Pinocchio

Pinocchio is a true classic in the world of movies. Pinocchio is based on the Italian story about the puppet who became a real boy. Pinocchio is one of Disney`s finest and it beats all the new ultracommercial cartoons, which the company produces nowadays. The story is good, the characters are very likable and warmhearted, and the music is sheer perfection. These old Disney classics are cartoons that are suitable for the WHOLE family, not just the small kids. Watch it, and prepare to be stunned! 9/10

For it's second full length animated feature, Walt Disney Studios picked the Carlo Collodi children's classic Pinocchio. The wooden puppet boy who turns into flesh and blood because of a heroic deed has been done a few times on screen, but the Disney version remains the standard.

In some of the animated features of recent years we've come full circle in the fact that a lot of well known Hollywood figures have sought to lend their voices to animated productions. Coming to mind immediately are Mel Gibson as Captain John Smith and Eddie Murphy as the donkey in the Shrek movies. It wasn't as chic a thing to do back in Disney's day, still Walt came up with several good ones like young Dickie Jones as Pinocchio, Walter Catlett as J. Worthington Foulfellow, Frankie Darro as Lampwick, and most important Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket.

These folks lend their voices to one of Disney's best musical scores with Catlett making immortal the thespians ballad An Actor's Life For Me, Jones celebrating the fact he's been liberated from all manner of restraint with I've Got No Strings and Cliff Edwards talking about his new responsibilities as the puppet boy's conscience in Give A Little Whistle.

Most important though is the Academy Award given to that most plaintive song of yearning When You Wish Upon A Star as introduced by Cliff Edwards. Edwards was a major performer in the Twenties and early Thirties with his ukulele Ike character and introduced many popular songs like It's Only A Paper Moon and Singing In The Rain. But he had come up on hard times with a lot of substance abuse problems when Walt Disney offered him the part of Jiminy Cricket's voice. The movie Pinocchio and the songs he sang there resurrected his career and even when down and out, Edwards could always get work at the Disney Studio because of Jiminy Cricket's enduring popularity.

Animation never really dates and the best animation in the world was pioneered at Disney Studio. People can see Pinocchio on the same bill as Shrek even today and I daresay the audience would be equally responsive.

And you can appreciate Pinocchio today as much as your grandparents and great grandparents did through the magic of YouTube or Amazon. If not wish upon a star and fate will step in and see you through.

This is absolutely, without a doubt one of the best movies ever made. Keep in mind, this movie is only the second feature length animated movie. This is Walt Disney's masterpiece. It's filled with vibrancy and charm. It goes to dark places, and takes so many risks. For me though, every single one of them pay off. Pinocchio is so gullible and charming, and Jiminy Cricket is one of the best mentor characters ever put to film. I love this movie, because I actually care about these characters. They're written in a way that is unbelievably amazing, the script is phenomenal, and the incredible performances, help too. The musical numbers are fun and beautiful. This movie can shift emotions so easily, it goes from heartwarming, to heartbreaking. I remember as a young kid, I really didn't like this movie. It wasn't until I was age thirteen, that I recognized how beautiful this movie was. Everything about this movie is outstanding. If I were to recommend only five films, this would be one of them. Sheer cinematic bliss.

When I - and I assume, most people - think of Pinocchio, we think of his nose growing longer when he tells a lie. Yet, that is only one scene in this movie - the first one ever done on this famous fictional character, I believe.

This is strictly a fantasy-adventure story, not a parable or a full story about lying, although that obviously is one of the messages. There are several moral messages in here, so it's a worthwhile story for kids to see.

Sometimes I think these totally-innocent first few Disney efforts (Bambi, Fantasia) are still better than all the stuff they have put out since.

The colorful scenes are another attraction. particularly in the beginning in the old man's house with all the fancy clocks and toys. That part is better than much of the adventure story, as it turns out. The story lags a bit in the middle and then picks up with a rousing finish with a big whale.

Overall, I enjoyed "Jiminy Cricket" the best and also appreciated that they didn't overdo the songs in here: short and sweet, and not that many. They don't make 'em (normally) like they used to!!

It certainly is interesting reading other viewers comments. I can't imagine anyone being "bored" with this film. But then, I don't even go to movies anymore, because I find those made today to be either horrific and traumatizing, or brain-numbingly stoopid and poorly made. Pinocchio, on the other hand, is the ultimate in everything that is "movie" : camera-work, special effects, background music, musical numbers, characterization, story development with narrative sweep, high-drama and low-comedy (but never Lockerroom-low), color, motion, editing, use of sound, artwork, audience manipulation... and in the end, life-affirming! I cannot possibly recommend this movie too highly. In my opinion, considering cinematic effectiveness, Pinocchio rates way up with Citizen Kane, Sherlock Jr., and Battleship Potemkin.