Whether you wanted a remake of the Disney classic or not, the live-action Dumbo flew into theaters this March. Thanks to the directing powers of Tim Burton, this fantastical tale of a baby elephant who learned to fly was brought to life once more. There might not be many people who watching the original. It was a fairly short animated film made a long time ago, filled with talking animals you could relate to and human jerk-bags you could not. This new Dumbo aims to adjust this formula a tad. Instead of having the animals be the stars of the show, human characters are now at the forefront.

The new plot basically follows the two children of a man just came back from the battlefields of World War I. He used to work at the Medici Brothers Circus as a horse rider, but with a missing arm and a long absence, he has to work with the elephants now. His kids' mother ed of influenza while he was fighting in the war (how typical of Disney to off a family's mother for emotional weight), so he has to reconnect with his children upon arrival. Dumbo's story takes a side seat to this human one, but the wonder of his flight is not diminished. It's just a tad overused.

While watching this nostalgia-grab of a movie, you might have overlooked a couple of things. As a matter of fact, you might have overlooked a lot of things. Dumbo is full of cute cameos, hidden references, and inane plot holes. All these tidbits are entertaining to look for, which is more than you can say for the movie itself. Read on if you want to find out about the things you completely missed while watching the live-action Dumbo.

Baritone Bates Was Michael Buffer

Baritone Bates, whose name you can find out during Dumbo's credits, is the man who announced Dumbo's high-flying act at the Dreamland park. As soon as he spoke in a thrilling cadence, boxing fans in the audience (if there were any) could recognize Bates as the famous Michael Buffer.

The Average Joe/Jane knows Buffer, even if not by name, for his catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" In the movie, Buffer's line was a similar, "Let's get ready for Dumbo!" that made us all chuckle with genuine amusement.

The Live-Action Version Is Twice As Long As The Cartoon

The original Dumbo was actually a very short movie by today's standards. It is only 64 minutes long, and it is one of Disney's shortest animated films. Thus, the live-action version had about an hour to stuff their movie with more story.

At close to two hours long, the run-time for this new Dumbo is nearly twice as long as the original. You know what that means. Half of the content that you see in the remake will be made up of new human drama and Tim Burton-esque filming techniques. If you liked the original, prepare yourself for extra plot.

The Storks Flying By Are A Reference To The Original

Classic Disney movies (and older movies in general) hesitated to show subject matter that directly alluded to child-bearing. Apparently, they couldn't have children seeing anything that might remind them of the miracle of birth.

Instead of showing Dumbo's mom, Mrs. Jumbo, carrying her baby elephant, the animated film included cartoon storks that delivered Dumbo to her. The live-action film takes the leap and actually shows Mrs. Jumbo heavy with her baby. However, it does include some storks flying by on the night Dumbo was delivered, which is a cute nod toward the original.

The Bubble Elephant Reference

For those born with the Disney spoon in their mouth, there is no moment so spooky in our childhood as the "Pink Elephants on Parade" song from the original Dumbo. Plenty of kids these days don't understand the strange, cerebral anguish that hallucinated montage had on our psyches.

The live-action version attempted to have a similar kind of moment.

The Dreamland performance included some bubble elephants, and the song came on during this part. However, it did not encapsulate the deep-seated intensity from the original. Or maybe we've all just gotten older.

What Went Into Making Dumbo

This new live-action Dumbo required a representation of a baby elephant that could fly. The original animated film only needed to draw the character. As with most live-action remakes of cartoon movies, Dumbo called for a more realistic version of the character.

The Dumbo in this movie was made with the help of a physical model, excellent computer graphics, and a real person stand-in. These three types of representation combined gave us the cute little elephant we see on the screen in theaters now. We still think it's a shame that the animals don't talk though.

Vandevere Is A Sinister Nod To Walt Disney

It's not hard to see the comparisons between V.A. Vandevere from the live-action Dumbo and Walt Disney, the real man behind the company that released the movie.

Both men own a larger-than-life amusement park that draws in visitors by the hundreds.

When Dumbo and his friends first entered Dreamland, it was practically impossible not to picture Disneyland. Of course, this gets a little awkward later on when Dreamland goes up in flames, leaving Vandevere to look on all his mighty works in despair.

Danny Elfman Returns

Danny Elfman is the musical composer behind many of Tim Burton's films. He composed the score for Beetlejuice, Batman, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, and more. Elfman is back for Burton's Dumbo, providing us with the musical accompaniments to Dumbo's high-flying feats.

While the soundtrack might not be as memorable as some of Elfman's previous scores, there is something to be said for his staunch history with Tim Burton. It almost feels like a Tim Burton film would not be a Tim Burton film without Danny Elfman.

Dumbo Is Never Taught To Fly

In the animated film, Dumbo is taught to fly by his friend Timothy Q. Mouse and a group of friendly crows. The live-action movie removed those two groups of characters from Dumbo's journey. Instead, the two human children find out that whenever Dumbo sneezes, his ears help lift him in the air.

However, you would do well to that elephants are not actually meant to fly with their ears. You would think that if an elephant was going to use his ears in such a manner, he would have to be trained. Dumbo receives no such training montage.

Casey Jr. Makes A Small But Triumphant Return

Casey Jr. is the name of the beloved locomotive who appeared in the original Dumbo. This anthropomorphic train carried the of the circus around the country. We were absolutely delighted to see Casey Jr. was given a spot in the live-action version of the film.

The adorable choo-choo is given a live-action counterpart, complete with a face at the head of the front steam engine. ittedly, Casey Jr.'s part in this new Dumbo is not as drawn out as his part in the animated film, but it was a great nostalgic inclusion.

Miss Peregrine Appears In Dumbo

Eva Green, the actress who plays Colette in Dumbo, is no stranger to Tim Burton films. Before Dumbo, Green appeared in Tim Burton's Dark Shadows and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Clearly, this isn't her first time in a Burton film.

Her role in Dumbo is misleading at first. You think that Colette can't be trusted because she works for Vandevere. However, she eventually warms up to Dumbo and the children, going so far as to help them free Dumbo and his mother from Dreamland.