---
title: "Dumbo: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/dumbo-2019/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/dumbo-2019"
critics_score: 49
critics_reviews: 24
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Dumbo (2019): what the critics said

Critics' score 49 from 24 reviews: 4 positive, 10 mixed, 10 negative.

The reviews lean towards disappointment, though most critics find something to like in Dumbo himself. His expressive digital features and flying sequences draw the most consistent praise, offering warmth and excitement even for those unmoved by the surrounding story. The circus settings also earn approval, alongside Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton’s performances. The recurring complaint is that the elephant has to compete with thin human characters for attention.

The spread is wide: warmer responses find an appealing family film, while harsher ones describe a dull, overcomplicated remake that loses the original’s emotional force. Critics disagree on how much of Burton’s personality survives the spectacle, and whether its corporate criticism carries any weight. The AV Club finds that criticism surprisingly bold; Slant Magazine sees a film that remains compliant with Disney’s expectations. The bubble-based pink elephants sequence likewise divides opinion, pleasing The AV Club but disappointing The New Yorker.

## Empire — Ben Travis

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2019. 

The review finds the remake an enchanting blend of Disney warmth and Burton’s dark whimsy, though its human lead is forgettable. It praises Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito’s chemistry, along with the film’s visual design and soaring flight scenes.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dumbo-2-review/)

## The AV Club — Katie Rife

Rating B-. 26 March 2019. 

Rife finds the film’s corporate critique surprisingly bold but says its bland protagonists and muted spectacle blunt its impact. She praises the expressive CGI Dumbo and the inventive bubble-based take on “Pink Elephants On Parade.”

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/tim-burton-s-live-action-dumbo-bites-the-corporate-hand-1833553819)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2019. 

Ebiri finds the film compromised but enjoyable, calling it one of Tim Burton’s better recent films. He praises the circus sequences and Dumbo’s odd, endearing animal presence, while criticizing the thin story and one-dimensional human characters.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/03/dumbo-movie-review.html)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2019. 

The page identifies this as a review, but its paywall shell does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It provides no accessible praise or complaint to single out.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/dumbo-review/5137658.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 27 March 2019. 

The page could not be read, so the critic’s verdict cannot be confirmed. No specific praise or complaint is available in the supplied text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/27/movies/dumbo-review.html)

## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz

Rating 2.5/4. 26 March 2019. 

The review gives the film a mixed verdict, finding it emotionally appealing but uneven. It singles out the film’s sentiment while criticizing its execution.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dumbo-2019)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 3/5. 

The critic calls the live-action remake an uplifting wonder and an interesting addition to Disney’s roster. They praise Burton’s blend of pathos and dazzling spectacle, along with its charming story and engaging characters.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-cr1oa6/dumbo/)

## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen

Rating 3/5. 21 March 2019. 

The review finds Burton’s adaptation veers between blandness and outlandishness. It initially questions how the baby elephant will look in live action, then suggests that concern is resolved.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dumbo-1)

## Total Film — Jamie Graham

Rating 3/5. 26 March 2019. 

The critic finds the film enjoyable but says it struggles to sustain its magic. They praise Dumbo’s soaring sequences and Burton’s critique of corporate greed, while finding the human-focused parts uninteresting.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/dumbo-review/)

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Rating C. 26 March 2019. 

Ehrlich finds the film barely clears its own low bar, with flashes of Burton’s creative personality amid a weak script and tiresome spectacle. He especially praises Danny DeVito’s exuberant performance and the visual charm Burton brings to the circus.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/dumbo-review-tim-burton-live-action-1202053597/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 28 March 2019. 

Turan finds the film sweet-natured but uneven, with its familiar sentiment keeping it from fully taking flight. He praises Dumbo’s visually inventive CG design and the thrill of its flight through the circus arena.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-dumbo-review-20190328-story.html)

## Evening Standard — Matthew Norman

Rating 2/5. 29 March 2019. 

