My son and I really identified with the strong emotional bond between Ms. Jumbo and Dumbo. This movie may be fine for older children who can engage in frank conversations about stereotypes and alcohol use after watching this film...but it's not for the preschool crowd.
Dumbo
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
1941 classic still makes us cry!
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 6 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Dumbo was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that while respecting individual differences is a theme of the movie, the crows who sing "When I See an Elephant Fly" would be considered racist by today's standards. One of them is named "Jim Crow" and they speak with "Amos & Andy"-style accents, but clearly they are not intended to be insulting.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about empathy by asking kids how they would feel if everyone laughed at them the way the animals laugh at Dumbo, and how important it is to Dumbo to have a friend like Timothy. Why does Timothy tell Dumbo he needs the feather to fly? How does he learn that he does not need it? Why do the other elephants laugh at Dumbo's ears? How does that make him feel?
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More on Dumbo
What’s the Story?
Disney's classic animated tale of DUMBO begins when the stork delivers babies to the circus animals, including Mrs. Jumbo's baby, an elephant with enormous ears. The other elephants laugh at him and call him Dumbo, but Mrs. Jumbo loves him very much. When Dumbo is mistreated, she is furious and raises such a fuss that she is locked up. Dumbo is made part of the clown act, which embarrasses him very much. He is a big hit and, celebrating his good fortune, accidentally drinks champagne and becomes tipsy. The next morning, he wakes up in a tree, with no idea how he got there. It turns out that he flew! He becomes the star of the circus, with his proud mother beside him.
Is It Any Good?
This is a classic family film, with the gorgeous handcrafted animation that's a hallmark of early Disney films. Composers Oliver Wallace and Frank Churchill won Oscars for the film's musical score. The themes in this movie include friendship, tolerance of differences, and the importance of believing in yourself. Some of the characters (particularly the crows) are quite dated by today's standards, but kids will sill appreciate the story of the little elephant who learns to believe in himself.
Movie Details
Studio: Disney, Director: Ben Sharpsteen
Run time: 63 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/23/1941, DVD release: 10/01/1999
MPAA Rating: G for some tense scenes
Run time: 63 minutes
Theatrical release: 10/23/1941, DVD release: 10/01/1999
MPAA Rating: G for some tense scenes
Our Members Say
See all 10 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it
May not be appropriate for today's audiences.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
life is
frankly, cheny is scarier.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Touching
Dumbo was created to get money back to Disney Studios after the box-office bombs Pinocchio and Fantasia.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
Touching
Dumbo was created to get money back to Disney Studios after the box-office bombs Pinocchio and Fantasia.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
it made me cry
the movie is just telling about how if someone looks diffrent dont judge cause there just the same
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I rate this title pause for age 5 and give it
Really Good Kids Movie
His name is Jumbo Jr.
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I rate this title pause for age 5 and give it
Somewhat outdated but redeemed by important content
In addition to the stereotypical depiction of the "black" crows mentioned in the Common Sense review, there is also a scene of faceless but apparently African American roustabouts setting up the circus in the rain. This scene could be offensive to some. There also is a scene in which Dumbo and Timothy drink alcohol-laced water and get very drunk. The following scene is hallucinogenic and somewhat threatening. (Walt seemed to have a significant interest in hallucination.) My 4 year old loves the drunk/bubble scene; he calls it "when they drink that funny green water," so the alcohol aspect is lost on him at this point. If you have concerns about the stereotyping of women, the elephants are all female and all extremely catty.
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
i laughed
Cute!!!!
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
i like it butit's probably old now.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 50% | of parents say it's educational |
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