Product: Pinocchio
Rating: 5.0
No more lies!
I've anticipated the release of Pinocchio for such a while that I read the "reviews" posted her before there was a blu-ray product to review. After viewing, I feel compelled to respond with my first ever internet review. Before discussing the quality of the blu-ray rendering, I think it's instructive to address the cel versus computer animation "question".Six years of my early life were spent in 35 mm special effects cinematography. Since then I've taught sciences where I've used a hobby of computer animation to create instructional materials. This hobby grew into creating and teaching a course in computer modeling and animation.Two main technical aspects differentiate cel animation (Pinocchio) from computer animation ala Pixar, Dreamworks et al. In computer animation, it's possible to texture a surface whereby, processing power permitting, as much fine detail can cover a surface as desired. And with the application of a "tag", this detail can be affixed to the surface in such a way as to deform with the character. Furthermore, again given sufficient processing power, surfaces can be made with smooth enough curvature to allow for incredible range in the gradients of reflected lights. This amount of detail and attenuation of light is simply not, in realistic terms, possible with cel animation.Secondly, in computer animation the dividing line between a character and the background is not a line at all but a sharply delineated boundary. In traditional cell animation, characters usually have drawn silhouettes of finite thickness.So, if you're viewing blu-ray Pinocchio expecting the eye-popping sharpness and color gradations of Ratatouille or Wall-E you might be disappointed. For example, an examination of the blue fairy won't show much in the way of facial structure such as cheekbones and the silhouette is anything but distinct. Of course, much of this is intentional in the blue fairy's case, helping convey her ethereal quality. But check out the eyes and immerse yourself in the whole package. She's still the quintessential magical mother figure she was for me when I first saw Pinocchio in 1950. My wife, substantially younger, remembers it the same way from a later generation.Once past the sharpness and textural differences from that in CA, you'll note a richness in color in Pinocchio. This is especially evident in many backgrounds where, not bound by the constraints of needing to animate from frame to frame, more textural detail can be used. The hand painting, beautiful pastels and use of shadows make this well worth the wait for blu-ray.As far as the CA vs. cell debate, I've long awaited the advent of CA. I'll buy Nemo on BD the day it's released. I think John Lassiter is an incredible talent and has made entertainment a happier place. It's hard to match a unforgettable character like Dory. And I think I must have laughed every ten seconds through Shrek 2.In my opinion, the only thing additional Pinocchio offers is magic. But don't ask me, ask my almost four year old niece. She is a product of several trips to the theater as well as a plethora of animation DVD's at home. We viewed Pinocchio after a long awaited sleepover last night. She was mesmerized and declared it "the best". It was what she woke up talking about at 5 AM this morning. We watched it again, in its entirety, before dance class. But from now on, we save it for special occasions as opposed to watching snippets here and there.