Norman judges the remake a disappointing, anodyne failure that loses the original’s balance of sweetness and bitterness. He praises the baby elephant’s soulful eyes and says the climax briefly redeems the film.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/dumbo-review-disney-remake-flops-straight-into-the-elephant-graveyard-a4104016.html)

## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong

Rating 3/2/2. 26 March 2019. 

Strong finds Burton’s adaptation a gigantic disappointment and a pale imitation of the original. She singles out the sweet baby elephant as the one thing worth watching, while criticizing the overstuffed story and lack of visual wonder.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/dumbo)

## Slant Magazine — Keith Watson

Rating 1.5/4. 27 March 2019. 

The review finds Burton’s film conventional, bland, and ultimately compliant with Disney’s corporate expectations. It praises the imaginative circus environments, especially the elaborate Dreamland setting, while faulting the thin human characters and safe climax.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-tim-burtons-dumbo-gives-its-corporate-overlord-what-it-mostly-wants/)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2019. 

Lane finds Burton’s Dumbo mostly glum and dramatically listless, with little spark in the reunion of Burton and Keaton. He singles out Dumbo’s flying sequences as the film’s best moments, while criticizing the replacement of the original’s pink elephants with soap bubbles.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/08/the-winning-excess-of-the-beach-bum)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2019. 

Rooney finds the remake uneven, overstuffed, and less emotionally affecting than the original. He praises the production design and costumes, while noting that the elephant only becomes the movie’s heart near the end.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dumbo-review-1195279/)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2019. 

Gleiberman finds the remake overburdened and emotionally forgettable, despite Dumbo himself remaining touching. He praises the flying sequences for briefly recapturing the original’s wonder.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/dumbo-review-tim-burton-michael-keaton-1203171521/)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Rating 1/5. 26 March 2019. 

Bradshaw calls the remake a dull, overcomplicated failure that loses the original’s charm and pathos. He particularly faults its handling of Dumbo’s separation from his mother and the drawn-out third act.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/mar/26/dumbo-review-tim-burton-elephant-disney-thud)

## Sight and Sound — Alex Dudok de Wit

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 1 April 2019. 

The critic finds the remake a timid, disappointing failure that lacks Burton’s distinctive touch. They single out the slapdash script and the film’s sidelining of Dumbo as major weaknesses.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/dumbo-review-disneys-remake-takes-dead-weight)

## Consequence — Caroline Siede

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2019. 

Siede finds Dumbo an agreeable, open-hearted family film despite thin characters and a clumsy climax. She praises its warm performances and thoughtful update of the original’s animal-rights themes.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2019/03/film-review-dumbo/)

## Den of Geek — Don Kaye

Rating 2 out of 5. 27 March 2019. 

Kaye finds the remake tepid, weighed down by tedious human melodrama and an underused Dumbo. He praises the flying sequences as the few moments that achieve magic, pathos, and grandeur.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/dumbo-review/)

## Paste — Oktay Ege Kozak

Rating 4.0. 30 March 2019. 

Kozak finds the remake disappointing, arguing that Dumbo is sidelined by shallow human characters and a plot that loses momentum. He praises Michael Keaton’s campy performance as Vandevere as one of the few elements that sustains interest.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/dumbo/dumbo)

## /Film — Josh Spiegel

Rating 4/10. 26 March 2019. 

Spiegel finds Burton’s remake uninspired and poorly focused, with Dumbo sidelined by the human drama. He praises the circus-theme-park design and Keaton and DeVito’s energetic performances.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/565230/dumbo-review/)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 26 March 2019. 

The critic finds Burton’s remake a lifeless, throwaway adventure that lacks the original’s heart and innovation. They praise the digital Dumbo’s tangible presence, but complain that the abundance of glossy effects turns much of the film into visual mush.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/dumbo-2019-film-review-tim-burton-live-action/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/dumbo-2019.md