Pinocchio-Evan Vs. Disney #2

"The movie where the main character has only slightly more personality than when he was a lifeless puppet."

Movie Title-Pinocchio

Release Date-February 7th 1940 (at the Center Theatre)

February 23rd 1940 (general release)

Walt's Role during production-Producer

Budget-$2,289,247

Box Office-$84.2 million 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a massive success. It single handedly changed the face of not only animation but film in general. 

So how was Walt going to follow that up?

With Pinocchio of course. How exactly did this film come into being though. Well let's get into History Time.

In the September of 1937, during production of Snow White, Norman Ferguson brought in a

translated version of The Adventures of Pinocchio to Walt. It was a 1883 children's novel published in Italy and written by Carlo Collodi. The book got Walt really excited. In fact according to Norman he was "busting his guts with excitement." And thus a movie was made. It was originally going to be 3rd in the canon following Bambi, but there was trouble with animating Bambi and adapting the story, so it was pushed back to the 5th film in the canon while Pinocchio was pushed up to the 2nd.

So with an expanded studio (it was expanded as they apparently needed more people to help out with Snow White) Walt Disney and his crew got their second film out.

Now I'm gonna be honest with you, this is one of the few movies in the canon I've never seen. I know you can kill me later. It's just never a movie I felt the need to watch. Yeah there are a few other classic movies in the canon I have not seen, and the ones I have seen I haven't seen in years. (Like Snow White). If I'm to be honest with you most of the movies I've seen from the canon are from the Disney Renaissance age and afterwards. Most of the ones I haven't seen are from before the renaissance age. Currently though we're in the Classic Animated Films Era which is the first 5 films in the canon. There's only one other I haven't seen from this era. Guess which one.  But this is the main reason I thought this would be a fun little project to do. I honestly haven't seen a lot of the films from before the renaissance age, which if you ask me is a darn shame.

But let's get into the movie and see if I've been missing out.

So before we begin I'm going to start out by saying I liked it. I liked it a lot. However......I have some problems. Guess we should begin with the story.

So it begins with a cricket named Jimminy Cricket. He tells us that he didn't believe in magic until one day and begins to tell us the story of Pinocchio. It turns out he was just a poor cricket looking for some place to keep warm and found the clock makers shop. He sees a puppet named Pinocchio there as well as the clock maker wishing that Pinocchio could be a real boy.

We also meet his cat and his fish who have some pretty fun moments in the movie.

I don't think that's something I brought up in the Snow White review but I love the animals in these movies so far. Their fricking hilarious. That night a magical fairy comes to grant the clock maker his wish. Pinocchio though is not fully a real boy as he has to prove himself brave, and trustworthy.

Jimminy Cricket also becomes his conscience. Telling him what's right and wrong.

To me this movie has 5 parts.

Part 1-The introduction (everything at the beginning)

Part 2-The part where Pinocchio tries to become an actor.

Part 3-The Pleasure Island Scene (which is scary as all heck)

Part 4-The scene where he tries to save his creator from a whale.

And Part 5-Everything afterwards (A.K.A. the ending.)

So I think the best way to talk about my issues with the movie and the things I loved about the movie is to go over each part individually.

So let's start with the obvious starting place Part 1.

Not much to say here though I guess now's a good time to talk about the characters.

Pinocchio himself is honestly the most boring character in this movie. Then again you don't really expect someone who literally just came into this world to have a whole lot of personality. He's likeable enough though I didn't have a connection to him. Which became quite evident when Pinocchio was thought to be dead in a later scene. The scene is very similar to the scene in Snow White where Snow White was thought to be dead. Just like this movie we knew Snow White wasn't dead. It was just seeing the emotions from all the other characters that made it sad. It worked as I felt a big connection with the characters in that movie, and their relationships with one another. Here though when Pinocchio was thought to be dead I didn't feel a thing, because I didn't have as strong of a connection to Pinocchio nor his relationship with the other characters. He's an OK protagonist and I love the whole idea of him having to learn about morality and what's right and wrong. It's a very complicated issue and they treat is as such. I mean sometimes what seems right could be wrong, or the choice that seems wrong could be right. It's all very complicated. And like I said they treat the issue as such. They do make it clear though that there are traits that well always be good. Things like trustworthiness and courage. So I do like that aspect of his character and that kept him from being a boring, bland protagonist. I also kinda like that he's a happy-go-lucky type character. But mostly there just isn't a whole lot to him. But he's not a bad protagonist, just kinda bland.

