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.
One of Disney’s true classics have arrived in high definition, in a deluxe three disc offering, no less. 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. The moral values, the beautiful animation, and the timeless story make this movie one that will stand forever. I know the term is used loosely these days, but Disney’s Pinocchio is a genuine classic and this treatment does it justice. If you’re even a casual fan of movies in general, this high definition release of Pinocchio is one that is a must own release.
Video: How does it look?
Pinocchio is presented in full frame, as intended. As I watched this, I was amazed and the costs of all of my high definition upgrades were instantly justified. This is simply incredible, The digital restoration has cleaned up the visuals, but not softened them, so all of the animation’s detail remains intact. I never noticed how much subtle detail was present, but it all pops up here and it was a pleasure to pick up on all the little touches. The colors are gorgeous, with minimal fading to mention, while blacks are inky and deep, with no errors. I knew Disney would shine up this jewel, but I never expected it would, or could, looks this great. Kudos to Disney on a visual presentation that is a pure delight to watch.
Audio: How does it sound?
A DTS HD 7.1 option is present, but it does seem like overkill at times. The material simply doesn’t demand much surround use and so this remains a rather thin soundtrack. This new remix sounds good, mind you, but it doesn’t do much to enhance the overall experience. The original mono soundtrack is here also and in truth, offers a more enjoyable, familiar experience. But either way, the audio is well handled on this release. This disc also includes English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary has Leonard Maltin, JB Kaufman, and Eric Goldberg on deck, for what it is an affectionate and informative session. Cine-Explore offers video clips from the commentary session, as well as interviews with animators, to offer some insights. No Strings Attached is an excellent almost hour long documentary, which has to be seen, if you’re a fan. This has such depth about the behind the scenes of Pinocchio, you’ll feel like you were involved yourself. Just a well crafted, entertaining and informative piece. As this is a full frame movie, bars will appear on the side of widescreen sets. In an effort to remove some of the distraction, Disney offers some new artwork in those pillars. The artwork is well crafted and is indeed less of a distraction, but this mode is optional, which is nice. This release also includes some deleted scenes, music videos, interactive games, an alternate end sequence, and a couple of brief featurettes. In addition to all of those supplements, this release includes a third disc with a DVD edition of Pinocchio.
