Based on the late nineteenth century book by Carlo Collodi, “Pinocchio” is the story of a wooden puppet who longs to be a real boy! The Blue Fairy agrees to help Pinocchio achieve that dream, provided he can prove himself worthy. She assigns a tiny umbrella-toting bug, Jiminy Cricket in his first appearance, to be the puppet-boy’s conscience. Forever innocent and always trying hard to help, Pinocchio is quickly tricked by a con man, travels to Pleasure Island, smokes a cigar, is befriended by a delinquent, and nearly turned into a donkey! It doesn’t help that his nose grows whenever he tells a lie, either. While searching for his wooden creation, the toy maker Geppetto is eaten by the giant whale Monstro. With the help of Jiminy, Pinocchio eventually pulls himself together and rescues his “father,” earning him real boy status, and making Geppetto’s dream come true as well.
“Pinocchio” is one of the great animated movies of all time. Heart-warming, funny, action-packed, and beautifully animated, it’s a deeply satisfying story. Some of the sequences are quite frightening for younger viewers and contemporary parents might be shocked to see the wooden boy smoking. Viewers who can get past that will be richly rewarded.
Many of the songs in the film are considered classics. The film won an Academy Award for “Best Song” for “When You Wish Upon A Star,” which has become a signature Disney tune.
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