Friday, August 25, 2017

Pinocchio (1940)


Pinocchio is a Disney animation based upon a novel by Carlo Collodi.  It tells the story of a wooden puppet being brought to life, and his journey to be brave, truthful and unselfish to become a real boy.  Pinocchio has a slow start where we are introduced to the woodcarver Geppetto and his unique quirks, eventually creating the puppet Pinocchio and how he wished for him to become a real boy.  Geppetto's wish is partially granted and Pinocchio comes to life, however he is still a wooden puppet.  Pinocchio must demonstrate certain qualities before he becomes actual flesh and blood.  We see how naive and easily swayed Pinocchio is, as he is influenced by various dubious characters.  These lead to one event after another, from be trapped in a cage to partially transformed into a donkey.  Throughout it all, he is accompanied by the talking cricket Jiminy who acts as his conscience.  Various songs are sung, including some instant classics such as "When You Wish upon a Star" and "I've Got No Strings".  The animation is pretty with a lot of details in the scenery at times.  While the pacing is slower than contemporary films, Pinocchio still retains its charms thanks to its characters.

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