Product: Pinocchio
Rating: 5.0
A Great Animated Classic
This animated Disney movie is a timeless classic that contains all the elements of a great story. The characters are incredibly well animated and sympathetic. Pinocchio finds himself routinely, and often naively, getting into trouble even when he tries to keep out of trouble. This classic has action, excitement and cleverly hidden morals to delight all family members.Lonely woodcarver Geppetto (voiced by the late veteran actor Christian Rub) carves a wooden boy that he names Pinocchio. Geppetto longs for the family he never had, most particularly, a child. The Blue Fairy (voiced by Evelyn Venable, who has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame) hears and feels Geppetto's longing, and gives the wooden boy life. The Blue Fairy also promises that Pinocchio will have an opportunity to become a real boy. The Blue Fairy also gives Pinocchio (voiced by Dickie Jones, who had an extensive film career as a child) a conscience in the form of Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Cliff Edwards, who voiced Jiminy Cricket nearly to his death in 1971, and who also appeared in "Gone with the Wind").Almost as soon as Pinocchio goes out into the world, ostensibly to go to school, he encounters mischief in the form of Honest John (voiced by the late veteran star Walter Catlett, who appeared in many movies such as "Friendly Persuasion," "The Inspector General," and "Yankee Doodle Dandy"). Honest John quickly sees opportunity in selling Pinocchio to a showman. Pinocchio gets out of trouble and then right back into trouble, ending up in Pleasure Island where boys make jackasses (another word for donkey) out of themselves. Fortunately Pinocchio escapes before completely changing into a donkey.However, Pinocchio's troubles are just beginning. When Pinocchio returns home he discovers that Geppetto has gone searching for him, and has yet to return. Learning the Monstro the Whale may have swallowed Geppetto, Pinocchio goes seeking Monstro, finding him. The encounter with Monstro, the rescue of Geppetto and the end of this movie forms one of the greatest endings of any animated movie.I was quite fascinated by the difference of opinions between reviewers regarding this movie. Most reviewers find Pinocchio to be a great classic tale of innocence and selflessness. However, a small minority of reviewers finds Pinocchio to be scary for young children, or they believe the acting and singing to be horrible.I watched Pinocchio as a very small child, and was absolutely in love with the movie. Had VCRs or DVDs existed back in the 1960s, I would have insisted that we have Pinocchio so I could watch it again (and again). We need to permit our children to understand fear so that they may conquer their fear. I am unafraid of whales, though sharks make me nervous. I saw "Jaws" as an adult. Which do you think had the greater effect on me?As for the singing, many people find that Cliff Edwards' singing sends chills down their back. I am similarly impressed. Few people are able to put the kind of emotion into a song the way Cliff Edwards did; certainly very few in this era of throwaway pop. The score and the song "When You Wish Upon a Star" received two Academy Awards and an ASCAP award.The acting in this movie was very good. Animated films tend to be a bit dramatic because they are often larger-than-life, and the acting well matched the animation in this movie. I consider the acting in this movie to be phenomenal when compared to the acting in other animated films.Walt Disney created an animation masterpiece with Pinocchio. This film came during a creative peak for Disney, along with the great, experimental and often misunderstood "Fantasia." This movie is a rarity among movies in that it is suitable for all normal family members. The youngest members of the family may benefit from adult attendance to explain certain aspects of the movie. This movie does contain a number of very wonderful and subtle morals that Walt Disney smoothly integrated with the story. Lovers of family films and animated films will absolutely need this one for their collection. Enjoy!This review is based on a copy of the DVD provided to me for review by Amazon and Disney Studios.