Post by ~Elisa Maza~ on Mar 22, 2009 1:18:25 GMT -5
When I purchased this movie the day it came out, I couldn't even remember the last time I had watched it on my old VHS version, so it was as if I were seeing the film for the first time.
Just amazing. All the details to the clocks and music boxes were incredible. There were even details that were so easy to miss, such as the paint stains, wood shavings, and even knive markings on Geppetto's desk. The sparkles on the Blue Fairy's dress and wings were also amazing.
I also loved Jiminy's interaction with Geppetto's figures. Especially when he compliment's Geppetto's finishing touches on Pinocchio, and sees the angry looking bust.
I just loved Geppetto. You can just picture him as a man who was likely never married or had kids, and gets his joy in life by creating his works of art, and sharing them with others. I love the absolute charm in his voice when he's singing "Little Wooden Head", which is also my favorite song in the film. And it is this which motivates the Blue Fairy to help grant his innocent wish.
I'm really glad Disney decided to make Pinocchio an innocent and naive child as opposed to the bratty personality he has in the book. I liked the scene where he and Geppetto are dancing around together. Kinda funny, but as you're watching the scene where Geppetto's panicking because Pinocchio lit his finger on fire, his red nightcap disappears and reappears throughout the whole scene. I probably never would have noticed this if I wasn't listening to the audio commentary. The scene happens so fast, it's kinda hard to notice the nightcap.
I love the mannerisms of Figaro and Cleo. Especially Figaro trying to sleep during Pinocchio's endless questioning. I love how you can tell how annoyed he is just by seeing his shape under the blanket.
Unlike most Disney films where there is only one major villain, Pinocchio deals with several. Beginning with Honest John and his silent sidekick, Gideon. Hardly threatening, these two were simply a pair con artists, eager to make themselves a few shillings of gold. Acting as the snake from the Garden of Eden, the naive Pinocchio is easily whisked away, not once, but twice by their lies.
Next is the temperamental Stromboli. Even before his temper goes, it's pretty easy to tell the man's a live wire. I also gotta give props to the animators who worked on Pinocchio falling in the swinging bird cage as Stromboli drives through the storm, as a crash of lightening and thunder drowns out Gepetto's voice as he calls out for his son.
The Coachman was responsible for several vivid nightmares I had as a child that I still remember to this day, and for good reason. The man is the devil, literally. He takes boys away, allowing them to eat, smoke, drink, fight, with no repercussions. Or so they think. You can see on the crates that the full fledged donkeys were sold to the salt mines and the circus, and other such places, but what concerned me more than that was the fate of the donkeys that still had a touch of humanity in them. It was clear the Coachman wasn't about to let them return home.
And finally, we end with Monstro the whale. While Gepetto is out looking for Pinocchio, he eventually took his search to the sea, bringing along Cleo and Figaro. When Pinocchio finally makes it home, he is greeted with a darkened house filled with cobwebs, and a note given to him by the blue fairy telling him of Gepetto's fate. There is no question or debate in Pinocchio's mind. He's going to save his father, it's that simple.
Monstro is not a typical Disney villain, just a hungry whale, who apparently gets very angry when people make him sneeze. All that aside, a giant whale crushing rocks as he swims furiously towards our heroes made for an amazing bit of animation, especially when he does the 180 on the surface. The water effects were just awesome.
Several scenes in this film are very dramatic, and at times, frightening. I think the one that gets to me the most is when Lampwick begins to turn into a donkey. Up until that point, he wasn't a very likable character, but how can you not feel sorry for a lost boy whose last words are crying out to his mother?
Through Pinocchio's brave sacrifice to save his father's life, we get the happy ending that only Disney can deliver, as he reawakens as a real boy, granting Geppetto's wish as they celebrate. And you gotta love Figaro leaping into Cleo's bowl to give her a kiss.
This movie may be a bit deep for younger viewers to fully grasp, but whatever you do, do not miss the chance to add this classic treasure to your collection, so that when your children are old enough, they will have this beautiful story whose bottom line is not wishing upon a star, but redemption and love.
