Does this version have the 'Pink Elephants on Parade' scene?

Sort of. Instead of a drunken hallucination, it's reimagined as a giant bubble-blowing performance in the circus ring. It's visually cool and way less 'trippy' (and more kid-friendly) than the original.

Is it too scary for a 5-year-old?

It depends on the kid. The climax involves a massive fire and people falling from heights. Combined with the sad elephant eyes, it might be a bit much for the preschool crowd.

Did they keep the crows from the original?

No. Disney wisely cut the crows, which were widely criticized for being based on racist caricatures. The 2019 version focuses entirely on a new cast of human characters helping Dumbo.

Does the elephant talk in this one?

Nope. Dumbo remains a silent protagonist, which actually helps keep the focus on his expressions and the 'realism' of the CGI, though it makes the movie feel a bit more like a drama than a fairy tale.

Dumbo – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Dumbo

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2019

58%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Tim Burton's take on the flying elephant is visually grand but emotionally a bit of a lead balloon.

6.2/10

46%

47%

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Dumbo

movie

PG, 2019

58%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Tim Burton's take on the flying elephant is visually grand but emotionally a bit of a lead balloon.

6.2

46%

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6.2/10

46%

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Screenwise Verdict

This isn't the cuddly, trippy Dumbo you remember from your own childhood. Tim Burton trades the pink elephants and chatty crows for a darker, more grounded story about corporate greed and animal rights. It’s a bit of a slog, honestly.

While it’s visually beautiful, the movie lacks the 'magic' that makes a Disney classic stick. It’s perfectly safe for a family movie night, but don't be surprised if the kids (and you) are checking the time before the elephant actually takes flight. It’s a 'watch once and forget' kind of experience.

Age Fit

Best for kids 7 and up. Younger ones might get bored by the heavy focus on human business deals, and the 'Baby Mine' sequence is still a major tear-jerker.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The core message about family and treating animals with dignity is solid, but the tone is surprisingly gloomy and the circus environment is often depicted as a place of exploitation and misery.

Imaginative

Tim Burton's visual style brings a unique, slightly gothic flair to the circus aesthetic, though the plot follows the standard 'underdog triumphs' remake beats.

Safe

Standard PG peril: a high-stakes circus fire, animal separation trauma, and a villain who is genuinely menacing to the kids and the elephant. No gore or inappropriate language.

Enriching

Offers a decent entry point for talking about animal rights and corporate greed, but the human characters are too thin to provide much emotional or ethical depth.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Visual Spectacle: If your kid loves the 'steampunk-lite' aesthetic, the production design of Dreamland is genuinely impressive.
Animal Advocacy: It takes a much firmer stance against animal captivity than the 1941 original, which is a great conversation starter.
Danny DeVito: He’s clearly having the most fun as the circus owner, bringing some much-needed energy to an otherwise somber film.

⚠

What to Watch For

The separation scene between Dumbo and his mother is still a heavy hitter. If your kid is sensitive to 'parent in trouble' tropes, have the tissues ready.
The villain, V.A. Vandevere, is a cold, corporate type who doesn't mind putting animals and people in literal fire for a profit. It’s a bit more intense than your average cartoon bad guy.
At nearly two hours, it’s a slow burn. Younger kids who are used to the fast-paced 60-minute original will likely start wandering away from the screen by the halfway mark.

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think the movie changed the ending from the original cartoon?"
"If you were in charge of a circus, how would you make sure the performers and animals were happy?"
"Vandevere wanted to own Dumbo because he was 'special.' Is it okay to treat someone differently just because they have a unique talent?"
"How did Milly and Joe show they were good friends to Dumbo even when the adults didn't listen?"

Deep Dive

The Burton Touch vs. Disney Magic

When Disney handed the keys to the circus to Tim Burton, everyone expected something weird and wonderful. What we got was something weirdly muted. The 2019 Dumbo is a curious beast; it’s a movie that tries to fix the 'problematic' elements of the 1941 original (goodbye, crows) but replaces them with a human-centric plot that just isn't that interesting.

The movie spends a lot of time on Colin Farrell’s character—a war vet returning to a circus that’s seen better days—and his two kids. While the kids are the ones who bond with Dumbo, the emotional core feels stretched thin across too many human subplots.

Why the low scores?

If you look at the Rotten Tomatoes scores, you’ll see both critics and audiences were lukewarm. The 'Watchability Penalty' is high here because the film feels long. The original was a tight 64 minutes; this one is 112 minutes. That extra hour is mostly filled with adults talking about contracts and amusement park logistics.

A Better Way to Watch

If you're going to watch this, use it as a bridge to talk about how movies change over time. Compare how the 1941 version handled Dumbo's 'difference' versus how the 2019 version does. It’s also a great jumping-off point for discussing why most modern circuses no longer use wild animals. It’s an educational watch, even if it’s not a particularly 'fun' one.