It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a baby elephant with really big ears!
Mrs. Jumbo belongs to the circus, and she is feeling lonely. All the other elephants have had children, and she hasn’t. But one night as the train is wending its way through the dark to the site of the next show, Mr. Stork flies overhead with his delivery. It’s a heavy one, that’s for sure. He pops his head into the elephant car, and sure enough, it’s for Mrs. Jumbo! She unwraps her bundle to find a sweet little guy with big blue eyes and a darling face, and all the other lady elephants gather round to admire. Then he sneezes, and out pop the biggest ears they have ever seen! They’re bigger than the baby himself, and the women just can’t stand it. They call him names, they turn their backs on his mother, and they shun her from that moment on.
That is the first thing I do not like about this film. The second comes later in the show. Mrs. Jumbo feels the need to protect Dumbo from being taunted, and she charges his tormentors. Because of this, she is labeled a mad elephant and is chained up, unable to be with her baby.
Meanwhile, Dumbo discovers that he can fly, and by so doing, comes up with a plan to get himself a starring role in the circus, which is floundering. With the help of Timothy the Mouse, he manages to wow the circus crowd and thereby wins the hearts of everyone.
You can sense my cynicism, I’m sure. It bothers me that Dumbo’s worth as a “person” is based on his ability to make money, and once he can bring money into the circus, everyone who ever criticized him is his best friend. Beyond that, he’s supposed to pretend that they never hurt his feelings. That’s a surface friendship and one I wouldn’t care to have.
This film is full of animal cruelty. I don’t allow my children to watch it; I’m afraid that whatever entertainment value is found in its few good moments and clever songs such as “Look Out for Mr. Stork” and “Pink Elephants on Parade” is overshadowed by negativity. It may be one of Disney’s most famous films, but it’s not famous at my house.
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