Redundant and unnecessary.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

USA 1941 English (Colour); Animation (Walt Disney); 64 minutes (U certificate)Crew includes: Ben Sharpsteen (Director); Joe Grant, Dick Huemer (Screenwriters); Walt Disney (Producer)Voices include: Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, Cliff Edwards (all uncredited)Academy Award: Scoring of a MusicalEncouraged by an enterprising mouse (Brophy), an isolated baby elephant with massive ears overcomes his "freakishness" to become a circus sensation.Slightest of all Disney classics (conceived as a short), with a cute, dialogue-free title character, and, remarkably, a trippy, alcohol-induced Pink Elephants on Parade sequence; ends quite suddenly once Dumbo realises he can fly.

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.

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

Sorry, but I don't see anything racist here--I just see crows, who are of course black, parodying humans, who come in all colors, and they are no more representative of real people than Lucy and Desi were representative of all redheads married to Cuban bandleaders or Laurel and Hardy or the Three Stooges were representative of all white men. They are funny and happen to be black, not black and therefore funny. There's a difference. (Just for the record, that's how I judge all ethnic humor: is it humor that happens to be ethnic, or is it an insult veiled in humor? I can chuckle at Chico Marx's pseudo-Italian because there's no insult intended in most of his movies--he exaggerated and put a funny spin on what he'd seen growing up. Those "scaredy-cat black sidekick" characters, however, leave me cold because it's implied that they're scared BECAUSE they're black, which is just not true to life.)