have a rude awakening (with all the accompanying psychoses) that you *won't* be able to control. My kids loved this film when they were very young.....we talked about the cultural issues by the time they were in school.....in fact, I distinctly remember them coming home to ask why some kids treated others so badly because of the color of their skin, their accents, etc. We used Dumbo to show them what used to be, was is today, and how to deal with it. And there was never a place where the original empathy of the film was lost on them. They have repeatedly made personal decisions and stood up against improper cultural slurs their entire lives (they are all either in college or their final years of high school now). I've been pleased with how they can see a cultural slur coming and are not willing to put up with any of the culturally "acceptable" ways of trashing others' ethnicity.

Now, what about the film? This is a great Disney classic from the days when there was a full bodied, earthy smell to what they did. It's release in this format provides a historical window on American culture from the 1950s that is true and clear. It loses nothing in the 21st century translation and in fact, gains considerably from it's historical context. A great child's film that every adult needs to understand!

Dumbo is a cinematic milestone and masterpiece of family entertainment. The storyline and characters are well rounded enough (just) to entertain adults and older children and the quality of the animation both holds children's attention and enables them to empathise with the principle characters. In addition, the moral of the story is well presented without being clumsily overstated as in much modern animation.

Both my children have frequently watched this DVD (which first came out (without extras) in Europe in 1999) since they were one and both enjoy it imensely.

I'm both astonished and disturbed that anyone could deem this movie unsuitable for children but can only assume they come from the same group of people who banned Robin Hood books from schools for being 'pro communist' and Shakespeare for being 'too explicit'!

The 'drunken scene' is funny, brief and discrete (all you see is the shadows of characters through canvas). As to fast forwarding through the dream sequence for the kids' benefit because it is 'too long' that is verging on irresponsible. All doing so teaches a child is that it's OK to have a short attention span and to zoom through films to the 'interesting bits'. Perhaps I was wrong though and the moral of the story has been hidden too deeply "Persevere - Don't Give Up" is lost on some people.

Don't get me wrong, Dumbo is a great movie for kids and adults, one of Disney's greatest films but everything went wrong in this SO CALLED "Big Top Edition"

First of all, it isn't even a 2-disc set!
Most of the old "60th Anniversary Edition" bonus features are put on this DVD taking out some of the making, Dumbo II preview, and a music video. I do not understand Disnet AT ALL!

The new transfer IMO is WORSE then the "60th Anniversary Edition" It has no life to it, it is darker and very dull. Also you are losing 30% of the film do to an overscan! This movie was already filmed in fullscreen why do a pan and scan job to a fullscreen DVD? Come on Disney, you get enough money!
You really need this quick buck?

If you already have the "60th Anniversary Edition" DVD please stick with it! You get to see the WHOLE movie in full and the colors are brighter and you have ALL the great bonus features!

I grew up watching just about all of the Disney movies that have ever came out and now I'm 19 and can't wait for my kids to watch all the Disney films I still have, especially "Dumbo." I have one question, how can anybody not give "Dumbo" a perfect 5 stars? It defines classic in more ways than just about any other Disney film. It tells the classic story of friendship between Dumbo and Timothy the mouse. Dumbo eventually ends up back with his mom at the end of the movie.

I could write a review on just about every Disney film that's ever been made, but Dumbo is the only one that I really like enough even now that I'm grown, to write a review of. It has some of the best classic songs and sounds from any of the Disney films and my favorite part of the movie is when Dumbo and the mouse get drunk and see all the pink elephants. "Dumbo" is what I would call a true classic in every way.

I don't know why Disney is doing this release, they have deleted some of the "Making Of" documentaries and bonus music videos that were on the "60th Anniversary Edition" DVD release.

The few extra shorts on this disc were also on the previous "60th Anniversary Edition" DVD.

Bottom line: Get the 30th Anniversary DVD release if you still can.

I bought this movie a couple of days at the Disney Store where I work. I believe Dumbo to be one of the finest classics to come out of Disney during the 1940's. Walt Disney himself said this movie was to be his favorite one to come out of his own studios.

However, with the Big Top Edition, I expected better remastering of the movie. The majority of the picture and sound are crisp and clean and very brilliant in color, however there are moments when it's not. For example, in the beginning of the "Pink Elephants on Parade", you can see some faded color with scratches on the film clearly seen over Dumbo's face. The sound in the song sung by the black ravens, "When I See An Elephant Fly" is a bit underdone in the remastering as well as it becomes harder to hear in this portion of the movie--almost as if the film had aged so bad that the soundtrack is beyond repair.

