Starring:
Edward Brophy as Timothy Q. Mouse (voice)
Sterling Holloway as Mr. Stork (voice)
Herman Bing as Ringmaster (voice)
Cliff Edwards as Jim Crow (voice)
Verna Felton as Matriarch Elephant (voice)
Special Features:
DisneyPedia: “My First Circus” Game — Identify and Learn About the Animals That Perform in a Circus
DVD Storybook: Dumbo’s Big Discovery — Read Along and Learn What Makes Each of Us Special
Sing-Along Songs: “Look Out for Mr. Stork,” “Casey Junior”
“Baby Mine” Music Video Performed By Jim Brickman and Kassie DePaiva
Bonus Short: “Elmer Elephant and The Flying Mouse” — Enjoy More Classic Storytelling From the Creative Minds at Disney Animation
Dumbo Gallery
Walt Disney’s original introduction to its TV premiere
“Celebrating Dumbo” featurette hosted by Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn (executive producer of The Lion King)
Commentary by: animation historian John Canemaker
Other Info:
Fullscreen (1.33:1)
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Languagess: French, Spanish
Picture: Running Time: 64 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“With high-flying entertainment and messages about friendship, acceptance, courage, and believing in yourself, Walt Disney’s Dumbo is “a timeless classic for children of all ages. Walt Disney at his finest” (Us Weekly). Meet Dumbo, Mrs. Jumbo’s sweet little “Baby Mine” who charms all who see him… until it’s discovered that he has huge floppy ears! With the support of his very best friend, Timothy the mouse, Dumbo soon learns that his spectacular ears make him unique and special, allowing him to soar to fame as the world’s only flying elephant. You’ll love all the daring adventure, colorful characters, award-winning music, and a circus tent full of fun bonus features! Go behind the scenes with DisneyPedia’s “My First Circus,” an all-new activity where you can learn about your favorite circus animals. This Big Top Edition also features Sing-Along Songs, a DVD Storybook, a new digital transfer, and much more.”
Dumbo is rated G.
Mini-Review:
Unless you’ve led a very sheltered childhood, you’ve probably seen Dumbo at some point in your life. I won’t bother reviewing the movie here. I will say that I showed it to my kids and they enjoyed it as much as I did when I was their age. It’s interesting to see how a film from the 1940’s can still entertain kids today.
The real question is how this “Big Top Edition” of Dumbo compares to previous editions of the DVD. The answer is that it doesn’t differ much. It has most of the bonus features seen on the 60th Anniversary DVD that came out in 2001. It has the commentary, the DVD storybook, the sing along songs, and the “Celebrating Dumbo” documentary. What’s new this time is the DisneyPedia: My First Circus feature. In it, children identify animals from the circus and then hear facts about them when they get it right. It’s pretty basic but it entertained my 4 year old. The other new addition is a music video of “Baby of Mine” featuring Jim Brickman and Kassie DePaiva. I’ve never heard of either of them, but they replace the video of Michael Crawford singing the song on the other DVD edition. So if you already own Dumbo, there’s not a lot of reason to replace it. If not, it should make a good addition for your Disney DVD collection, at least until a platinum edition of some sort comes along.
