Dumbo (2019)

Tim Burton directs Danny DeVito, Michael Keaton and Colin Farrell in this remake of the flying elephant circus soap.

Whisper it but I think Tim Burton might be getting his mojo back. This is chaotic, maudlin and distracted yet it hits a visual authenticity that harks back to the bubblegum gothic that established him. A nostalgic cast, a trace of heart and soul. Like Miss Peregrine this isn’t a classic but it feels just a little more wholemeal than recent remakes and retreads by the former wunderkind. Circus freaks and and theme park satires, Burton’s touchstones and strengths find a home in a film that seems openly critical of Walt Disney-esque figures. Keaton’s otherworldly entertainment tycoon is a Satan in a luxury car. Strange for a remake of a Mousehouse property paid for, produced and put out by the corporation that bears his name to make their own figurehead the big bad?

6

My Top 10 Michael Keaton Movies

1. Out of Sight (1998)

2. Batman (1989)

3. Batman Returns (1992)

4. The Paper (1994)

5. Toy Story 3 (2010)

6. Birdman (2014)

7. Beetlejuice (1988)

8. Jackie Brown (1997)

9. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

10. Spotlight (2015)

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