Dumbo

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Dumbo

G

Released Oct 23, 1941

1h 4m

Kids & Family

Fantasy

Animation

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

44 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

A young circus elephant is born with comically large ears and given the cruel nickname Dumbo. One day at a show, he is taunted by a group of kids, inciting his mother into a rage that gets her locked up. After Dumbo's ears cause an accident that injures many of the other elephants, he is made to dress like a clown and perform dangerous stunts. Everything changes when Dumbo discovers that his enormous ears actually allow him to fly, and he astounds everyone at the circus with his new talent.

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Critics Consensus

Dumbo packs plenty of story into its brief runtime, along with all the warm animation and wonderful music you'd expect from a Disney classic.

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Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

Though the character's eventual comic triumph is never in doubt, there are traumatic moments along the way, including an extraordinary, nightmarish drunk sequence that suggests the animators had early access to LSD.

Sep 15, 2018

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Rob Humanick

Slant Magazine

Perfection, thy name is Dumbo.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 21, 2011

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Disney classic will still make you cry!

Rated: 4/5

Dec 22, 2010

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Brendan Cassidy

InSession Film

Dumbo is one of Disney’s most efficiently told films, clocking in at just over one hour yet conveying such powerful notions on discrimination and motherhood.

Jun 18, 2024

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Carson Timar

ButteredPopcorn

Outside of the film's animation, there is little for the audience to truly appreciate outside of the film's more basic emotional swings.

Oct 21, 2023

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Siegfried Kracauer

The Nation

Dumbo [is] a charming picture filled with marvelously conceived episodes. Despite this, Disney continues in it a development the problematic nature of which has grown more and more apparent since Snow-White.

Nov 23, 2020

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Briana Hurlston

I enjoyed watching the movie with my children.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/29/23

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Jae C

It's good, just not my favorite. I didn't mind the controversial crows. The songs are all pretty good. The movie runs a bit short and I wish it was a bit longer since everything feels a bit crammed into the last 20 minutes of the movie. It's worth a watch for Disney fans.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/25

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Micah H

Although Dumbo has a lot of positives, it also has some glaring flaws. The story is extremely rushed and the elephants on parade scene is horrific. Still, the characters are good and the animation is charming.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

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Seth M

The weakest of the 5 disney golden era films.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/09/24

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Dandy C

The Pink Elephants on parade, the Crows chorus, and the comeuppance of Dumbo's tormentors in the finale are 101% my favorite scenes!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/06/24

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Darío C

It feels a bit rush, but overall it is a childhood classic.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/18/24

Full Review

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Ben Sharpsteen

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Synopsis

A young circus elephant is born with comically large ears and given the cruel nickname Dumbo. One day at a show, he is taunted by a group of kids, inciting his mother into a rage that gets her locked up. After Dumbo's ears cause an accident that injures many of the other elephants, he is made to dress like a clown and perform dangerous stunts. Everything changes when Dumbo discovers that his enormous ears actually allow him to fly, and he astounds everyone at the circus with his new talent.

Director: Ben Sharpsteen
Producer: Walt Disney
Screenwriter: Joe Grant, Dick Huemer
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co: Walt Disney Productions
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 23, 1941, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2014
Runtime: 1h 4m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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