Dumbo is a unique animation, though short and thin story wise.Minus the standout moments, for the most part it's an odd mixture of cuteness and cruelty. My favourite parts of the film are the comedy parts; the two waking up in the tree with the crows and the clowns skit putting out the fire. The pink elephants scene is completely nuts.

When I hear "Baby of Mine" sung (most recently by Bette Midler), my mind goes back to the little elephant whose mother has been put away for trying to protect her baby. This is a story of relentless bullying by forces dedicated to making life miserable for Dumbo. He is naive and resilient but there is so much cruelty in his life. There is gossiping and small-mindedness by those who hold the power. Meanwhile, Dumbo and his little mouse friend try to find a niche for him in the circus. But he keeps treading on his ears and falling down. The animation is cool and some of the songs are enticing. If you love a story about and underdog (under-elephant?) don't hesitate.

I know I'm in the minority with this, but I didn't like this movie. Aside from the animation and the mouse that helps Dumbo, the movie was either bland, sad, or just mean-spirited. I get the message the movie's trying to get across, "It's not about what's on the outside, it's what's on the inside that counts.", but I've seen this same message given way better treatment. Cartoon shows have covered it, books have covered it, even songs have covered it. The movie as a whole feels like a rejected "Fantasia" piece. The score had me more engaged than the actual story, and the story itself just feels stretched to a little over 60 minutes. Heck, 99% of the characters in this movie don't even have names! Dumbo isn't all that interesting either, beings he doesn't have a word of dialogue, the only way to advance his character is to have other characters be mean to him. It makes me feels sorry for him, but also despise everyone that picks on him. The movie's full of these characters, and it made it frustrating to watch when they were on screen. The only thing I can really recommend seeing from this is "Pink Elephants", and it's mostly because it's so out of left field. At least the movie's short, other than that, the mouse, and a completely random acid trip that lasts three minutes, there's nothing that would make me revisit this.

Dumbo is a good movie with a reasonably well developed plot and a stellar voice cast. It is a very sweet, fun film for the whole family to enjoy, just running over an hour, it's quick and very easy to follow, but you will also find yourself very connected to these characters, the adorable elephant, the witty mouse, the charismatic crows, it's a great ride. However, the plot is slim, there is little story, we mainly follow Dumbo as he learns how to fly, but nothing really happens, in comparison to Disney's two films prior to this, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio, development is thin. The film certainly should have focused on Dumbo's relationship with his mother, it was the only part that had any real depth or emotion, and I think it could have been very effective had it been scoped more. It's certainly not flawless, but Dumbo is a fun hour for the whole family, some unforgettable work by Disney. A elephant who is ridiculed for his huge ears soon gains the ability to fly with them, making him a popular circus act. Best Performance: Edward Brophy