Jiminy Cricket on the other hand is amazing. I love him. He's a fun character to watch. The way he just interacts with the world is just fun. He's also a nice guy and has a bit of perverted side, which I kinda like. They don't go too overboard with the perverted side in this movie unlike, say, almost every anime in existence. 

The side characters like the clock maker, named Geppetto, and the animals as I've mentioned previously are also enjoyable characters that I had a lot of fun watching. They have some really funny and good moments. (Especially the clock maker who's so playful and fun you can't help but love him). Speaking of which one thing I did mention about Snow White is how cartoony it is compared to most other entries in the canon. Kinda like it was a Silly Symphonies short. The movies began growing out of it though and I think it was around here that they did. It's still pretty cartoony like an old theatrical short but it's starting to get less cartoony and more like how the modern Disney films are.

So yeah I love the premise of Pinocchio trying to learn about morality and the message about morality it gives. It's a very complicated thing, but you just gotta listen to what you feel is right. It won't always be the right choice but you at least tried to do what you thought was right. As long as you learn from your mistakes you'll get better. 

And the characters overall are pretty good. Pinocchio's kinda bland but overall still a good cast.

So what are my problems with the film? Well as we talk about the other parts I'll get into those.

Part 2

So Pinocchio is now a real boy (well....kinda) and is going to school. So Mr. Geppetto sends him to school. Without enrolling him, or giving him any directions for how to get there, but whatever minor nitpick.

Pinocchio meets up with two strangers and Jiminy is not there to stop him. This is my first problem. It always seems that Jiminy is never there when Pinocchio needs him. He's always conveniently gone. If it happened once then OK that'd be fine, but it happened multiple times and got annoying and repetitive fast. So these two strangers are in awe over how he's a puppet with no strings attached and tell him he could be an actor. Pinocchio of course goes with it. Jiminy Cricket sees he's a success with the audience and decides Pinocchio doesn't need him anymore. Even though actors still need to know the difference between right and wrong.

Anyway Pinocchio gets locked up and Jiminy tries to help. He fails.

Luckily the fairy comes promising another chance. By the way I would love to see more of this fairy character.

Part 3

The way Jiminy Cricket gets separated by Pinocchio this time is by trying to race him home. Pinocchio though runs into the 2 guys from earlier who wanna take him to pleasure island.

Of course Jiminy is not there to stop him. He's real great at this whole conscience thing isn't he. But I guess I shouldn't be that mad at Jiminy as I just realized Pinocchio never listens to him anyway. He flat out ignores him in the last part when Jiminy told him he shouldn't try and be an actor and go to school instead. And he doesn't listen here either. Again, gets annoying. I do know what they were going for though. Trying to get across that if you don't listen to your conscience you well end up in trouble. Good lesson, but I wish they didn't do it in such an annoying way. But hey Pinocchio learns his lesson at least. Furthermore Pinocchio should still be smart enough to not trust the guys who already duped him one time. 

By the way this part is completely messed up and is probably one of the most mature scenes in a Disney animated film. It would definitely never slide today. It's a whole island where kids have no rules. So they smoke and drink and Pinocchio even gets high. Also Jiminy Cricket calls Pinocchio "A Jackass" not the donkey, like the actual insult.

And then they literally turn into Jackasses. Ha ha ha get it. They acted like jackasses so now their being turned into them. Real clever guys.

It's a legitimately terrifying scene though. The way they show the kids turning into donkeys and how it's very obvious that the kids are suffering is just......nightmare inducing. Also seeing how the owner of the island treats them is also pretty scary.

But I love it. I love this scene. It's probably my favorite part of the movie. I just love how this scene makes me feel and I love the intensity of the atmosphere. It's amazing.

