From the sweet opening that reminds us where the classic Disney “When you wish upon a star” riff came from, director Robert Zemeckis keeps things familiar. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives us a very faithful interpretation of CGI wanderer Jiminy Cricket, stumbling across Italian carpenter Geppetto, played with warmth and cheery relish by the ever dependable Tom Hanks, and his cute CGI cat Figaro. Heart strings are immediately tugged when it becomes clear that wooden puppet Pinocchio is actually a creation to honour the passing of, what appears to be, Geppetto's real son. This adds a little more depth to proceedings than the beloved 1940 original in order to make this a near 2hr feature film.
Yet it's not just based on the Disney original, but also the source material of the 1883 ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio' series by Italian author Carlo Collodi. So we can forgive that plot points are expanded on or embellished, for this is not a straight forward remake. Rather, a new interpretation of a classic tale for a new generation.
With CGI tinkering and enhancement, Pinocchio is soon a walking, talking, stumbling wooden puppet voiced very sweetly by 13 year old Benjamin Evan Ainsworth. Pinocchio retains the look of the 1940 original; wide-eyed, naive and with colourful attire. Ainsworth does a wonderful job of bringing Pinocchio to life, and thus makes it very easy to enjoy his exploration of learning what it means to be a “real boy”.
Equally, Gordon-Levitt is perfect as Jiminy Cricket, soon decked out in his sharp suit and top-hat to take the role of Pinocchio's conscious (but sadly without the charming ‘Give A Little Whistle'). For two CGI characters, they command a rather effective partnership full of warmth, humour and joy. Granted, this is due to the nostalgia and iconography of the original, transferred and polished for 2022 by Zemeckis in a very respectful way. But what also acts as the glue for these characters is Tom Hanks.
Hanks can really do no wrong with source material like this. He's the perfect age and carries that inimitable sparkle in his eyes to make Geppetto a tender man with a tender heart, and you simply can't help but like him. And with Hanks giving 110% of his humour and emotion towards the CGI creations he interacts with for the most part, you can just about see beyond the technical wizardry and feel that spirit come to life within. For a Disney product as popular as Pinocchio, Hanks is a welcome comfort blanket to assure audiences this is a family friendly, heart-warming adaptation with solid performances.
Everything and everyone is pretty much accounted for in this story that fans will recognise. Anthropomorphic sly fox Honest John voiced by Keegan-Michael Key and his mute cat buffoon Gideon. The greedy puppeteer Stromboli brought to life by Giuseppe Battiston. Young scoundrel Lampwick, played by Lewin Lloyd and the slightly terrifying Luke Evans as Pleasure Island owner The Coachman. They're all here and represented very faithfully, even the mighty Monstro makes a hugh splash in the final act. Along with this array of comical characters, the Italian heritage of Collodi isn't forgotten.
Sun-kissed stone villages, warm blue skies set over rolling farmland and vintage costumes, sets and puppets. This all reminds us we are in a fairytale land, surrounded by classic Italian culture and inspiration.
Collodi's themes aren't lost either. The actions one must take to prove they are truly good hearted are ever present. Dealing with grief, believing in yourself, being grateful for what you have and loving as a family. It's all here, and the highs and lows in discovering these come across very well here with little lost on audiences. The story of Pinocchio wanting to become a real boy hasn't lost its charm in nearly 100 years of pop culture references. It's a theme that resonates with many, and that classic notion of not lying to avoid a growing nose is still a comical moment.
A couple of new musical numbers find their way into the story that fit in very well without detracting from Pinocchio's journey, and go well to helping him explore the good and bad of humanity at work. Zemeckis and co-writer Chris Weitz (of ‘American Pie' and ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' fame) don't cut up the classic tale very much. Yes, they expand on scenes, characters and conversation but without losing the heart of what goes on in each – the discovery of lying in Stromboli's carriage or the saving of Geppetto from Monstro. It's all here, just enhanced.
A stand-out example of this is the rebellious Pleasure Island. Zemeckis channels the magic wonder of ‘The Polar Express' but with the gothic nightmare fuel that would fit in with Tim Burton. Kids smashing up buildings for fun, drinking root-beer, doing whatever they want without rule or consequence. It's the sequence that chilled the bones of many youngsters when donkeys suddenly became the consequence of not following rules, and it's all here in it's visual, creepy glory.
It's a welcome feeling for the film not to drag for just under 2 hours. A simple story doesn't feel padded out just to fill a run time. Everything feels fluid and flows as you remember it.
There can be some grumbles about this being classed as live-action when there is so much CGI. But it's impossible to bring to life much of what Disney created without computers, just as they had to do with hand-drawn animation. There is enough equal live-action work in our sets and actors to balance out the fantastical characters and creatures, and they all blend together to keep the story and themes going. It is also a shame, and something that would have benefited the film more, that Pinocchio and Geppetto don't spend much time together bar the first and last scenes. Especially with the theme of Geppetto suffering a loss, you feel this could have tapped a little deeper into the mythology and idea behind Pinocchio and who he is. It's a missed opportunity.
Did this new interpretation need to be made? You can argue that it didn't, but as it dropped on Disney+ on the self-titled Disney+ Day, it feels a celebration of what Disney is all about. It's a simple but very effective re-imagining of a beloved story that is expanded on faithfully in a technical way, but without losing the heart of what Pinocchio is. Certainly one of the best of the current “live-action” adaptations.
Pinocchio is available to watch on Disney+ Now