Other than these difficulities, I believe the release deserves four stars. If you have kids, the bonus features are specifically geared towards them. They'll enjoy it.

Disney has a very specific formula that they've stuck to. They would release a film and then years later rerelease it in theaters to a new audience of children that hadn't been around for the previous release to rake in additional revenue. Now they continue this release pattern, and have been doing so, on the home video market. There were the VHS, then came the DVD, the special edition DVD's and now we move on to Blu-ray. So most of us already own this film, and unlike the switch from VHS to DVD there is no major benefit or format difference between DVD and Blu-ray as far as playing the film for children goes. That means that currently the Disney releases are being, or at least should be, aimed at the older Disney fans. The ones who appreciate the story and animation enough to shell out cash to buy a film we already have because it means HD quality, hopefully new special features to sweeten the deal and to be honest for the desire of having it in our collections.

So many parents won't see the point in rebuying this film for the kids while others probably will who didn't have children upon the last release and some new age parents actually like the digital copy for their kids to watch during travel, etc. I think everyone has a grasp on the story of Dumbo, even those who haven't seen it yet have heard enough about it. So then, the real question is whether or not older Disney fans are getting anything new from this purchase if they already own the last release (either the 60th anniversary or the Big Top Edition). Here are the contents of this release for those not in the know to possibly help them better decide:

First and foremost, Dumbo here recieves an HD transfer. From online reviews, and having seen the Mexican import clips, I can say that the upgrade is noticeable. In comparison Bambi for example looked like brand new animation despite its age, Alice in Wonderland also looked better than ever, all the transfers of the older classics so far have had simply magnificent image quality, Dumbo on Blu is no different than these earler releases. There are some video issues but all seem to be from the original animation, those aside, it looks great, much, much nicer than the DVD versions.

Special Features: These are how I justify my new format purchases, I like there to be some new behind the scenes content to help me justify buying a title I can already watch at my leisure. For example I found it difficult to buy Fox and the Hound on Blu because there were no new special features of any kind, I did buy it but it left a bitter aftertaste.

On a side note, I enjoy how Disney has been labelling its special features on Blu-ray. Classic DVD bonus features are clearly labelled so that I know what I've already seen and can easily find what's new. I'll attempt to do the same here (correct me if I'm wrong).

CLASSIC/HOLD OVER CONTENT

- Celebrating 'Dumbo'
- Original Walt Disney TV Introduction
- Sound Design Excerpt from 'The Reluctant Dragon'
- Trailers for the original release and the later rerelease
- Bonus Shorts (Now in HD) - Bonus cartoons, The Flying Mouse and Elmer Elephant
- Art Gallery

NEW CONTENT
- The Magic of 'Dumbo': A Ride of Passage - a short featurette exploring the theme park ride
- Deleted Scenes (HD) - Two deleted scenes with introductions explaining them and why they were removed
- Taking Flight: The Making of 'Dumbo' (HD) a 28 minute documentary about the Disney studio and Dumbo
- Cine-Explore - Similarly found on the Bambi and Alice in Wonderland Blu releases. This picture-in-picture audio commentary features Pete Docter, Paula Sigman, and Andreas Deja. Meanwhile concept art, clips from other Disney films, vintage photos, interviews with surviving contributors and more are shown or played.
- DisneyView Presentation - gives the viewer the option of replacing the black space on each side of the screen with colorful designs
- About James Coleman (HD, 1 min) - A short featurette about the artist who designed the Disneyview panels for this release

So I hope all that info helps buyers make a more informed decision on whether or not the upgrade to HD is worth it. I will certainly be upgrading, I enjoy the improved image quality but the cine-explore feature and new documentary alone help me justify this purchase. Cine-explore, as I said, is the same feature found on Alice in Wonderland and Bambi that creates a new more interactive form of audio commentary.

On another note I wish Amazon would only include reviews of the actual release being sold on the product page. Too many of these reviews are carried over from the DVD releases and the page will become further cluttered upon release of the blu-ray. Oh well, at least this September I'll finally be able to own Dumbo on Blu after it being delayed months and months. Now lets hope Disney speeds up their releases, so far I've only heard of Lion King and Lady and the Tramp being planned for release in the near future.

**Just to confirm, having now watched it and working on the special features I am very happy with this release and my purchase. This is how all Disney films should be released, new informative special features, beautiful transfer. Magical. Odd though that the Lady and the Tramp and Beauty and the Beast Enchanted Christmas Blu-ray's were not in the main/automatic previews, only in sneak peeks selection, yet Spook Buddies was.

