Pinocchio

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        Following the relative fun of Snow White, everyone but me decided to sit out on Pinocchio, a decision I cannot blame them for. It's not that this film is bad, it's just that the source material only offers so much, and without adding significant artistic liberties to it, the pacing of a children's book doesn't mesh with that of a movie. 


        The real issue with Pinocchio is the last twenty odd minutes of the movie, focus on the whale Monstro, who, upon Jimminy and Pinocchio's return home, is revealed to have eaten Geppetto. This isn't itself a problem, the problem is as Pinocchio searches for his father, the movie drags its feet, taking over half the remaining run time before they're reunited, spent talking to fish in increasingly repetitive and annoying ways, only for five minutes to be spent in the escape, return home, and resolution.


        All this being said, the first hour of Pinocchio is, mostly, a delight. The animation is fun, Jimminy and Pinocchio's relationship is fun, and the background magic is extremely relaxing. Pleasure Island as a concept is interesting, although it lacks real depth, and I feel the time talking to fish could have been reduced to allow the film to further explore this idea. 


         I think the Romani caricature buying Pinocchio as a slave and forcing him to preform in what amount to a puppet burlesque show. What it's trying to do (establish Jimminy's and Pinocchio's relationship) could have been better given by, well, pretty much anything that didn't make me watch this puppet have another puppet grind on him. On that note, this movie starts the trend of having a female character sexually harass a male character, and expecting it be funny, because it's a woman doing it. I hate this trope, and I hate Cleo, the goldfish who keeps kissing Pinocchio despite the child telling her he doesn't want her to.


        Pinocchio is definitely more flawed than Snow White, but the worst crime it commits is being a bit boring at places, and dragging a fair bit. I give Pinocchio a 3 on visuals, a 2 on plot, a 3.5 on characters, and a 2.5 overall. Thank you for reading

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