Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night

This film will go down as one of my all-time favorites. Filmation wasn't known for phenomenal animation, but after watching the Masters of the Universe series again, I wasn't expecting too much from them on THIS one- I was COMPLETELY blown away! The animation is PHENOMENAL, coming from Filmation. The Emperor looks awesome, and the music scores are EXCELLENT. In my opinion, this film never received the marketing blitz it truly deserved. Personally, I like THIS film better than DISNEY'S Pinocchio, and this film is actually not a continuation of the DISNEY film, but of the Adventures of Pinocchio animated series. Every time I see this film, I love it even more. A real winner in my book! :)

Yeah, I am one of those people who are more familiar with Disney's version of the tale of wooden puppet brought to life, but I had to see this after hearing about it for a long time. Basically Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night is a movie made by Filmation (the same company that made some low budget cartoons for TV, most notably, Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids and the original He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe cartoon and its sister series, She-Ra: Princess of Power, among others), and it has gotten a cult following over the years since its theatrical release was not so well recieved.

Basically, the story is set one year after Pinocchio becomes a real boy, and he gets in trouble with his father after trading a jeweled music box that was a gift to the mayor for a fake ruby from con artists Scallywag and Igor, a raccoon and monkey duo serving as the film's version of Honest John and Gideon. The kid runs away, and what results is an adventure where he goes to try to get the music box back.

Yeah, this film has a lot of similarities to the Disney original. So much, that Disney actually tried and sued Filmation, but failed because the original story was out of copright. Other than Scallywag and Igor, we have Gee Willickers, a wooden glow bug brought to life to serve as a replacement for Jiminy Cricket, and Puppetino, a puppetmaster working at the carnival, actually recognizes Pinocchio from a show he saw, which could tie in to him being the film's version of Stromboli, the puppet master of the Disney film. Other than that, the film actually introduces new characters, like Twinkle, a female puppet who serves as Pinocchio's love interest, Liutenant Grumblebee, a bumbebee, and The Emperor Of The Night, the main antagonist (who looks like Filmation redid some animation cels of Prime Evil from their Ghostbusters cartoon). Also, the voice cast has some notable actors, like James Earl Jones as the Emperor of the Night, Don Knotts as Gee Willickers, Johnathan Harris as Grumblebee, and even Frank Welker, a man who has done a lot of characters in animation, as Igor.

As for the story, it is okay. Supposedly set after happily ever after, I believe this has no connection to the Disney film at all, despite certain characters being replacements of characters from the Disney films. There are some scary moments in this film (like the scene where Puppetino captures Pinocchio as he's turning back into a puppet due to taking his freedom for granted, with the creepy puppets and disturbing music played), but I think it's only scary if you're not an older person as I am (it never scared me, yet I could still never brave the scene of Lampwick turning into a donkey in the Disney film). The film has its fair share of high points and low points, but it has Pinocchio learn lessons about freedom and responsibility. It's an okay movie, but may not be suitable for younger viewers due to the use of scary imagery that may or may not give them nightmares.

I watched this movie when I was little (can't remember exactly how old I was), and I just recently got hold of a copy and thought I'd watch it again (brings back memories, ya know).

It's supposed to be a sequel to Disney's Pinocchio. The characters are similar to the ones in the Disney movie - all except for the Emperor of the Night (I don't know where they got him from). He seemed a little bit too much to throw into this story (and he might be a little too scary for the really young ones). I mean, what kind of demonic overlord would want anything to do with an has-been puppet? (The story tries to explain this, but doesn't do a very good job.) Anyway, the kids will probably enjoy it, so rent it for them if you get the chance (if there's nothing better to get, that is).

Don't be put off by those who would label this little gem a Disney ripoff. In a time when very few animated features were being produced, Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night is a surprisingly nice little animated film. From the opening moments, you can see that this was intended to be something special. There is some great animation, such as the ending on the Emperor of the Night's ship. There are some dark, genuinely frightening moments such as James Earl Jones as the titular Emperor and his macabre carnival, or a scene which has Pinocchio transformed back into a lifeless puppet. There are comical moments with Gee Willikers the wooden glowbug and Grumblebee. There are also bizarre, surreal scenes, notably a sequence where Pinocchio is tempted in a dream-like land by the Emperor and his minions. The song in this scene, "The Neon Cabaret", is jazzy and upbeat, and it enhances strange mood. Don Knotts, James Earl Jones, Ed Asner, and Jonathan Harris all give wonderful voice performances to their respective characters. Rickie Lee Jones as the Fairy Godmother tends to grate though.

The overall impression is that of a very ambitious production. The film moves along at a good pace and boils to a great climactic finish. Definitely worth a look!

I grew up watching the Disney film, and also love the book by Carlo Collodi. This is a wonderful underrated gem from 1987, that is a lot of fun. If I had to decide which is better, Disney's "Pinocchio" or "Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night", the Disney film but only marginally.

For one thing, the animation is very impressive. The backgrounds are surprisingly detailed and the character movements are convincing. The animation on the Emperor of the Night is absolutely brilliant. Also, the songs are fun and memorable. "Love is the Light Inside Your Heart" is not only haunting but a genuine tearjerker. "Neon Cabaret", while more a background song is also great, while "You're a Star" is wonderfully upbeat.

Other advantages are an engaging, dark and heartwarming story that keeps to the spirit of the book, a strong script and good characters, including the hilarious Igor and Puppetino(the part when he turns Pinocchio into a puppet was quite frightening). Pinocchio is engaging enough, and the Emperor of the Night while very intense is a great villain. Oh and the Good Fairy is gorgeous.

The voice acting is top notch, you don't hear much of James Earl Jones but once again he does an awesome job as the voice of the Emperor of the Night. Tom Bosley is surprisingly good as Geopetto, while William Windom is unrecognisable as Puppetino. Also Frank Welker deserves credit for his hysterical performance as Igor. In conclusion, this is wonderful and something quite special. 10/10 Bethany Cox