As the ultimate outsider-misfit fable, “Dumbo” is a perfect fit for Tim Burton. That ear-flapping baby pachyderm is a weirdo, just like him. “It’s my story as an animator, it’s my problem as well.

"Dumbo" is the director's fifth movie for the studio, where he's happy to be an odd fit. "Any kind of movie I do," he said, "I'm too dark." Working with “Transformers” writer Ehren Kruger, Burton was ...