It's not everyone's favourite Disney film, but it's still one of the most celebrated, even though it isn't everyone's go to favourite. With director Robert Zemeckis at the helm and Tom Hanks in the lead, it is the latest Disney animated feature to get the live-action treatment.
The latest iteration of the morality tale was a challenge for Zemeckis. The director had to keep in mind the film's sinister roots while incorporating Disney's key trademarks. Disney's live-action adaptation of the tale treads a pretty safe path into a messed-up fable with the promise of a new film from the writer and director of "Pan's Labyrinth".
The film's Oscar-winning song "When You Wish Upon a Star" is synonymous with the brand. The live-action remake sticks close to the animated original, with a few notable updates to the script from Zemeckis and Chris Weitz.
The narrative, dialogue, set and costume design are all attempts to duplicate the original. Even though it's longer, the narrative and physical appearance of most characters is the same. There are four original songs from Alan Silvestri.
There is a bright, innocent optimism that matches the original work by Dickie Jones, and it is voiced by Benjamin Evan. "Pinocchio's Conscience, Lord High Keeper of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong, and Guide Along the Straight" is a fourth wall-breaking moment for Jiminy Cricket. Disney has added cute little cricket chirps every time Jiminy jumps, but they have kept in memorable moments like Jiminy accidentally resting his hand on the back of a wooden woman or Warming his little cricket butt on an ember.
If Tom Hanks wasn't an incredible actor, these scenes may not have worked. Credit: Disney
This new movie expands Geppetto's story by giving context as to why this Italian woodcarver creates a wooden boy in the first place. The space for Hanks to fish for motivation for the character is there, and he brings his signature eye twinkle trying to sell us on song lyrics. There is a story called "Pinto!" It's smoky-o! A couple of Geppetto's more dated behaviors, such as smoking a pipe in bed and hiding a huge blunderbuss under one's pillow, have been removed from the new film.
A new character that gives Jiminy Cricket someone to talk to other than the audience, as well as a whole new storyline with a puppeteer and her marionette, are added to the script. The ethics and self-confidence that can be learned from someone other than Jiminy can be learned by Fabiana. Stromboli is a problematic character associated with a negative depiction of Romani people in the original film as it is here. The director has corrected other elements of the film that needed it, so it's not clear why more pains weren't taken to address this.
The show is so good that it's a crime how little time he's given. Key's voice sounded like he was standing miles from the microphone, throwing dramatic gestures and possibly wearing a cape in the sound booth. Key's Honest John is a spectacularly fun highlight of a film weighed down with conversations about morality. We forget for a second that he and his Harpo Marx-like sidekick, Gideon, are not legit.
The script makes a few changes to the original story to make it more moral. In the World War II-era version, Pinocchio ditches Jiminy Cricket on his way to school and heads for fame and glory right away, but this time he is cast out by the schoolmaster for not being a real child.
There is a big elephant in the room. The idea of what makes a "real boy" was the subject of a film released in the '40s. In order to be one, both the new and original film state, "You have to prove that you are brave, honest, and generous." Cynthia Erivo, who plays the Blue Fairy, doesn't waste a minute of her screen time. She sings. The films state that the most important parts of being a "good" person are learned by recognizing what's right and wrong, with the help of their conscience. I would add the importance of speaking out against misogyny and working to dismantle systems of oppression to the list of values for boys to learn early.
Cynthia Erivo uses every single minute of her limited screen time. Credit: Disney
Disney's Pinocchio is a moral parable that encourages boys to behave, to ignore the temptations of the world, and to tell the truth. It's about redemption after a few mistakes. "I want to be a real boy, I don't want to be jerk, I want to be a real boy," is the perfect line when he's in a bad mood. I think it's a good aim.
Disney made a sweetened version of a grim book with some frightening narrative twists. Carlo Collodi's novel, "Pinocchio", depicts a cruel, mischievous brat who makes some choices. "The Talking Cricket" was murdered by "Pinochle" rather than listening to him. The characters of Honest John and Gideon, who are referred to as "The Fox and the Cat", are not as crazy as you might think.
Collodi's Pinocchio wasn't the sweetheart of Disney's films. Credit: Disney
The Coachman storyline is one of Disney's darker films and is played by a guy who is giving off a weird Captain Jack Sparrow-like energy. The character in the original film is a man who "collects stupid little boys" and takes them to a no- rules theme park called Pleasure Island. There is a catch to all this hedonism, which is transfiguration at best and a human traffickers scheme at worst.
The film keeps Pleasure Island intact but updates it by eliminating a racist attraction, replacing the beer and cigars with root beer, and offering his henchman. If Zemeckis can make a cower in a corner like that, I fear that del Toro will take it in a different direction. The film adds girls to the cart. It's so progressive.
One of the most shocking on-the-nose song lyrics can be found here. Evans sings "real boys always want more" during the song "The Coachman of Pleasure Island".
Really? I don't know where to begin.
Disney's second feature-length animated film was considered to be a masterpiece of animation and technology at the time. The escape from Monstro is a stunning blend of fluid, hand-painted waves amidst the bold character animation of the film.
The film, which boasts all the modern effects technology and set design resources of Disney's various departments, has some similarly gorgeous sequences, including the extremely Disneyland-like ride through Pleasure Island. If your brief is to get Tom Hanks into Cast Away mode while rowing a puppet boy, goldfish, and a kitten out of a sneezing whale, the sky's the limit.
You don't have to ask for a live-action remake of the movie, but it's still weird and pretentious. While still figuring out what a real boy is, the film tries to give depth to its characters and paints a visual adventure aiming for the surrealism of its predecessor.
It is certain that Del Toro's will get even weirder.
The movie will be on Disney+ from September 8th.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
