Product: Pinocchio
Rating: 3.0
Disturbing family film
Disney's animated film, Pinocchio, is the story of a marionette, which is also known as a puppet on strings. He is fashioned out of Gepetto's own hands, and steals the puppet master's heart -- wooden or real, Gepetto loves him anyway. Gepetto has this wish for Pinocchio to be a real boy. He wishes it on a shooting star Okay, moving on.The Blue Fairy comes to visit the wooden doll while his master sleeps. She grants the man his wish. Suddenly the doll is talking and walking and dancing and singing. He's an all around entertainer that wooden boy.A small cricket named "Jiminey" has taken up residence in Gepetto's home. Blue Fairy deems "Jiminey Cricket" Pinocchio's conscious. This means he will be that "voice of reasoning" for Pinoc., to help him live a true and honest life and to be brave. If Pinocchio can do all this, Blue Fairy says, he then will be a real boy. "Let your conscious be your guide" is what the glowing girl reminds him. Does he listen? Does he stray from the straight and narrow path? You'll have to watch to find out. It's a story full of adventures of good and bad, and fun musical numbers. My 2 yr old son loves the songs, "I got no strings", "Hi Diddle de", and already knows most of the words to them. Other songs in the film include "Give a little whistle", and "When you wish upon a star". In addition to these charming numbers is a majestically charged musical score which highlights this geniune piece of Disney magic.Pinocchio learns that honesty, bravery, and unselfish acts help him lead a better life.(If only some of us out here in the real world could have a conscious like him!) He faces big rough creeps that want to use him and throw him away, and he also challenges the whale, Monstro in order to save Gepetto's life. Some of these scenes are frightening. As much as I do like this movie, I was utterly disturbed by the whole "Pleasure Island" scene, where boys were being taken to and turned into donkeys because they were stupid. Watching Lampke(Pinoc's new friend) being transformed was bizarre and creepy. But that's how the story goes...I like this movie for it's music and story of the boy, but there are those few sideline parts that creeped me out. This is not among my faves of the Disney films.