The Adventures of Pinocchio

According to the production notes, ”Pinocchio’s name has become synonymous with…goody two-shoes wholesomeness.” Take that, Uncle Walt. This live-action version of The Adventures of Pinocchio tries to bring back the Grimm-er vision of Carlo Collodi’s 19th-century tale, and at first it succeeds. Martin Landau’s Geppetto is no kindly papa figure but a touching lost soul, and his relationship with his woodboy — a remarkable creation of the Henson Creature Shop with Jonathan Taylor Thomas’ voice — gives this Pinocchio a beating heart that the Disney cartoon never had. The rest, unfortunately, is an international coproduction mongrel, with dueling accents, cramped sets, and two dreadful pop songs from Queen’s Brian May that bring the movie thisclose to turning into a donkey. C

More Animated Movies