Dumbo Movie 2019: A Full Family Review (aka should you bring your kids to see the film)

Looking for a full family review of the Dumbo Movie 2019 version? I'm sharing who will love the Dumbo live action film, and just what ages it's good for!

We saw it. Twice in fact. We saw the Dumbo Movie (2019 version) twice once before I attended the Dumbo press junket and then again at the premiere. And I've gotten a LOTTTTT of questions about my thoughts. Is it appropriate for kids? What did I think of the CGI effects? What ages will love this version? Full disclosure: this film was directed by Tim Burton, and I fully expected there to be some darker elements (they're sort of his trademark). I was curious to see how they showed up in THIS film, and what ages I felt would be comfortable with the film. Lydia is five, and has seen PLENTY of Tim Burton's films (Nightmare Before Christmas is one of her favorites).

Dumbo Movie 2019: A Full Family Review

My thoughts on the film as a whole? It's beautifully done. Visually, this is one of the the most stunning films I've seen in years. The colors, the costumes, the amazing circus performers and musical numbers……they're phenomenal. The technology used to create Dumbo? Is flawless. You really DO see an elephant fly.

What ages is it appropriate for? The Dumbo live action film is rated PG for peril/action, some thematic elements, and brief mild language. After seeing it twice, there is definitely peril and action…..but I don't think it will be scary to kids. There are beautiful thematic elements, but nothing overly frightening. There is one LOCATION towards the end of the film that while watching, I wondered if was scary to Lydia (Nightmare Island which is filled with “crazy animals”). Ironically, it was her favorite part of the film.

My suggestion: if your child is afraid of alligators or wolves, know that they will be present in that scene….and it may be a perfect time to visit the bathroom (the whole scene is less than 5 minutes long).

The Dumbo Movie 2019 is a full length film (almost two hours). I would suggest it for ages 3 1/2 and up (as long as they can sit in a theatre for that long). Children will be SUPER entertained by the visuals and costumes, and will definitely be happy for the full film. The plot moves along nicely, and will easily hold their attention.