8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.6 |
Lonely woodcarver Geppetto longs for a child, and his wish is partially granted when the Blue Fairy brings his wooden marionette Pinocchio to life. In order to become a real boy, Pinocchio must prove himself worthy. He sets out into the world, accompanied by his "conscience," Jiminy Cricket. Pinocchio is led astray by the wicked fox J. Worthington Fowlfellow, first to "a life in the theater"- Stromboli's puppet show - and then to Pleasure Island, where boys behave like (and become!) jackasses. Pinocchio redeems himself by saving Geppetto from Monstro, the whale.
Starring: Dickie Jones, Cliff Edwards, Christian Rub, Walter Catlett, Mel BlancFamily | 100% |
Animation | 86% |
Adventure | 60% |
Fantasy | 50% |
Musical | 45% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
French: DTS-HD HR 7.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (2 BDs, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
From the moment "when you wish upon a star" graced the speakers in my home theater, I found myself in wide-eyed wonder, instantly transported back to my childhood to revisit one of the most moving animated films I've ever had the pleasure of watching. By all accounts, Pinocchio is an unforgettable masterpiece; a deceptively simple coming-of-age tale that, some seventy years after its inception, still has the ability to make a grown man cry. It's even more powerful in light of modern animated features that seem all-too-content resorting to pop-culture references and uninspired stories. Make no mistake, Pinocchio is a rare, timeless classic... one I was more than happy to introduce to a four-year-old who, just like his dear old dad, fell in love with every charming minute.
For a film celebrating its seventieth anniversary, Pinocchio feels startlingly fresh...
When a lonely woodcarver named Geppetto (voiced by Christian Rub) crafts a marionette called Pinocchio and makes a heartfelt wish on a starry night, he awakens to find the puppet has come to life. However, the Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) who grants the old man's request informs the pair that Pinocchio (Dickie Jones) can only become a real boy if he proves his true worth by being honest and selfless. At the puppet's side is a well-intentioned cricket named Jiminy (Cliff Edwards) who agrees to function as his conscience. The next day Pinocchio begins his life with gusto, but soon falls prey to the wiles of two con men (Mel Blanc and Walter Catlett) who sell him to a showman named Stromboli (Charles Judels). While the mischievous marionette escapes with the help of the Blue Fairy, he's warned to get his act together if he ever wants to be a real boy. Yet when he encounters the same con men as before, Pinocchio lands himself in trouble once again. Shipped off to a twisted dystopia known as Pleasure Island, the puppet has to survive an evil force that transforms children into donkeys, find his way home, and rescue Geppetto (who went searching for his lost son) from the belly of a vicious whale.
It never ceases to amaze me how dark and complex children's' films once were. Pinocchio never pulls a single punch, deftly examining the consequences of poor decision-making, the lure of temptation, and the fading innocence of childhood in every scene. Pinocchio's misadventures aren't lofty or whimsical; they're bleak and grimy, submerging the newborn marionette into a world intent on taking advantage of his ignorance. His visit to Pleasure Island is unsettling, his sacrifice for his father is unnerving, and his gleeful embrace of everything wrong in the world is frightening... yet it regularly imparts invaluable lessons to even its youngest viewers. I don't know about you, but I couldn't ask for a more relevant message to pass on to my son. In an age when animated films focus on being yourself and discovering your own uniqueness, it's refreshing to revisit a classic that teaches kids how easy it is to become something you don't want to be. Sure, its moral allusions can be heavy-handed at times (as can the film's symbology), but I appreciated its frank and honest dissection of several legitimate struggles every person, regardless of age, encounters over and over again throughout the course of their everyday lives.
Just don't let that scare you away. Pinocchio wears its heart on its sleeve, leaving little doubt as to how much Geppetto cares for his son, how imperfect the best intentions can be (Jiminy's mistakes are just as meaningful as Pinocchio's), and how love and selflessness remain two of the most powerful forces on the planet. Combined with stirring music, expressive animation, and a script that focuses the majority of its efforts on meticulous character development, the film transcends its cartoonish presentation to resonate with people of all ages. Perhaps I'm over-analyzing the tale's significance, but I was continually wowed by its artistry, storytelling, and meaning. Did my son cover his eyes once or twice? Sure. Did he look away? Not once. Did he understand everything he was watching? The conversation it struck up between us proved he had. Pinocchio isn't just an animated anomaly; it's a reminder of how worthwhile and important cinema can be... even when to those haven't started school yet.
With my praise and superlatives exhausted, I have little left to offer aside from a hearty recommendation that everyone -- parents, kids, and animation fans of all ages -- spend some time with this heartwarming Disney classic. It not only stands up as well as it did seventy years ago, it still exhibits the power to charm, teach, and influence young minds for the better. I cannot recommend Pinocchio enough.
After earning critical accolades for its immaculate frame-by-frame remastering of Sleeping Beauty, Disney has chosen Pinocchio to receive its next 1080p/AVC-encoded treatment, granting the 1940 classic a thorough restoration and producing one of the finest traditional animation transfers on the market. The film's colors have been completely reinvigorated, giving each scene tremendous vibrancy, depth, and dimensionality. Even so, the newly-minted 1.33:1 image never feels overworked or insincere, instead allowing its modern artisans the privilege of paying homage to their Disney forbearers. Detail is equally impressive -- the hand-painted backgrounds are wonderfully textured, minor elements on each character is more apparent than ever before, and the lineart is exceptionally crisp and well-defined. More importantly, the picture is incredibly clean and stable. Artifacting, print damage, and noise are non-existent, black levels are rich and deep, and contrast is attractive and, dare I say, flawless.
As it stands, I couldn't find much of anything to complain about... a welcome rarity in my position, I assure you. Pinocchio looks so amazing that I can't wait to see what Disney will do with the rest of its beloved canon in the years to come.
The relative low-point of Pinocchio's Blu-ray debut is undoubtedly its DTS HD 7.1 Master Audio track. Don't get me wrong, I can't imagine the film sounding much better than it does here, but voices alternate between thin and stuffy, LFE-laden effects are slightly inconsistent from scene to scene, and directionality is a bit artificial and spotty. Honestly, I preferred listening to the restored mono mix, if for no other reason than to revisit the film as it was meant to be heard. Still, it's impossible to criticize Disney's efforts and investment. A 7.1 surround track may seem like overkill to some, but I found the film's audio elements had been treated with extreme care, leaving little doubt in my mind as to how serious the studio is in presenting their catalog classics with all the bells and whistles available in this modern age without sacrificing the integrity of a film's original presentation. In that regard, Pinocchio offers an impressive audio package that does its best with the inherent limitations of its source material. Considering the film is celebrating its 70th anniversary, that's saying something.
The 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Pinocchio not only packs in all of the supplemental content from the standard DVD (in high definition no less), it gives fans access to a slew of exclusive extras including a Picture-in-Picture video commentary, BD-Live interactivity, and more. Like the highly-rated Blu-ray release of Sleeping Beauty, Disney really pulls out all the stops to produce a remarkable collection of special features.
What else can I say about this fantastic Disney Blu-ray release? It features a timeless cinematic classic, a gorgeous restoration, a stunning video transfer, a relatively remarkable DTS HD 7.1 Master Audio track, and an endless collection of supplemental material that includes several meaty exclusives. Simply put, the 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Pinocchio should already have a comfortable home on every true filmfan's shelves. Buy it without any further delay.
1940
70th Anniversary Platinum Edition | DVD Packaging
1940
The Signature Collection / 28-Page Storybook
1940
70th Anniversary Platinum Edition
1940
The Signature Collection
1940
The Signature Collection
1940
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1953
Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1959
Rental Copy
1940
60th Anniversary Edition
1951
Peter Pan 2 | Special Edition
2002
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2019
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2009
2000
70th Anniversary Special Edition
1941
25th Anniversary Edition | The Signature Collection
1991
1937
50th Anniversary Edition | DVD Packaging
1963
2008
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2016
Diamond Edition
1950
2007
2002
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2013
Special Edition
1996
Ultimate Collector's Edition
2010