Anytime Disney brings one of their beloved animated classics to Blu-ray, it is cause for much celebration. Dumbo, Walt Disney’s fourth animated feature, not to mention the one that saved the studio as a whole from going under, had been hinted at and teased several times over the years, but thankfully, it has finally found its way to the High Definition format, just in time to celebrate its 70th anniversary.
Dumbo tells the story of a young elephant with hysterically oversized ears that finds himself tragically taken from his mother and ridiculed by those around him. Thanks to the most unlikely of friends, Timothy Q. Mouse (a small mouse), Dumbo is able to realize that he’s not a freak at all, but actually quite special.
All in all, Dumbo is a rather simplistic tale and is told in a rather short amount of time (total runtime being 64 minutes). Neither of these are detractions though, as Dumbo is able to convey a complete and complex story filled with just as much emotion as many of the heralded Pixar films, and it’s able to do so in half the time.
There’s no telling how many times I’ve seen Dumbo in my life, but it had been quite some time since the last, and two things stood out to me during this viewing that I’d never paid much attention to. First, Dumbo, the cute little elephant, never says one word. That’s quite impressive, even for an animated film, to have the main character only nothing more than a few hiccups throughout the entire tale and still be able to carry the film. It’s a credit to the story, the expressiveness of the animation and those responsible for both.
The second thing I noticed is that, as a whole, Dumbo is almost unrelentingly depressing. Disney rarely shy’s away from having depressing moments in their films (Bambi, The Lion King and UP! come to mind), but Dumbo is another kind of hurt entirely.
It begins sad, seeing Mrs. Jumbo, Dumbo’s mother, having to see every other animal in the circus receive their babies from the stork while she’s left alone and wanting. Once Dumbo finally arrives to her, it’s just one painful moment after the other with nearly no hope in sight.
I’m not one to let a sad movie turn me away. Personally, I’m quite fond of them, but Dumbo does seem to be almost too harsh in comparison to the small bit of happiness at the end that wraps everything up nicely.
And then there’s the most out of place scene of them all; the pink elephant sequence. Wow, that’s just a bizarre bit of weird thrown in the middle of this heartbreaking tale.
One night, Dumbo and Timothy drink what they think is water, but it’s been tainted by what one can only assume is the strongest, most potent alcohol of all time, as it makes the pair of friends hallucinate visions of multi-colored elephants singing and dancing and discussing all manner of weirdness. I love this sequence, but it definitely feels out of place and I can’t even imagine how people reacted in 1941 during that bit. They may have thought they genuinely were losing their minds.
High-Def Presentation
Dumbo arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p AVC encode that is simply breathtaking. I absolutely adore animation in High Definition and this transfer further cements that adoration. The picture is always clean, but never looks overdone or too tampered with, more so embracing a natural, painted look. Colors, although muted, have a pop to them that really brings the animation to life. There’s next to no damage or significant grain present, which is incredible for a 70-year old film.
In regards to the audio, Disney has viewers two options; A 7.1 DTS Master Audio track, as well as a restored Dolby Mono track. Either option is incredible and is genuinely the best the film has ever sound. Choosing the 7.1, nothing sounds thinned or strained, although some speakers get very little out of it. All of the fantastic voice work comes out perfect and even the songs get some nice beefing up, despite the materials available and time period they were recorded.
Beyond The Feature
Dumbo comes to Blu-ray with an exceptional amount of extras, most even in HD, although it does not appear to have been given the royal treatment many of Disney’s bigger releases have received. For such a classic and important film in the Disney history, I find it odd that this didn’t receive a Diamond or Platinum Edition. Nevertheless, what it is missing in name in more than makes up for in substance.
Cine-Explore (HD) – This is an excellently put together picture-in-picture companion piece that can be played during the movie. It is hosted by Pixar director Pete Docter, Disney animator Andeas Deja and Disney historian Paula Sigman. They collectively discuss the production and success of the film, as well as its status as a Disney classic. This piece is unbelievably thorough and leaves very little information uncovered. A must see.
Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo (HD, 28 min) – A stand-alone featurette, which, considering how extensive the Cine-Explore feature is, one would probably not see this as very necessary. Quite the contrary, it’s another excellent piece on the film and really opens up about the financial trouble Disney Studios were in before our big eared friend swooped in and saved them.
DisneyView (HD): This has become a customary feature with all of the older Disney films that are presented in the 4:3 ratio. Here, where the black lines should be on the left and right side of the screen, the viewer is given an option of having custom paintings created by Disney background artist James Coleman in place of those black boxes. It sounds a bit iffy in theory, but it actually becomes quite immersive alongside the rest of the film. There’s also a short interview with Coleman available for viewing.
Deleted Scenes (HD, 10 min) – Two deleted scenes are featured here, both featuring Timothy Q. Mouse. “The Mouse’s Tale” is a standard scene, but it is presented via storyboards, concept art and excerpts from the script. The other is a deleted song , “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”, which is sung by Timothy.
Celebrating Dumbo (SD, 15 min) – Several film people, including Roy E. Disney and film critic Leonard Maltin, discuss Dumbo’s long lasting success and presence.
The Magic of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage (HD, 3 min) – A quick look at the Dumbo ride at Disneyland.
Original Walt Disney TV Introduction (SD, 1 min): A brief introduction to Dumbo, made for TV by Mr. Disney himself, Walt Disney.
Sound Design Excerpt from “The Reluctant Dragon” (SD, 6 min) – This is a short sound design feature taken from the studio’s archives.
Bonus Shorts (HD, 18 min) -Two excellent Silly Symphony shorts: “Elmer Elephant” and “The Flying Mouse”
Disney Family Play (HD) – Two interactive games that are aimed at the younger set, but can still be pretty fun for the grown-ups too. There’s “What Do You See?,” an image scramble game and “What Do You Know?,” a trivia challenge game.
Art Galleries (HD) – Eight separate galleries with hundreds of images and storyboards and photos. They include “Visual Development”, “Character Design”, “Layouts and Backgrounds”, “Storyboard Art”, “Production Pictures”, “Research Pictures”, “Publicity”, and “Original Dumbo Storybook”.
Trailers (HD & SD, 15 min) – Dumbo has two trailers of its own; one from the 1941 initial release and another from its re-releases in 1949. Both are SD. The Blu-ray also includes trailers for upcoming Disney Blu’s such as The Lion King 3D, Chimpanzee, Lady and the Tramp, Spooky Buddies, Tinker Bell and the Pixie Hollow Games, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, Treasure Buddies and Tinker Bell and the Mysterious Winter Woods. All of these trailers are in HD.
Dumbo also includes a DVD copy of the film, as well as a downloadable digital copy.
Dumbo is one of the most iconic films and characters in Disney history, and it’s such a joy to finally have it in High Definition. Though a short tale, it holds its own in terms of storytelling and artistry. Packed with an excellent transfer, an impressive audio track and a wealth of supplements, this is the definitive edition of Dumbo to own, and own it you should.
– Matt Hardeman
Click here to shop for Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray for a discounted price at Amazon.com.
