Movie Reviews

Dumbo 70th Anniversary on Blu-ray

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Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Dumbo begins with a good old-fashioned delivery from the stork. The stork is quite the comedic character. After hand delivering a variety of babies spanning sundry species (have to love alliteration!), he saved the best for last. Finally, Jumbo Jr. (later sobriqueted Dumbo) arrives to fanfare and fawning from his menagerie of aunts. His mother is awestruck and instantly in love. At first he is the cutest elephant that ever lived. Dumbo's hidden feature however becomes rapidly apparent and he suffers unkind scorn and derision. Dumbo was born with disproportionately large ears. His extended family do not comprehend that his ears have a special purpose aside from being cosmetically off-putting. Once his feelings are hurt, Dumbo suffers from the absence of his mother who protected him from harm and loved him with every fiber of her being.

His only remaining solace comes from his newfound best friend Timothy Q. Mouse. Timothy may look like the predecessor the Mrs. Frisby and the rats of N.I.M.H. but he is a uniquely inspiring friend. Timothy helps Dumbo unleash his inner avian abilities. It turns out Dumbo can fly and that is the reason for his oversized ears. Dumbo becomes the circus' biggest attraction and a magical sensation. He is able to impress and courageously save his mother from captivity.

Dumbo in any decade or century is and will remain beautiful. The songs may sound anachronistic but the morals and the vision of courageousness will remain true timelessly. Dumbo is a tale of triumph and imagination. Best friends encourage one another to reach for the stars (literally). Overcoming what appeared to be a congenital obstacle that brought him public derision, Dumbo managed to triumph against the odds to become the world's first flying elephant. If nothing else, the story is a message about living and achieving one's wildest dreams. With this special 70th Anniversary Edition, watchers may choose to view Dumbo with Full-Screen or in its original 4x3 dimensions, which is the option I selected to offer an additional measure of authenticity . With the Combo Pack there are two animated short, "The Flying Mouse" (we cannot leave Timothy Q out of the flying game after all!) and "Elmer Elephant". Personally, The Making of Dumbo feature is my first choice. Disney is appealing to audiences across all demographics this year and I wish upon a star that they will continue to dazzle and amaze.

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