138. Pinocchio (1940)

Running Time: 88 minutes
Directed By: Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen
Written By: Aurelius Battaglia, from novel by Carlo Collodi
Main Cast: (voices): Dickie Jones, Cliff Edwards, Christian Rub, Walter Catlett, Evelyn Venable


"I'M NOT A PUPPET...I'M A REAL BOY"

Moving right along in the "1001" book, we come to our third animated feature and in the same, our third movie produced by the empire that is Disney. I'll have to say that although I've been less than impressed by the previous two animated flicks, this one really surprised me and was a whole lot of fun.

Geppetto is a woodworker, who can make almost anything out of a few pieces of wood, including a bevy of clocks, resulting in one of my favorite moments when all of the clocks strike the top of the hour at the same time. However, when Jiminy Cricket wonders into Geppetto's workshop to get warm, he's just putting the final touches on a marionette, which Geppetto affectionately names, Pinocchio. Before going to sleep that night Geppetto makes a wish upon a falling star and wishes for Pinocchio to be a real boy. In the middle of the night, as Geppetto sleeps, the Blue Fairy comes down into his workshop and waves her wand over the head of Pinocchio, bringing him to life. She tells him that in order for him to be a real boy he'll have to prove himself to be brave, truthful and unselfish. She dubs Jiminy Cricket his conscience and leaves them. Geppetto is awakened by Pinocchio in the middle of the night, and after being startled at first, Geppetto is overjoyed to realize that Pinocchio is real.

The following day on his way to school, Pinocchio encounters a sly fox by the name of Honest John. With Jiminy Cricket running late as his first day is Pinocchio's conscience, Pinocchio falls under the slick words of John, as John entices him to come with him so that he can sell him to a puppeteer named Stromboli, putting ideas of fame and fortune into Pinocchio's head. However, Pinocchio is a big success on the stages of Stromboli's puppeteer show and ends up in a carriage to go on with Stromboli to perform all over the world. Stromboli, however, turns out to be a mean and evil man and locks Pinocchio in a cage, mistreating and abusing him. Jiminy Cricket, with a bit of help from the Blue Fairy save the day, however, and Pinocchio is set free, after he learns the consequences of telling a lie. After escaping Stromboli, Jiminy tries his best to keep Pinocchio in line, but alas, Pinocchio once again falls under the slick and sly words of Honest John, who has made a deal with The Coachman, to capture bad little boys and send them off to Pleasure Island so that they can be turned into donkeys. Honest John convinces Pinocchio to go to Pleasure Island and again Pinocchio is led astray and it's up to Jiminy Cricket to save the day...again.

I think there are a few elements that makes this Disney movie the best one I've watched so far. For starters, I loved all of the great villains. We start out getting introduced to Honest John and his companion, Gideon. Following them we get the slobbish Stromboli, followed by equally slobbish Coachman and finally at the bottom of the sea, we find Monstro the whale. On top of all the heels, we get the irresistible Jiminy Cricket, the lonely, yet lovable Geppetto and his companions Figaro the cat and Cleo the goldfish. The other thing I loved about Pinocchio is the fact that there was always trouble and it was all packed into an hour and a half. First you have the case of Pinocchio going away with Stromboli, then Pinocchio getting whisked off to Pleasure Island, then finally Pinocchio has to save Geppetto from the belly on Monstro. There was so much action and entertainment to keep you busy, the hour and a half just whip by and before you know it, you're a twenty-five year old man who just enjoyed a kids movie. I had a ton of fun with Pinocchio, in fact about ten times more fun than I expected to have. I think the reason that I'm sometimes so hard on Disney movies is because they're so commercial and so ordinary, that I'd much rather watch a foreign animated film, as those are usually down to earth and really a lot more enjoyable. "Pinocchio" reminded me of a foreign animated film, and made me forget that it was produced by the Disney empire.

RATING: 7.5/10 If you're looking for a really great animated flick then search no further than the puppet, who wanted nothing more than to become a real boy...Pinocchio

NEXT UP: The Mortal Storm...As I write this, I currently cannot find The Mortal Storm, which is a major bummer because its Jimmy Stewart.

July 4, 2010 12:00pm
Happy 4th of July!