Pinocchio: Review By Diaigma

Feb 3rd, 2011 by Diaigma
Arguably the swellest feature that Walt Disney ever produced in his lifetime, Pinocchio delves a story of morality, with a clear conscience, that wishing upon a star is partial to what one must soitenly do to make their dreams come true
  • OVERALL
    5.0
    SUPERB
  • Story
  • Acting
  • Directing
  • Visuals
"A boy who won't be good might just as well be made of wood" - The Blue Fairy

Following in the success of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarves came the release of Pinocchio three years later (1940), and Jiminy Crickets! - did it ever have a lasting impact on the film industry, establishing Disney's superiority as The Big Cheese in animated features for decades to come. While intended as the third feature after Bambi, they pushed Pinocchio up due to setbacks, which aided the studio's animators with keen breakthroughs in creating spiffy effects animation and setting the foundation for this lasting empire with an opening song that lives on in every Walt Disney Pictures' production promo to this day. Arguably the swellest feature that Walt Disney ever produced in his lifetime, Pinocchio delves a story of morality, with a clear conscience, that wishing upon a star is partial to what one must soitenly do to make their dreams come true.

Looking for a warm place to spend the night, a hobo-ish insect (by name of Jiminy Cricket) enters the workshop of a lonely woodcarver. That night, Geppetto paints the final touches on a wooden puppet and prays to a star, hoping that his creation will turn into a real boy. Scoffing, Jiminy drifts to sleep, until a mysterious light wakes him up. Mistaken for a dame at first, he realizes that she is The Blue Fairy, who gives the gift of life to a puppet made of pine. Pinocchio springs to life as a curious, energetic and ignorant young chap, only he is still made of wood. To become real, he must prove himself brave, truthful, and unselfish. Jiminy lands himself in a fix as Pinocchio's conscience (though given a swanky set of clothes), but with temptations abound and hoodlums lurking about to exploit him, will Pinocchio ever become a real boy?

The Cat's Meow of Pinocchio's visual merits rests in its effects animation (elements that are not the characters or backgrounds). Examples would be smoke, fog, lighting, shadows and so forth, calling upon layers and layers of cells required for every captured frame, more than doubling the effects used for Snow White. The film also explored underwater effects for the first time in animation and features one of the most glorious of hand-drawn sunsets, with red and orange rays glissading over the gentle waves of the Mediterranean. Pinocchio also has the power to scare the socks off audiences and deviant boy's feet with its transformation scene at Pleasure Island. There's always an element of fun in life, but sooner or later, you're gonna have to pay for it.

What makes this story so enduring? It's about life. It's about family. It's about choice. It's about consequence. It serves as a guide for all ages about right and wrong (that there is such a thing) and how to go about making your own personal (correct) choices. Last of all, it asks the ultimate and pertinent question - which consequences will bring about lasting happiness? But more than that, Pinocchio is about accomplishing a goal, that sitting and hoping for your dreams to come true will not happen unless you get up and do something about it - a powerful message indeed for audiences of a decade long depression and an ever present recession.

Not everyone is fortunate to have a chirpy little thespian as our guide, but even if we had one, would we stray from the path or stick to the straight and narrow? In an effort to accomplish our dreams or live a full life, we are still pervious to mistakes. We are prone to them, but don't let that flip your lid or let its Italian mafia slang run you down. It's up to us to decide whether we'll learn from our mistakes and be all the better when push comes to shove. These are crucial lessons for all, especially young boys, to which this film caters to most.

Pinocchio was the recipient of two academy awards for Best original Score and Best Original Song in 1940, and so deserving, but there is far more to enjoy here than puttin' on the ritz. This film contains many unforgettable characters, a variety of movements and diverse environments, which all culminates to a timeless classic that is bound to inspire viewers for another 70 years.

If your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme.

(By Movieweb's Diaigma: resemblance to other reviews is purely coincidental)

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Comments (44)

  1. The MovieWeb Team

    No problem @diaigma. ;)

    1 year agoby @moviewebFlag

  2. Diaigma

    @movieweb - thank you for adding a poster to this film. Now it is complete! :)

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  3. Diaigma

    @Zak-F - that's fine, and thank you. It's hard for the old stuff to compete with the new stuff. Kids today :P

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  4. Bane. Ferguson

    @diaigma great review, but im not a very big fan of old Disney features, sorry :(

    1 year agoby @Zak-FFlag

  5. Diaigma

    @dan1 - shh!

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  6. Dan

    @diaigma is an old timer :P (even though I'm only 3 years younger then him).

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  7. slysnide

    @diaigma: I keep forgetting the age range on this site. We all sound around the same age. :P

    1 year agoby @slysnideFlag

  8. Diaigma

    @slysnide - yeah. My boy. You know I'm a parent, right? :P

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  9. slysnide

    your boy?