And can you believe there are still people out there that say animation and Disney are just kiddie things. They've clearly never seen this part of the movie.

By the way somehow this movie is still at a G rating even with this scene. I don't get it. Things like Frozen are rated PG but yet more appropriate than this. Maybe it's because it's a scene showing that alcohol and drugs are bad and that you shouldn't succumb to peer pressure and listen to your conscience but even then the scene is still terrifying as crap. But whatever it's not really enough to scar a kid for life or anything I guess. But that ends that venture. Hopefully Pinocchio learned his lesson.

So anyway Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket leave the island. They get to the clock makers house leading us into.....

Part 4

My least favorite part.

So Jiminy and Pinocchio get home and find out that Geppetto.....*sigh*....got ate by a whale.

Let me repeat that he got ate by a whale.

That's.....that's just really dumb and laughable.

So last we saw the clock maker he was looking for Pinocchio when he ran off to be an actor. It was actually kinda sad seeing him trying to find this person he loved like a son. And seeing how happy he was when Pinocchio was actually moving and talking for the first time it really cemented the fact that he cared for Pinocchio and seeing him so desperately try to find his creation is, to say the least, a bit of a tear jerker.

So how did he end up getting eaten by a whale? I guess either he thought he'd find Pinocchio on the ocean or just decided to give up and take a vacation.

I guess my main problem isn't that he got ate by a whale it's that it just seems so out of place and silly in this movie. I just can't take it seriously. I know it's a movie about a puppet coming to life and has a talking cricket as a conscience and a walking fox but this seems so silly for a movie that's dealt with serious themes of morality and especially since it comes directly after the Pleasure Island scene which was dark as heck. I can't help but feel it's slightly silly. But hey maybe that's what they were going for. A bit of silliness to counter the darkness of the last scene. A breather scene I guess. It just seems a bit out of place but hey it's a minor nitpick as long as its still enjoyable to watch I guess it's all good.

Oh and somehow when Jiminy and Pinocchio go underwater they don't need any air and can just talk perfectly fine under there.

Anyway they find the whale and Geppetto and we get a very happy scene with their reunion. You can't help but smile at least a little. (Mostly because of how happy the clock maker is).

Also for some reason he brought his cat and fish with him on his boat trip. I....why....why did you feel the need to bring your pets. OK whatever, do what you want.

So yeah Pinocchio rescues them.

Part 5

Pinocchio is dead, but we all know that by some lucky miracle he's gonna come back to life. And it does happen.

I guess that whale incident was all the proof that the fairy needed to see that Pinocchio was a brave trustworthy person and is turned fully human.
This last part is a little sad. As I said I don't really feel anything for Pinocchio, but I do still feel a little bad for Geppetto. I think it would've been more emotional if we got to see Pinocchio and Geppetto's relationship develop a little more. It also does end on a note that makes you feel really happy and satisfied, so overall good ending.

So that's Pinocchio a good but flawed movie. I love how it deals with the topic of morality and what's right and wrong and it does have an overall good cast. I also love the relationships between the characters (especially the clock maker and Pinocchio as well as the one he shares with his pets). They just could've been developed better. 

And the story overall is still excellently executed and well done. It had some funny moments and moments that were very dark. But it does have a few minor annoyances (but to be honest some of them are just nitpicks but still there are legitimate criticisms I have with the film) and Pinocchio himself is kinda bland so when scenes like the part where he is thought dead come up I don't feel much at all. I feel a little bad for the clock maker but other than that not much else.

So overall a well done movie with some short comings. Honestly without those shortcomings and if they gave Pinocchio more of a personality than I probably would've loved it more than Snow White. But Snow White in my opinion had better characters and despite the queen's evil plan still had an overall good plot with fewer shortcomings.

The music and animation here also isn't as memorable or good but I still think it's pretty good in both departments.

So overall 8.5/10

Thank you guys for reading and I'll see you next time. Bye. 

Disney Movies From Best to Worst (So Far)

1-Snow White (9/10)

2-Pinocchio (8.5/10)

Disney Princesses from best to worst (so far)

1-Snow White

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