grantss
Jiminy Cricket finds himself at the home of Geppetto, a simple carpenter and toy-maker. Geppetto is old and his only company is his cat, Figaro, and goldfish, Cleo. He has made a toy puppet, Pinocchio, and wishes that the puppet was a real boy. To his astonishment, this comes true. Pinocchio now sets about behaving like a real boy, with Jiminy as his guide and conscience, but the novelty of being a wooden boy soon attracts the attention of some unscrupulous characters.Sweet, fun movie. Iconic too - one of the first movies you associate with Disney. Gave the world "When you wish upon a star", pretty much the Disney anthem.Not perfect though. After a wonderful start it does degenerate into a rambling adventure from a point. Not quite as profound or emotional as some other Disney movies, eg Bambi.Still a great watch though and ideal for all ages.
Byrdz
It has been ages since I watched Pinocchio. I remember being scared of Monstro as a kid and years later having to take a little boy out to the theater lobby when "the whale scene" came on. That segment is still a bit unsettling.The songs are still memorable. The fuzzy villains are so well done that they are actually "cute" doing their evil deeds. The human ones, not so much... but I do have a problem with people of their ilk.The typical "child in jeopardy", "child separated from parent" so beloved by the Disney Studio is here in spades but it works better here than in some of the later Disney films.The animated clocks and music boxes. Great stuff. Details galore. Worth using the pause and reverse buttons to look things over.Figaro ! One of the BEST cats ever. The disgruntled way he gets up to open the window is just terrific. Again, a little detail that works.Nostalgia ? Maybe. But then maybe not. It's a really good film and well worth watching.
aileencorcoran
I'm actually not sure if I ever saw "Pinocchio" before now, but eh. This film took me by surprise, not because I thought it was going to be bad, but at how good it actually was. Based (although from what I've heard without much of the hardcore stuff) on Carlo Collidi's novel of the same name, "Pinocchio" tells the story of the titular puppet who longs to become a real boy. When his creator, and Italian toy-maker named Gepetto, wishes for the marionette to come to life, the Blue Fairy makes his wish come true. Not only that, if Pinocchio can prove himself good, honest and unselfish, he will become a REAL boy. With the help of his conscience, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio will learn how easy it is to be led off the beaten path, and how important it is to put yourself before others, to be honest and to always let conscience be your guide.The animation is stunning, with the shading exquisite, especially on the fur of Tuxedo cat, Figaro, and the wily fox, Honest John. The white finish makes to give the fur a distinct, fluffy look. The animation of the water is amazing, with luscious brushstrokes imitating the tide - hell, even the tide is animated well! The backgrounds are once again lovely, with these amazing panning shots that make it seem like it was filmed by an actual camera. The little details are wonderful, such as the flickering flames, the bubbles and the fish's transparent tail. It's a true work of art.The characters are plenty of fun too. Jiminy isn't half as annoying as I thought he'd be, in fact I found him charming. Pinocchio is that everyman kid, who soaks things in and comes out on top, but still isn't perfect. Not only is he a very good character due to this, but he acts like, well, a real kid! Kids do act selfish, tell lies and go against authority, but sometimes, especially when very young, they may not even know what they're doing is wrong. Pinocchio is a great example of this, and Jiminy walking away, getting lost and so forth shows the swaying of the conscience. It's very clever. Minor characters are shown for just the right amount of time, showcasing their charisma, likability and sometimes fear. The villains are great; all are malicious on different levels, but the one that shocked me most was the Coach Master, who runs Paradise Island. Call me an overthinker (which I am), but I got this child predator vibe off him; inviting kids to have fun, then stripping them down to a primal level ... ugh he was just creepy. Well, whatever the deeper implications may or may not be, the obvious intent is there, and is clever too. I guess it can be read in many different ways.Gepetto was a likable fellow, but who really stood out to me was Figaro, the cat. Let's just say I understand why Disney wanted him to be in the film as much as possible, he's just adorable, and his expressions are great! Overall, "Pinocchio" is a wonderful film , with stunning artwork and numerous important messages for children, and even adults.
gavin6942
A living puppet (Dickie), with the help of a cricket (Cliff Edwards) as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy.This film came out in 1940, which makes it 75 years old as I write this review in 2015. It could just as easily be five or ten years old, because the film has not aged a day. In fact, if anything, it has only grown in stature. The character of Pinocchio is legendary, and today that is almost universally because of the cartoon and not the original story.Some of the songs are timeless, most notably "When You Wish Upon a Star". To a lesser agree, "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide". These are just great tunes that are rarely found in films anymore, certainly not songs that become part of the popular culture and consciousness.