Just amazing. All the details to the clocks and music boxes were incredible. There were even details that were so easy to miss, such as the paint stains, wood shavings, and even knive markings on Geppetto's desk. The sparkles on the Blue Fairy's dress and wings were also amazing.
I also loved Jiminy's interaction with Geppetto's figures. Especially when he compliment's Geppetto's finishing touches on Pinocchio, and sees the angry looking bust.
I just loved Geppetto. You can just picture him as a man who was likely never married or had kids, and gets his joy in life by creating his works of art, and sharing them with others. I love the absolute charm in his voice when he's singing "Little Wooden Head", which is also my favorite song in the film. And it is this which motivates the Blue Fairy to help grant his innocent wish.
I'm really glad Disney decided to make Pinocchio an innocent and naive child as opposed to the bratty personality he has in the book. I liked the scene where he and Geppetto are dancing around together. Kinda funny, but as you're watching the scene where Geppetto's panicking because Pinocchio lit his finger on fire, his red nightcap disappears and reappears throughout the whole scene. I probably never would have noticed this if I wasn't listening to the audio commentary. The scene happens so fast, it's kinda hard to notice the nightcap.
I love the mannerisms of Figaro and Cleo. Especially Figaro trying to sleep during Pinocchio's endless questioning. I love how you can tell how annoyed he is just by seeing his shape under the blanket.
Unlike most Disney films where there is only one major villain, Pinocchio deals with several. Beginning with Honest John and his silent sidekick, Gideon. Hardly threatening, these two were simply a pair con artists, eager to make themselves a few shillings of gold. Acting as the snake from the Garden of Eden, the naive Pinocchio is easily whisked away, not once, but twice by their lies.
Next is the temperamental Stromboli. Even before his temper goes, it's pretty easy to tell the man's a live wire. I also gotta give props to the animators who worked on Pinocchio falling in the swinging bird cage as Stromboli drives through the storm, as a crash of lightening and thunder drowns out Gepetto's voice as he calls out for his son.
The Coachman was responsible for several vivid nightmares I had as a child that I still remember to this day, and for good reason. The man is the devil, literally. He takes boys away, allowing them to eat, smoke, drink, fight, with no repercussions. Or so they think. You can see on the crates that the full fledged donkeys were sold to the salt mines and the circus, and other such places, but what concerned me more than that was the fate of the donkeys that still had a touch of humanity in them. It was clear the Coachman wasn't about to let them return home.
And finally, we end with Monstro the whale. While Gepetto is out looking for Pinocchio, he eventually took his search to the sea, bringing along Cleo and Figaro. When Pinocchio finally makes it home, he is greeted with a darkened house filled with cobwebs, and a note given to him by the blue fairy telling him of Gepetto's fate. There is no question or debate in Pinocchio's mind. He's going to save his father, it's that simple.
Monstro is not a typical Disney villain, just a hungry whale, who apparently gets very angry when people make him sneeze. All that aside, a giant whale crushing rocks as he swims furiously towards our heroes made for an amazing bit of animation, especially when he does the 180 on the surface. The water effects were just awesome.
Several scenes in this film are very dramatic, and at times, frightening. I think the one that gets to me the most is when Lampwick begins to turn into a donkey. Up until that point, he wasn't a very likable character, but how can you not feel sorry for a lost boy whose last words are crying out to his mother?
Through Pinocchio's brave sacrifice to save his father's life, we get the happy ending that only Disney can deliver, as he reawakens as a real boy, granting Geppetto's wish as they celebrate. And you gotta love Figaro leaping into Cleo's bowl to give her a kiss.
This movie may be a bit deep for younger viewers to fully grasp, but whatever you do, do not miss the chance to add this classic treasure to your collection, so that when your children are old enough, they will have this beautiful story whose bottom line is not wishing upon a star, but redemption and love.
Foulfellow and Gideon? Well, they get scared by the Coachman, but we never see their butts get kicked by karma. Interestingly, the only character that seems to get a comeuppance is Lampwick, and he's not a villain. He's amoral and not very likable, true, but I don't think he deserved such a terrifying fate.