Dumbo [G]

When Mrs. Jumbo’s little baby finally arrives, Dumbo and his oversized ears becomes the real freak of the circus. Whilst trying to protect him, his mother is locked up and poor little Dumbo has nobody to turn to. But then a mouse named Timothy forges a friendship with him and Dumbo soon turns his freakishness into strength, by becoming the world’s one and only flying elephant. 

I know I did see this film when I was little, obviously very little as I have next to no memory of it at all. Watching it as an adult, it’s amazing to see how mature and adult this movie actually is. 

When Mrs. Jumbo’s little baby finally arrives, Dumbo and his oversized ears becomes the real freak of the circus, with taunts and mean jokes made about him constantly. When his mother tries to protect him from all the injustice, she is wrongfully locked up and poor little Dumbo has no one to turn to for comfort. But then a mouse named Timothy forges a great friendship with him and Dumbo turns his freakishness into strength, by becoming the world’s one and only flying elephant. 

This was the fourth animated feature and, like Bambi was based on a low profile book that steered away from the traditional princes-rescuing-princesses-with-the-aid-of-magic-and-true-love type thing. The central themes of Dumbo are actually rather harsh and alarming to see in a G rated film, let alone a Disney production! Throughout this movie we look at nasty and mature themes such as ridicule, the wrongly accused, mother and child separation, and the effects of alcohol (although that certain scene did give us the unforgettable Pink Elephants On Parade hallucinations sequence). It’s these horrible themes that make the ending and Dumbo’s overcoming adversity so heart warming. 

Not to mention the fact that Dumbo is so cute! The animation is adorable and it brought tears to my eyes to see this little baby elephant so horrible treated. 

Featuring the voice talents of Herman Bing, Billy Bletcher, Cliff Edwards, Vern Felton, and Sterling Holloway, Dumbo is an adorable little film that’s filled with ambition, courage, love, and loveable characters. Earning its place in The Book, it’s not the best film Disney made, but it’s still gorgeous!