Max Medici is a major character who appears in Disney's 2019 remake of Dumbo. He is the founder of his own circus, the Medici Brothers' Circus who originally ran an animal circus before being renamed as the "Medici Family Circus", which introduced an animal-free policy.
He is based on the original Ringmaster from the 1941 original Dumbo film.
Background[]
Personality[]
Max serves as the owner of the Medici Brothers' Circus (later named "Medici Family Circus"). Unlike his animated counterpart, Max shows a caring yet reasonable personality as in the case when he attempted to rescue Dumbo and Mrs. Jumbo from V.A. Vandevere by bringing the elephants back to a secluded sanctuary in the wild. He also has a moral compass of what it takes for him to foil Vandevere's plans.
Role in the film[]
Max is first shown setting up the circus and welcoming Holt Farrier back from World War I. He and his kids reveal that Holt's wife died in the 1918 flu epidemic and that he has sold the horses from the couple's act, leaving Holt without an act. He also reveals that he has purchased a pregnant elephant named Mrs. Jumbo, hoping that her baby will become a star attraction for the failing circus.
When Mrs. Jumbo gives birth, Medici immediately requests for Baby Jumbo's abnormally large ears to be hidden. However, when Baby Jumbo's ears are accidentally exposed, leading the crowd to name him Dumbo, Mrs. Jumbo storms into the ring and causes extensive damage and accidentally kills her abusive handler Rufus. To prevent a public relations problem, Medici has her locked up as a "mad elephant" and sells her back to her original owner Hans Brugelbecker the next day (although he is only able to get him to pay half of what Medici bought the elephant for).
Wanting to keep Dumbo but not wanting him in a serious role, Medici puts him and Holt (who is still looking for a replacement act) in the clown act. Initially, the act is successful and Medici comments that the audience loves it. However, the act soon goes horribly wrong and Dumbo ends up trapped on a high platform on a burning building. Holt's daughter Milly gives Dumbo a feather, encouraging him to fly. This is photographed by an audience member and winds up making national headlines and Dumbo becomes an overnight celebrity. Because of this event, the circus becomes more successful than ever, and a proud Medici happily praises Dumbo as a star.
Medici is approached by businessman V.A. Vandevere some time later, who offers to work out a deal with Medici to give his troupe a home and a permanent venue for their show. Vandevere reveals that he knows that there is no second "Medici brother" and offers to act as a surrogate brother to Medici should he take him up on his offer. Medici agrees and Vandevere becomes co-owner of the circus.
On the night of the troupe's first performance at Vandevere's theme park Dreamland, Medici joins Vandevere and investor J. Griffin Remington in the VIP seats. However, Medici soon learns that the event lacked a safety net, which almost killed Dumbo and Colette, and that Vandevere currently owns Mrs. Jumbo in a separate exhibit at Nightmare Island. He is even very distraught to see Vandevere ordering his men to separate Dumbo from his mother. Soon after, Vandevere decides to have Mrs. Jumbo taken away and killed and orders the troupe to be fired to cover his tracks, much to Medici's dismay. Deciding that he has had enough, Medici allows his troupe to free Dumbo and Mrs. Jumbo and transport them back to India. Vandevere attempts to stop them but ends up causing an electrical fault that burns down the entire park. Knowing that Medici was involved in freeing the elephants, Vandevere orders for Medici to be arrested, but he points out that Dreamland is burning thanks to Vandevere's foolishness and laughs at it. Medici then takes Remington, who he has befriended, away from the scene to get a hot dog.
After the Dreamland incident, Medici decides to give Holt his horse act back, hires Colette as part of the troupe, gives Milly her own sideshow act, gives Joe an act, renames the circus to "The Medici Family Circus", and gives his remaining animals more freedom. In the aftermath, Dumbo and his mother adapt their new lives in a secluded sanctuary in India.
Trivia[]
- Max is a much more heroic character in this adaptation of Dumbo, with part of the original ringmaster's role being given to V.A. Vandevere.
- Part of the original ringmaster's role was also homaged during the part where Rufus Sorghum confronts Mrs. Jumbo for being a mad elephant. Unlike in the original film where the Ringmaster had guards assisting him, Rufus has no other minions assisting him in confronting Mrs. Jumbo.
- Max has a made-up brother named Giuseppe Medici, who was the other Medici Brother. He was portrayed by Danny DeVito who also played Max Medici. As noted by Vandevere, Max does not actually have a brother but always wanted one.
- When Max Medici was walking next to Casey Junior and heading to his office which is located in the red caboose, he was singing "Casey, Jr.", one of the two songs only physically sung in the remake.
- At one point when Dumbo is given a bath, Max tells one of the clowns, "No booze near the baby!". This could be a reference to the original film when Dumbo drank water accidentally spiked with champagne by the clowns and ended up drunk.
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