Pinocchio [1940] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Amazon.co.uk Review

This legendary animated feature is surely beyond criticism by now and, furthermore, it's unlikely that we'll see such forceful narrative in a kids' cartoon ever again. Disney's treatment of Collodi's story of the little wooden puppet who wants nothing more than to be a real boy is always guaranteed to have audiences entranced. While some of the movie's success is derived from its liberal use of the kind of imagery no children's film-maker would even attempt to get past the storyboard stage today--a mysterious island where children smoke cigars, get drunk and turn into donkeys, a monstrous, malicious sea-creature which is devoid of any trace of cuddliness and a pair of villains who routinely abduct children, to give just a few examples--the characters are depicted with the finest attention to detail, most of the songs have become classics in their own right ("When You Wish Upon a Star" being only one of many) and the graceful, stylised animation positively glows with fine detail. Essential family viewing. --Roger Thomas

Customer Reviews:

my kids didn't enjoy this one.......2008-02-02

now it may be a classic, but i'm afraid i was really disappointed with this film. my 5 yr old was frankly bored watching this, it was very slow to get moving. the story line was not what i was expecting. the jimmney cricket / conscience was to abstract for him to understand in the way it was presented. and there was a terrible bit later on with pinnochio getting drunk and smoking cigars. that bit raised a few tricky questions.

what i had expected the main story line to be - pinnochio's nose growing long when he lied, occured only once for about 20 seconds in the middle of the film and never again.

we will not be watching this one again
sadly not enjoyable or educational

PURE DISNEY MAGIC.......2007-10-11

Such animation seems to be dwindling today when looking at- and thinking a lot about- Pinocchio, one of the real landmarks that Walt Disney ever produced. It might have not sparked up as much fascination when it was first released as Snow White and Dumbo did (apparently this and Fantasia did poorly on first release), but over time it's definitely got its place in the pantheon of truly wonderful works by the company. It tells a story that even babies can grasp- something that isn't really real that wants to be so for his creator. In fact, this is probably one of the most palatable stories for kids, about the dire straits of not just trying to fit in, but being a kid and still having to learn responsibilities, truth and courage. Of course, few kids will ever see their friends turn into donkeys or get thrown into the belly of a whale. But it's such out-of-this-world things that make the film so fantastic and terrifying in equal measure. It might lack the overall surreal whammy of Dumbo and Alice in Wonderland, yet in a small group of leaving a lasting impact Pinocchio has its unique bits.

It's got about all that someone could ask for with an animated film, for kids and adults alike. It's got plenty of colorful side characters, both sweet and clumsy and goofy and smart (all taking up the animals like Figaro, the Goldfish, and especially the iconic Jiminy Cricket), as well as ignorant, villainous and evil (Lampwick, Stromboli and Honest John among others). All of these characters are so rich in their simple characterizations that the combination of the old vocal talents- meant more for direct style and appearance instead of star power like in todays animation- and the distinct look of each character, make them all compelling to one degree or another. Just thinking about the scenes with Stromboli, for example, make me think that there had to be someone that imposing and larger-than-life in appearance acting it out as opposed to just the drawing being that. Only the Blue Fairy is the bland type, drawn in the Snow White style. But then the rest of the picture- particularly for Pinocchio and Gepetto- is up for grabs with whatever can be done with them.

So much emotion actually comes out of scenes. And it alternates very well, much as in fairy tales and other fantastical fiction. Pinocchio performs "I've got no strings" in one scene, which is one of the typical highlights, and then the next scene such sweetness gets contrasted with the defeat imposed by the evil Stromboli. What leaves the biggest impression, however, is Fantasy island, where all the boys who don't want to go to school go to, and soon enough (from Cricket's own words), become donkeys. I would probably rank that transformation scene of Lampwick's, by the way, as one of the top 5 scenes in any animated effort ever produced; it starts off kind of amusing, the way Pinocchio tries to put down the cigar, and then becomes like a child's true nightmare as we see his full-on transformation. It's an example of using abstractions that always work best in fairy tales, and somehow has become lost among the constant barrage of juvenile CGI films as of late. Seeing work like this again reminds one of the completeness given in well-rounded (if 2-dinemnsional) stories.