    1 year agoby @slysnideFlag

  10. Diaigma

    Thanks, @Sly - I showed it to my boy the other day after writing this review, and man . . . he could watch Ghostbusters just fine, but he got freaked out with the donkey scenes. Now he's afraid of turning into one if he misbehaves. Good for me :P

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  11. slysnide

    The scene where all the donkey boys are being crated away was on youtube slated as "the scariest movie scene of all time" or something to that extent. For Disney, I'd agree. Great one @D! Always nice to catch a review of the classics every once in a while.

    1 year agoby @slysnideFlag

  12. Diaigma

    Thank you, @BabyH - I watched it again too. It choked me up.

    @Cartman - like always, thank you for reading, sir :)

    @Screeny - and there is more to come, and you guessed it, more that you've probably never heard of. Thanks! :D

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  13. SCREENWRITER

    You've been on the ball with your reviews latley, man. Great review, dude. A classic this is!!

    1 year agoby @the-screenwriterFlag

  14. Cartman

    This is the 2nd review that I am reading and both are excellent. You ppl know how to write.
    First, when I saw "review of Pinocchio" I was not interested in leaving a comment when I dont remember anything from the movie, I saw it when I was a kid". So I downloaded this movie watched it and enjoyed every sec of it.
    Read your review word by word and you have said it all!!!!
    When it comes to 2D animation - der is nothing like Disney!!! They know to make the viewers smile and cry!! Showing the empathy for an animated character is not an easy task that any studio can accomplish. I actually felt what Pinocchio's going thro'

    Excellent Review like always.

    1 year agoby @c-a-r-t-m-a-nFlag

  15. thedude-abides

    I haven't seen this in like 20 years, but you got me wanting to watch it again. Great review. Loved the opening quote :)

    1 year agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  16. Diaigma

    @ejk1 - that made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that :P

    @Narrator - I'm glad to produce something worth reading. You clearly put my incoherence fears to rest. I'll keep at it, sir :)

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  17. ejk1

    Excellent review, Diaigma. Clearly when it came to writing this, you had no strings holding your creativity down.

    1 year agoby @ejk1Flag

  18. The Narrator: The Better Man

    Great review Diaigma. I know this is your favorite animated film ever (or tied for it, I think), and I am surprised your review was so short. But as @geek pointed out, you said exactly what you needed to, touching upon the untouched stuff, both visually and morally. Therefore size does not matter. :)

    I appreciate that, and I really enjoyed the review. It flew by fast, it was wordy (as others stated) but made sense, it touched on things the regular viewer might not notice unless he/she had been a somewhat animated buff, and you built upon the lesson in the film, making it even more relevant. I definitely loved the review, which is why you are the guy for me to read on MW.

    1 year agoby @narratorFlag

  19. Worth5Bucks

    @D dont you dare quit those cornball jokes! :P

    1 year agoby @mattbierwagenFlag

  20. Diaigma

    Hmm. Would work well there.
    I was thinking Mel Brooks's Men in Tights :P

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  21. moviegeek

    I use it for the Adam Sandler family comedies. hehe.

    1 year agoby @moviegeekFlag

  22. Daveactor7

    @Diaigma lol yes that was one of them

    1 year agoby @daveactor7Flag

  23. Diaigma

    You tear up with almost anything, @Dave :P

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  24. Diaigma

    Sweet, @Dave - glissade is one of my favorite words . . . just came to me while writing this. Felt appropriate. Was that one of them? :)

    @bucks - that's quite the compliment, sir! Thank you.
    Maybe I should quit the cornball jokes and act more scholarly.
    . . .
    NAH! :D

    @geek - I think I know just the right movie to use that word for in a review. Thanks again, Capt'n! :)

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  25. Daveactor7

    Call me a softie, but I always tear when Jimmy Cricket sings "when I wish upon a star"

    1 year agoby @daveactor7Flag

  26. Worth5Bucks

    @Moviegeek you beat me to it with your comment two comments ago lol

    1 year agoby @mattbierwagenFlag

  27. moviegeek

    @Diaigma One of my favorite words is smarmy :)

    1 year agoby @moviegeekFlag

  28. Worth5Bucks

    @D Perhaps what they convey is that although it may be slightly compressed in length it maintains a very intelligent and scholarly feel. :P

    1 year agoby @mattbierwagenFlag

  29. Daveactor7

    lol since im in college I actually looked up words in your review @Diaigma. Yes, your reviews are that important :)

    1 year agoby @daveactor7Flag

  30. Diaigma

    Ah! Okay. I'm catching what you're pitching now :P

    It's when I have problems with a film that I break it down like I usually do. If I think it's worthy of 5, it's flawless to me. Not much to do but praise it! That's why my 5 star reviews differ from my other ones. Thanks for clearing that up, man ;)

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag