Plot: What’s it about?
You all know this one, Geppetto makes a wooden boy, and the damn thing comes to life on him. The puppet is granted his boyhood thanks to a wish made by the old woodcarver, and a blue fairy floats on in and by golly, she grants the wish! Despite the allure of staying inside Geppetto’s crib, I mean I clocks alone would drive me nuts, not to mention the way that guy snores, Pinocchio gets bitten by the curiosity bug, and decided he needs to explore the world outside. As Pinocchio wanders aimlessly throughout the countryside, he is greeted by many moral tests, checking his bravery, loyalty, and honesty. If he passes these tests, he will not just be a wooden boy that can walk and talk, but a living, breathing boy! Yippee! Pinocchio is not alone in all this, however. His conscience, a little creepy guy named Jiminy Cricket, is always hanging around, giving him pep-talks, lectures, and sermons. But does Pinocchio always listen? Hell no, and he ends up knee-deep in it.
I know this is off the subject, but Geppetto has always creeped the hell out of me. I mean, the guy has like five-hundred clocks in his house, and some of them are strange as heck, even perverse. The guy has this cat, Figaro, who he dances with, and that’s fine. But, he talks to the damn cat! He’s a weird guy, but he’s also very old, so I chalk it up to senility. But the cat does wear a nightcap, so maybe he’s more sophisticated than I first thought. Back to topic, Pinocchio and the real world. First off, the fairy just turned him real, she must not have turned his brain on though, because little Pinocchio is as dumb as a box of hammers. And of course, there are always people (and foxes) looking to exploit young labor, and Pinocchio meets just such folks in a pair of conniving con-men. They attempt to sell our little buddy to a big-name marionette show, by tempting him with the “easy road to success”, the acting guild. Situations such as this frequent Pinocchio’s journeys, ultimately calling for him to rescue his creator from the belly of a whale!
After all the pomp and circumstance, Disney Animation finally arrives on DVD. This is the first title, to be followed by others in two week increments, and this is a must-have, a great choice to open up the doorway for Disney and the consumer. This is a classic, and highly considered as one of the best, if not the best animated film of all time. The animation in Pinocchio is excellent, and stands it own, even against today’s computer/hand-drawn hybrids, like Prince Of Egypt and Tarzan. Granted, today’s animation techniques would make this film smoother, more fluid, and certainly more polished, but this version, over fifty years old, is a masterpiece, and still wows me, with it’s attention to even the most minute details. This focus on detail is what makes Pinocchio, as well as the rest of the Disney catalog, so entertaining.
As far as a moral or whatever, I guess you could insert several things into this one. The movie emphasizes the trouble you can get into when you don’t listen to your conscience, and how even the best intentions on your part don’t mean anything if you’re dealing with a bad element. The classic memory of Pinocchio is that when he lies, his nose gets longer, so everyone can see his dishonesty, and that certainly promotes honesty amongst the youngsters at home, and that’s a good thing. So while the movie is funny, and highly enjoyable to watch, you can rest easy knowing your rug-rats are getting a wholesome message as well. Bravery, honesty, and loyalty, these are desired traits to have, and although I don’t think a movie is bad for not promoting them, I do recognize this one for making sure they are shown as admirable qualities.
This movie is damn weird feature though, I’ll tell you that much. Disney must have hired some crackpots to write and animate this one, because sometimes it is unnerving how unusual it is. For the most part, Disney movies have talking/walking animals, but usually all the animals in said movies can walk and talk. In this one, only a handful of them can, which means we have a fox and cat, both as large as people, walking around, while little Figaro just sits on his ass, like a real cat would. Geppetto’s clock-room is a place that always spooked me as a kid, and the clocks are down right weird, just like the old coot that carved them. Jiminy Cricket is also something unusual, as he always seem to be drunk-behind-the-wheel, leaving good old Pinocchio high and dry when he needs him most. Maybe I am just a conspiracy type, easily weirded out by children’s animation, who knows.
While I may not have made much sense in this review, I will make this one. Buy this movie, it is taken off the market on December 27th of this year, and won’t be available for a while after that. The movie is funny, sad, and all things said, it is a masterpiece. If you ever plan on wanting to own this title, pick it up now, this DVD is the best, and in my opinion the only, version of Pinocchio out there.
Disney made us wait, but it was well worth it, as Pinocchio delivers all the magic, and to me, the creepiness, it always had, only this time in beautiful digital video and flawless digital sound.
Video: How does it look?
Let’s not expect miracles, people. This picture turns sixty years old next year, and the print is worn somewhat. But, this transfer, THX approved, is about a million miles ahead of the VHS releases, giving a solid picture throughout. The movie is full frame, but no complaints please, as this was the original theatrical aspect ratio. The colors are vivid, and right on target, and we need great visuals to truly enjoy seeing our hero playing billiards and smoking cigars. There is grain, but given the age of this film, I didn’t expect there not to be. I was not anticipating such a nice picture, and I am happy Disney took such care in making this DVD.
Audio: How does it sound?
Again, the age of the material made me question just how good it would be, but Disney made me happy. The audio in this one is very important, as Pinocchio won Oscars for Best Song (When You Wish Upon A Star) and Best Original Score, so we needed to hear all the good stuff in the highest quality way. Dolby Digital is used, and although effects are seldom, the music is the focal audio element, and this mix lets us sing-along in audial bliss.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Not much here, but come on, it’s Disney, what do you want, actual extras? They do give us the original theatrical trailer, which by all means is a welcome feature. Aside from the THX approved transfer, which I consider kinda an extra, the only extra is full-color artwork on the DVD itself. Oh well, but for the price, you’d think they would squeeze something else out for us, but this is worth it, even as is.