Lets cover some basics-
As per the whole drunken scene- its SUPPOSED to be scarey- that teaches children the negative aspects of alcohol and alcoholism *the mean and stupid drunk clowns*, and the predicament that accidentally getting drunk that landed dumbo in a TREE... the elephants were meant to scare children, just as much as a description of a bad acid trip or how any drug ruins the body used by programs such as DARE is meant to scare children- so it stays in their mind and they understand the consequences of irresponsibility.

So the crows are racist because... they talked with a slight southern accent, had an "black" voice, and were not the most fluent in proper English|American speach? Have you- I don't know, visited the south ever? Do you have any clue how People in GENERAL talked in the late 1800's and early 1900's? Understand slang, or colloquialisms, or dialect differences of those times? Apparently NOT. It seems to me that you have made the assumption all on your own that the crows MUST be Negro because- they are unlearned and crows are- black. Your association is "Black"- your childs association is- Crow, of course you could push your own odd mentality on your kid by telling them that the crows ARE black and they ARE making fun of or belittling people of darker skin tones... but more than likely your three year old doesn't even notice colour, and won't until you start throwing it in his face. For what it's worth, I live in Mobile Alabama, I was born and raised in Boston *My husband is serving in the USCG*, if anything I'd say "yep the crows are southern"- because guess what, people here- still talk like that, and this state is by far primarily "White". I notice no one mentioned the men working in the rain- but those voices were of a "coloured" choir too- so I guess then that says that "Blacks"- ahh- get the job done? The crows are some of the nicest most friendly charachters in the film. In many ways, the crows are Dumbo's saving grace, giving him the "magic feather" and thus the confidence to fly, and he doesn't forget them in the end. The crows wouldn't be at all half the awesome charachters they are if it weren't for the "Black" voices behind them. They were full of soul and really uplifting- perhaps that's why Jim Charmicheal and the Hall choir were chosen- because they brought the charachters to life and could make people sing and smile.

Now lets talk about the potential for reverse racism, the crows ONE "negative" quality is their speach (personally I think they speak better English than President Bush does!), yet the cruel men in the film, the ringmaster, the clowns, the little boys who torment baby dumbo- they are all White. They are the depictions of negative human qualities. The ringleader is a power hungry, abusive, calculating, cold hearted animal abuser and neglecter... and also abusive in his treatment of his workers. The clowns are lazy drunks who lack complete regard for the lives of animals- shoving dumbo out a window. And what about the other elephants, those female- uppercrust meanies- there's some nice "white" voices for you. They were realll sweethearts. When you look at the facts more like that it starts to look more like those poor poor Negros who are regarded as dumb- aren't really the focus of this movie at all. *Gasp shock* what a novel notion- a Disney movie that isn't racist and it isn't a movie that is going to scar all children. You can use this movie like many other Disney films to teach children many many important life lessons- but that would mean you'd have to do more with the tv set than use it as a babysitting device for your kid.

The simple, straightforward story of Dumbo (or more accurately, Jumbo Jr.) still has the power to move audiences even after 60 years. All of us have felt like Jumbo Jr. at some point (if not all through) our lives. We are also hard wired to protect and care for our young so when Mrs. Jumbo fights for her son, we automatically empathise for her as well. This film works on all levels from art direction, color, mood, animation, character design score and song to the bizzare set piece "Pink Elephants on Parade" that dazzilingly displays the artists talents (in my opinion, one of the greatest segments ever animated). Truly a Disney treasure and one that everyone from 3 to 103 can enjoy over and over again.

Thankfully this DVD presentation gives you many reasons to do just that. The film has been lovingly restored and looks more bright and colorful than ever! There are 2 very entertaining Silly Symphonies included (Elmer the Elephant / the Flying Mouse) that show Walt's early attempts at animating elephants and the themes that would eventually make their way into Dumbo. The video of Michael Crawford singing 'Baby Mine' is painful however and should be skipped (both Barbara Cook and Bonnie Rait have done much better work with this song). The 'Celebrating Dumbo' Featurette is very quick and light hearted with no real information on the making of the film, just peoples ideas and feelings about it. If you want a more detailed and comprehensive look at it's creation check out the commentary which gives you plenty of new information and insight. Also the conceptual drawings are fun to scroll through.

This is what I expect from a special edition DVD. The film has been beautifully restored and there are many worthwhile extras all packed onto one disc. And I haven't even mentioned the Casey Jr. train! Each DVD comes with a cardboard pop out that can be folded in to the train for display. It's touches like these that put this DVD over the top. The film itself more than justifies the purchase, but the (mosttly terrific) bonus material certainly sweetens the deal. You can't go wrong with one of Disney's best, Dumbo.

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)