It's got action, music, pomp and circumstance, countless chances at very goofy gags and silly puns, and somehow it all works just as well- if not better in a way- as an adult as when I was a kid. Is it cheesy at times and maybe here and there hitting points home a little hard? Sure. But I never had any dis-liking to the characters, never really felt that I was being cheated with motivations or in some kind of truth in the un-reality of it all. Not to sound cheesy myself, but it is a timeless kind of picture, with a story that when told well can strike a chord with just about anyone willing for the experience. It's old-fashioned sensibilities are still resonant, and the production values are all top-notch.

Good all-time classic.......2007-09-04

To tell you the truth, all these modern-day cartoons get me so annoyed at the fact that they are computer generated and churned out by the thousand. This all-time classic however was one of [if not the] first drawn-out animated Walt Disney cartoons, and it`s a world away from what kids watch these days. It actually has some educational value, and is beautifully hand-drawn. The cartoon is hardly a short one by any means and has a great story-line to go along with the orchestral music. The only let-downs which helped contribute towards me giving it a 4 star rating were Pinocchio himself looking pretty silly and far-fetched and the fact that it`s a video tape and not a DVD. Anyway, a great tape for all the family.

Little Wooden Head Is A Winner!!!!.......2007-07-09

Having just ead "evil castus" review i have to say and i dont mean to offend evil cactus but his review is most probably one of the most ignorant i have ever read. I have a new appreciation for this movie since I discovered that Pinochhio is not really a little boy, but indeed a Teenager! He goes through all the typical teenage crises such as lying to get his own way, bunking school, seeking to live life for pleasure, and wanting to be a famous star He argues with his conscience (Jiminey Crickett) through all his crises. He doesn't become a "real boy" (man) until he does something selfless, risking his own life to save his own father. It is a brilliant analogy of the journey of a teenager from childhood to adulthood! so reading "evil cactus review and him quoting this disney film is for babies needs to sit back and watch it again and take note and realise that disney is for children and adults alike and also see that pinocchio is indeed something special and its not just about visuals but its also about morals and children can learn something from watching it hope this helps fellow amazon users..

Pinocchio a classic from Walt Disney.......2004-08-25

"When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything you heart desires will come to you."

You've heard this song on the Disneyland and Superbowl commercials, but do you remember where it came from? It came from this cartoon, Pinocchio, Walt Disney's second feature to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1940. I repeat 1940!! Wow and to this day ,Pinocchio still stands out as one of the greatest movies of all time.

This opinion is about the 60th anniversay version of Pinocchio with THX sound and Remastered visual footage. It even has a bonus at the end about the making of Pinocchio!!! Wow.

This was a Christmas gift for my best friend and she loved it, and I can see why. Pinocchio is filled with dazzling animation,music and filled with so much fun and happyness that at the end of the movie , you will feel like wishing upon a star youreself.

Pinocchio is about a wooden puppet made by toymaker Geppeto (Christian Rub) who wants his own son. Geppeto makes one wish, to have his own son. Geppeto gets his wish when the Blue Fairy brings Pinocchio to life!!!

It took nearly 700 animators and technicians to bring Pinocchio to life and the hard work definitely shows!!!

People can say whatever they want about Disney current movies, true they lack a certain magic unlike their cherish cartoon like Pinocchio, but Disney is one of a few companies that has a SOLID record of making Cartoon Classics that are loved by everyone.

The fairy brings Pinocchio to life and promises to Pinoccho (voice of Dickie Jones) that he will remain a real boy if he follows the basic principles that every boy should have.

He has to be loyal, truthful and above fair. She assigns Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) to be Pinocchio's conscience. Well it sounds easy at first, but living up to these values is the real challenge here and Pinocchio tries his best to follow them,but since he has just being turned into a boy he doesnt yet know right from wrong.

This is where we meet characters like ,J. Worthington Foulfellow, Stromboli and Barker who take advantage of the young boy.

Jiminy Cricket and the fairy save Pinocchio from his judgement calls ,but yet Pinocchio doesnt learn to tell the truth and when he lies his nose starts to grow like a Christmas tree. :-)

Meanwhile Geppeto is looking for Pinocchio and ends up being captured by a giant whale Monstro!!!

Pinocchio saves Geppeto in a brillian animation sequence and Pinocchio by displaying bravery ends up being a real boy permanently.

It's a classic, I can say more but I dont want to spoil it for anyone

In an age, where moral, brilliant, wholesome cartoons are scarce you look back to the classics and Pinocchio will forever stand out as one of the greatest classics ever made by Walt Disney who has left his print in the world and in children's hearts.

Go out and buy this for youre children

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