Dumbo

An interesting addition to Disney's roster of live-action remakes, director Tim Burton's masterclass in heart-rending pathos and heart-stopping razzle-dazzle is an uplifting wonder. It's twice as long as its 1941 animated predecessor, but Burton uses the extra time to weave a charming tale of love, loss and family that's full of engaging characters. It's 1919, and baby elephant Dumbo, born with enormous ears, turns his handicap into a profitable concern for the ailing Medici Brothers circus (run by ringmaster Danny DeVito) thanks to the caring Farrier children. Meanwhile, their former star performer dad (Colin Farrell) is struggling with a disability of his own, having lost an arm in the First World War. But when the King of Coney Island (a twinkly eyed Michael Keaton) offers a partnership to DeVito so Dumbo can headline his new big-top attraction, financial venality rears its ugly head. With no talking animals, few songs (apart from must-have Baby Mine, which is cleverly inserted) and a brilliant bubble take on the beloved "Pink Elephants" sequence, Burton synthesises his past pictorial flair to produce a mix of stunning spectacle and pure magic, enriched by Danny Elfman's best score since Edward Scissorhands.