Tim Burton is Directing the Live-Action Dumbo

It seems like our worst fears are about to come true, as Disney is going forward with their idea of a Dumbo remake; indeed, The Wall Street Journal reports that Tim Burton (Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie…) has been chosen by Disney to direct the live-action/CG hybrid.

Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #4: Dumbo (1941)

By Munir Abedrabbo.

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #3: Fantasia (1940)

After such ambitious and polished endeavours as Pinocchio and Fantasia failed to recoup their costs, Walt Disney needed something cheap and simple to make some money. Those elements are usually a recipe for disaster, but in this case, they turned out to be this film’s major assets. Dumbo does not offer such perfect animation as Pinocchio, nor such epic scope as Fantasia, but what it lacks in those departments it compensates for with tons of heart. At 63 minutes, it’s one of the studio’s shortest films, but everything is so perfectly told that there is not a scene wasted in the entire movie. The title character is one of the most endearing you’ve ever seen on-screen and the “Baby Mine” sequence will make your heart melt. As simple as it may seem, Dumbo has enchanted movie-goers for more than 70 years and will continue to do so with the story of the underdog that could. No small feat for such a little elephant. Rating: 5/5.

Next Week: Animated Classic #5 Review: Bambi

Munir Presents Walt Disney Animation Studios: A Retrospective -- Introduction

By Munir Abedrabbo.

Hello folks! With the beginning of the New Year and the fact that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs just turned 75 this past December, I thought it would be nice to have a rundown over all 52 animated films that the Disney Studio has released so far. Each week, a film from the Disney canon will be presented alongside a short commentary and a rating system. All films are going to be presented in chronological order from Snow White to Wreck-It Ralph. I hope you enjoy this and that this retrospective will stir up discussions about these films and of these 75 years of great legacy!

The Cast and Crew of Brave Visit Edinburgh

The team behind Brave at a press junket for the film in Edinburgh. (Left - Right) Tia Kratter (Shading Art Director), Kevin McKidd (voice of Lord MacGuffin), Kelly Macdonald (voice of Merida), Mark Andrews (director), Katherine Sarafian (producer), and John Lasseter (executive producer).

The cast and crew of Pixar's thirteenth feature film Brave have been over here in the UK for the past couple of days, specifically, in Edinburgh, the capital of the land in which Brave is set, Scotland. Whilst here, the voice cast of the latest film from the studio that brought you Toy Story (as well as posing for some pictures, which you can see on Pixar's Facebook page) spoke  to Scottish newspaper, The Daily Record, about their favourite Disney memories growing up, and how the more recent Pixar films compare to that.

(Left - Right) Robbie Coltrane (Lord Dingwall), John Lasseter (Pixar and Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer), Katherine Sarafian (producer), Mark Andrews (director), Kelly Macdonald (Merida) and Kevin McKidd (Lord MacGuffin) pose in front of the iconic Edinburgh landscape.

Robbie Coltrane (Lord Dingwall) talks of his love of Disney's Dumbo, saying of its ambitious circus scenes “I remember thinking, ‘Someone did that with a pencil’.” While Kelly Macdonald, who lends her voice to Brave's leading lady, Merida, talks about how Pixar is today, what Disney was then, saying “It is more the Pixar films that  [Macdonald's son] Freddie likes, things like Toy Story.”

Kevin McKidd (Lord MacGuffin) also said, of the film:

“It is a love letter to Scotland. It really conjures up the feel of the country – the wind is blowing, the sea is flowing and everything is covered in ferns or moss and always in motion. It is a very textured landscape and you see this in the movie. Everything looks so real and vibrant.”

Also, you've got to admire John Lasseter for going the whole-hog with the Scottish trip, it takes a brave man (pun intended) to wear a kilt in this weather.

Check out the full article at The Daily Record, and the rest of the pictures from the press junket on the official Pixar Facebook page.

Brave is released in cinemas in just over two weeks, on 22nd June, in America, whereas us poor UK fans will have to wait until 13th August.

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Oh, and please remember to vote in our poll to the right, to say what your favourite Aardman film is!

When I See an Elephant Fly for 70 Years

Yesterday marked the 70th Anniversary of the release of Walt Disney's fourth animated classic, Dumbo. The heart warming tale of a large eared elephant that finds fulfillment and happiness through the use of his unnaturally sized ears to fly was released on October 23, 1941.

Coming right near the middle of Disney's Golden Age, Dumbo is a brilliant, emotional, funny and generally brilliant film that is indicative of the legacy of Walt Disney and the company he and his brother spawned, that the film is still popular today. Though somewhat outdated today, being nearly three quarters of a century old, the film is still a joy to watch and hearkens back to a time when cinema was so much simpler and so much more magical.

So, kudos to Disney for producing a true classic and let's remember this fantastic film with one of its most famous clips.