Let’s Get Ready to Dumbo
I received an complimentary passes for the sole purpose of this review. However, the opinions express are 100% mine.
That title right there says it all, and plus after watching years of boxing with my husband, I knew that voice. And hearing it in one of my all-time favorite Disney movies “Dumbo” was like a blast from the past- a past when my girls were younger. How appropriate it was then that my youngest was my date for the movie?
Let me start from the beginning, I almost didn’t attend the prescreening because it had been a long day for me and I wasn’t sure that I was feeling up to making it even longer. But since Dumbo was my favorite movie as a child, ( I mean seriously who doesn’t love that adorable elephant with those big floppy ears!) I decided to push through and I was not disappointed.
Most screenings that I attend are normally about an hour or so from where we live, so I am always glad when the invites come with a plus one. My plus one for this invite was my youngest Gracie. I picked her up from school and we made our way to the theater. We arrived super early and I even took the long way (meaning no highways just backroads and lots of stoplights) so we were able to grab a quick bite to eat before finding the theater.
After dinner, we made our way to the theater. And boy am I glad that we had reserved seats because the theater was packed full of people of all ages.
I honestly went in with mixed emotions because I wasn’t sure if it could live up to the original Dumbo. And Gracie was along for the ride so she wasn’t planning on liking the movie but boy was she surprised.
If there ever was a movie that lived up to the originial version than Dumbo is that movie. I loved how instead of trying to remake the cartoon version they added a new spin to it. Instead of the animals talking, the people take center stage. I also love how they stayed true to some elements in the cartoon version i.e. the pink elephants, Dumbo’s mom being called a mad elephant as well as the other elephants teasing Dumbo because of his ears.
But I also love that in the new version, viewers are treated to a family who has suffered a lost as well. Not only had the children lost their mom but when their dad returns from the war without an arm they have to learn a new “normal” for their family. It was a period of adjustment for all concerned and then the cutest little elephant is born into this. This is just a heart warming story and will always be my favorite Disney movie. But I will have to say that I would be hard pressed to say which version in my favorite. Plus the newer version has Danny De Vito and who doesn’t love Danny DeVito?
So if you are planning on seeing a movie in the coming weeks I highly recommend seeing Dumbo. It won’t be a movie that you will soon forget.
