Pinocchio

For it's second full length animated feature, Walt Disney Studios picked the Carlo Collodi children's classic Pinocchio. The wooden puppet boy who turns into flesh and blood because of a heroic deed has been done a few times on screen, but the Disney version remains the standard.

In some of the animated features of recent years we've come full circle in the fact that a lot of well known Hollywood figures have sought to lend their voices to animated productions. Coming to mind immediately are Mel Gibson as Captain John Smith and Eddie Murphy as the donkey in the Shrek movies. It wasn't as chic a thing to do back in Disney's day, still Walt came up with several good ones like young Dickie Jones as Pinocchio, Walter Catlett as J. Worthington Foulfellow, Frankie Darro as Lampwick, and most important Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket.

These folks lend their voices to one of Disney's best musical scores with Catlett making immortal the thespians ballad An Actor's Life For Me, Jones celebrating the fact he's been liberated from all manner of restraint with I've Got No Strings and Cliff Edwards talking about his new responsibilities as the puppet boy's conscience in Give A Little Whistle.

Most important though is the Academy Award given to that most plaintive song of yearning When You Wish Upon A Star as introduced by Cliff Edwards. Edwards was a major performer in the Twenties and early Thirties with his ukulele Ike character and introduced many popular songs like It's Only A Paper Moon and Singing In The Rain. But he had come up on hard times with a lot of substance abuse problems when Walt Disney offered him the part of Jiminy Cricket's voice. The movie Pinocchio and the songs he sang there resurrected his career and even when down and out, Edwards could always get work at the Disney Studio because of Jiminy Cricket's enduring popularity.

Animation never really dates and the best animation in the world was pioneered at Disney Studio. People can see Pinocchio on the same bill as Shrek even today and I daresay the audience would be equally responsive.

And you can appreciate Pinocchio today as much as your grandparents and great grandparents did through the magic of YouTube or Amazon. If not wish upon a star and fate will step in and see you through.

My Rating : 9/10

This is a very complete movie. The artwork is perfect and colorful, everything is carefully drawn and painted. The film is a clever combination of some of the funniest moments in cinema history and some of the darkest and most sinister ever. Animation is terrific. The soundtrack is excellent, with lots of musical pieces to enjoy.

This is an Italian tale, so it takes place in Italy, which is great, for it benefits from a certain Italian touch of film-making and Italian charm.

Darker in tone than most Disney animated features (except for 'Hunchback of Notre Dame'), 'Pinocchio' came shortly after 'Snow White' and showed marked improvement in the art of animation technology to produce startling special effects.

The first twenty-five minutes alone raise the film to the level of true animation art. Gepetto's inventive clocks come to life as realistically as any real-life photography could do. The warmth and cosiness of his dwelling and the charming shenanigans of Figaro the kitten and Cleo the goldfish, are all perfectly realized. The imaginative use of music and animation art is never finer than in these opening scenes.

Afterwards, as the plot thickens, the special effects are just as impressive. The scene of Gepetto searching for Pinocchio with a lantern on a rainy night after he has been captured by Stromboli is unforgettable imagery. The wagon lurching along roads with Pinocchio in a cage is a frightening thing. Even darker are the adventures that await Pinocchio when he reaches Pleasure Island. The scene of the boys turning into donkeys is probably one of the most awesome and frightening moments in the film.

Altogether charming are the underwater sequences before the meeting of Monstro the Whale. The climactic chase after the escape from the belly of the whale is handled brilliantly. The music perfectly accents the dramatic chase for this sequence and the songs throughout are in keeping with the mood and characters of the story. It is the sharp contrast between the lighter moments and the darker ones that gives the film a correct blend of fantasy and horror.

Parents should be cautioned that very young children may be frightened. Has to be considered one of the most beautifully animated Disney features of all time. A treasure to see again and again.

Pinocchio is a true classic in the world of movies. Pinocchio is based on the Italian story about the puppet who became a real boy. Pinocchio is one of Disney`s finest and it beats all the new ultracommercial cartoons, which the company produces nowadays. The story is good, the characters are very likable and warmhearted, and the music is sheer perfection. These old Disney classics are cartoons that are suitable for the WHOLE family, not just the small kids. Watch it, and prepare to be stunned! 9/10

A very wonderful film - one I remembered from my childhood (but then again so are most of the classic Disney films). Pinocchio is a type of film the entire family can love. Nothing offensive about this motion picture, quite the contrary there are good lessons to be learned from Pinocchio. Pinocchio learns what it takes to be a good *human*. So the film is good for young kids.

This movie also contains another one of Walt Disney's most memorable songs: When You Wish Upon A Star sung by Cliff Edwards.

If you like Disney movies like "Peter Pan" or "Peter and the Wolf" then you might like Pinocchio.

8.5/10