Parents' Guide to

Dumbo

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Sweet Disney classic is still lovely, despite stereotypes.

Movie G 1941 63 minutes
Dumbo Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • Dumbo Movie: Scene #1
  • Dumbo Movie: Scene #2
  • Dumbo Movie: Scene #3
  • Dumbo Movie: Scene #4

Community Reviews

See all
age 5+

Based on 21 parent reviews

sophalilucie
sophalilucie Adult
December 14, 2015
age 6+

Some parts good - some very bad

While there are parts of this film I think are wonderful and extremely well done there are others I don't think are really appropriate. I do think the racist depiction of the crows will go over young childrens' heads but I did notice this being problematic watching it in my early teens so this is probably worth a discussion with older children. They are fun characters however so shouldn't pose too much of an issue with young children. What is problematic for young children is the "Pink elephants on Parade" sequence. I found this terrifying when I was little and would forwardwind this part of the movie until it was over. I was also very scared of clowns when I was little and didn't like the circus scene much ( but also hated being taken to real life circuses) so exercise a little caution here. There are some wonderful moments e.g. the little train huffing and puffing up the hill and the heartbreaking song "Baby mine". While this is a great classic, kids probably shouldnt watch this alone until they are older.
ProfessorCatcliff
ProfessorCatcliff Parent of baby and 4-year-old
May 4, 2015
age 10+

I hate this movie

I know this is a Disney classic, but I hate that it shows racist characters, spanking, and drinking. I do not like this movie, and I let my daughter do the Disney iPad book which edits out all of those. It's a dated movie that, I think, should not be showed to young children.
See all 21 parent reviews

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?

Our review:
Parents say (21 ):
Kids say (37 ):

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 Dumbo 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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how they would feel if everyone laughed at them the way the animals laugh at Dumbo. Why do the other elephants laugh at Dumbo's ears? How does that make him feel? What can kids do when they're laughed at or bullied?

  • Talk about friendship. 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?

  • Talk about the crows. Why are they controversial ? How have depictions of ethnicities and races changed since this movie was made? Can people still enjoy movies that contain dated stereotypes?

  • How do the characters in Dumbo demonstrate courage and empathy? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate