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Elfman's score for Dumbo can be divided into three parts: the lushly pretty material for Dumbo and his relationship with his mother, the outright source and source-like carnival music, and the collection of other Elfman standard techniques that round out everything else, from secondary character themes to limited action. Generally, there is nothing of any surprise here for the learned Elfman collector, everything heard in this score referencing techniques dating back to Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Alice in Wonderland, and several of the composer's more recent, arguably anonymous entries in the children's genre. The composer makes absolutely no effort to extend himself into new territory, the infectiously optimistic, percussively rich adaptation of Churchill in "Train's a Comin'" the only cue that truly stands apart from Elfman's standard methodology. Some of the self-referencing, such as "Jack's Obsession" from The Nightmare Before Christmas in "Holt in Action" here, is somewhat distracting. The composer's utilization of tortured high strings, solo boy's voice, harsh lower brass, and maddening calliope are all predictably applied in Dumbo, a comfort for the ears but intellectually disappointing. The voices utilized include an adult choir along with the boys, and the deeper contributions of the former can be quite attractive in the marginally scarier portions of the score. The melodic structures combine very familiar lines from Edward Scissorhands (for the circus family) and Alice in Wonderland (for Dumbo), the latter's resurrection of a repeating series of three ascending notes in different chords cementing the resolving phrase as a favorite for the composer. Dumbo's theme, which Elfman wrote for the concept a year before filming commenced and eventually recorded without much alteration, is genuinely sweet, introduced in "The Homecoming" and formalized in "Dumbo's Theme" before transforming into its flying variation in "Dumbo Soars" (with some "Casey Junior" spirit) and "Soaring Suite" (featuring some of Elfman's best brass counterpoint in recent memory, if not his entire career). The melody is present throughout the score, speaking for Dumbo in a variety of circumstances but nearly all of them wholesome in character. Its soft interludes sometimes extend into exoticism for the character's Indian destiny, as in "Goodbye Mrs. Jumbo." The themes for other concepts in the story are comparatively weak, failing to enunciate themselves satisfactorily.

Hailing from the suburban quirkiness of Edward Scissorhands is a theme for the Medici Circus, bumbling along in "Meet the Family" and eventually shining in the more upbeat "Medici Circus - Miracles Can Happen." The trapeze artist Colette receives her own solo-voiced idea in "Colette's Theme" that fails to generate subsequent interest outside of "Rescuing the Farriers." Elfman's theme for the Dreamland villain, Vandevere, is ineffective in its understated suspense. All of these secondary ideas required far more love than Elfman supplied them, Dumbo's identity instead dominating as the score's only memorable force. By the end of "Medici Circus - Miracles Can Happen," this devotion to the one theme is complete, as the composer returns to the woodwind exoticism for the idea as it builds to a momentous symphonic statement of resolution to close out the movie. This conclusion contains some of the score's best instrumental applications, reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland in the spread of base elements. By comparison, much of the prior action material is unfortunately rather sparse, the composer's knack for tuba and trombone muscularity confined to a moment like "Nightmare Island." The bevy of carnival cues, many of which utilized as source in the film, has proven that whatever amusement such music generated back in the 1980's has long worn out its welcome by the 2010's. These cues serve their purpose, but they are largely unlistenable and extend the psychedelic personality of "Pink Elephants on Parade" into other parts of the soundtrack. On album, these carnival tracks are spread throughout, making for an uneven overall listening experience that absolutely requires custom programming. Of the two "Baby Mine" recordings, the in-character one fits well enough with the score, while the Arcade Fire version tries a little too hard to force retro whimsy into its demeanor. The whole package is a very mixed experience, all of it so saturated with Elfman's mannerisms that you really need to be an enthusiast of his persistent style to appreciate his approach to this topic. The soundtrack has fantastic highlights in "Train's a Comin'," "Dumbo Soars," the second half of "Medici Circus - Miracles Can Happen," and "Soaring Suite" that combine for upwards of ten minutes of music not to be missed. But the rest of it ranges from the mundane to the outright obnoxious, Elfman hitting all the necessary notes without really tying it all together outside of the main theme. Still, those highlights take a workmanlike three-star score and nudge it up a level. Elfman has written more spirited and emotionally impactful music than Dumbo on many occasions, leaving this entry as a moderately pleasant afterthought.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Danny Elfman reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.16 (in 90 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.27 (in 154,008 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 60:55