Pinocchio

‘Pinocchio’ looks great in high-def

Walt Disney
PINOCCHIO and Jiminy Cricket and friends in "Pinocchio."
WEEKENDER for April 3, 2009

A quarter of a century ago, when the Viper had hair and Ronald Reagan was president, those masters of marketing, Walt Disney Co., released my favorite animated film, "Pinocchio," in those ancient formats of VHS and Beta.
The cost was $89 and for some reason, back then there were no discounts. The thing really cost $89.
And for that price you got the movie and that is it. No commentary, no extras. Zilch.
Heck, I was ready to pluck the money down for it, but Mrs. Viper yelled "Noooooo" and threw herself between me and the store clerk.
Months later I came across an advertisement that there would be yet another rerelease of the film. The only difference this time, the price was $29.98. Baby, that film was mine.
Well, recently I plucked down a penny more at Conneaut Kmart for the 70th anniversary edition in Blu-ray with an excellent commentary, Disney Live, which lets you discuss the film with others over the Internet, deleted scenes, alternate ending, trivia and a making of video.
The film is available for about $10 less on standard DVD. What is cool about the Blu-ray version is it includes a second copy of the movie in standard definition.
If you have a high-definition TV and Blu-ray player, you can watch the film in its gorgeous high-definition splendor. But maybe the kids want to watch it in the family room or the DVD player in the van or one of those portable DVD players that keeps them quiet at the doctor's office.
That's where the standard disc comes in handy. I understand adding a standard version of a film will become a regular part of Blu-ray, much like the now extinct HD-DVD used to have a high definition version on one side of a disc and standard on the other.
You know the story. Papa Geppetto carves a boy out of wood and a fairy turns it into a living puppet. But the puppet, Pinocchio, must prove himself brave and fearless to become a real boy. The guy who helps move the story along, our narrator, is none other than Jiminy Cricket.
Pinocchio gets involved in the wrong crowd. He ends up on Pleasure Island, an amusement park where kids can smoke and drink and shoot pool and smash up a luxury house. What happens there gets pretty scary.
Then there's the unforgettable part when Pinocchio saves Geppetto from Monstro the whale.
The animation, long before computers, is absolutely stunning. You see subtle shadows in the background. Scenes we enjoy and take for granted took much talent and timing and planning, we learn from the commentary.
And speaking of commentary, this one is a beaut. Leonard Maltin and film historians appear as inserts around the screen during the movie, discussing what is going on. When they discuss how a character evolved, we see original drawings. We see and hear people who worked on the film.
Did you know Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and so many Warner Brothers character, was an uncredited voice in "Pinocchio?"
I watched this film the first night possible, watched it again with the commentary and viewed it a third time the next morning.
The cliché it is great for young and old alike really, really holds true in this instance. The scenes on Pleasure Island and escaping Monstro may be a bit much for very young children the first time around, but once they realize Pinocchio and company escape, they will enjoy subsequent viewings.
"Pinocchio," Disney's second fully-animated film effort, is a true triumph and this new Blu-Ray and DVD version makes it that much better.

PINOCCHIO Directed by Hamilton Luske and Ben Sharpsteen Written by Carlo Collodi and Ted Sears Runtime: 88 minutes Rated G for general audiences 5 stars out of 5