Project-Blu Pinocchio, by M. Enois Duarte

Pinocchio

By: M. Enois Duarte, 3.9.2009

The Movie Itself:
The one title in Disney's pantheon of films which has unquestionably --- and rightfully --- earned the title of "immortal classic" must go to Pinocchio. Of course, many may not agree with this line of thought, but no other film perfectly captures the movie magic spirit of Disney than this fairy tale about a wooden boy and his minstrel-like cricket. In fact, Jiminy Cricket's "When You Wish Upon a Star" has become emblematic for The Walt Disney Company and its theme parks, easily identified with all things Disney. Even the shooting star that arches over Sleeping Beauty's castle in their iconic logo was inspired by Geppetto's wishing star and encompasses the central theme to all they represent as a studio of imaginative family entertainment.

Seventy years since its original release, the film continues to entertain with its adventure through morality and its unique artwork, considered by many film historians and critics as the best in the animation genre. Only the second full-length animated feature following the enormous success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio did poorly at the box office due to its release at the height of World War II. Very loosely based on the children's novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi, the film eventually grew on audiences after several re-releases and remains one of the most memorable films in the Disney canon. It is also one of my personal favorites of Walt Disney's early career.

In this day and age, where computers now dominate the animation world, including Japanimation, one can appreciate the amount of work and dedication that went into drawing each individual frame by hand. That's one reason for enjoying it so much. The way the camera pans across the undisclosed Italian streets the morning after Pinocchio comes to life is simply gorgeous. The camera then pushes forward upon the backdrop, revealing a son on his way to school, and continues moving until it closes in on Geppetto's workshop. (A process which required the use of the "multi-plane camera.") It's just as mesmerizing today as it was revolutionary when it was seen for the first time in 1940.

Pinocchio's greatest strength is of course the story itself. Different from what audiences had just seen in Snow White, the film possessed a much darker tone and a frightening awareness of endangerment. Whether it's the creepy persuasion of Honest John and his mute cat Gideon or the child-laboring Stromboli, the idea of the villainy hiding with our own neighborhood was alarming and carried over into Bambi (for which the film received much censure). Then there is the terrifying creatures beyond our borders, like the Coachman of Pleasure Island or the black whale Monstro.

This fantastical allegory about a literal blockhead learning the virtues and morals of being human remains relevant with modern audiences. The choice for the easy road to fame and fortune over a good education and honest work is quickly realized as misleading and false. The Pleasure Island scenes are most revealing and obvious with naughty boys that persist in mischievous ways soon looking like jackasses. The whole scenario also insinuates that a life of delinquency over education leads to a difficult and exploited existence of labor. More subversive still is the way in which these scenes are suggestive of the abuses within social classes.

Admittedly, much of this is lost in the intended viewers as a simple adventure story, while parents enjoy it for childhood reminiscing and for the morals clearly expressed within. There is nothing wrong with that, for its the very reason for it now being a beloved classic. But for this viewer, Pinocchio maintains a warm spot in his heart, appreciated for its wonderfully suggestive narrative and beautiful artwork. Seen as the crowning achievement in Walt Disney's career, the style in directing, the lovely visuals, and the mature tones in the storytelling can be seen in every film that followed it. With Pinocchio, Disney pushed the limits of what could be done with an animated feature and ended up with a marvelous film full of life.
Rating: 10/10

The Presentation:
When it comes to the preservation and restoration of their catalog titles, Disney has shown they can't be beat. After seeing the amazing work they did with Sleeping Beauty, expectations were high another animated classic being revitalized by the wonders of Blu-ray. Lo and behold, Disney Studios does it again with a gorgeous AVC-transfer of Pinocchio and presented in its original Academy ratio of 1.33:1.

The picture displays a marvelous amount of detail and clarity for a seventy-year-old film. Background scenery is distinct and appropriately sharp for illustrations of this age, with resolute and well-defined lines in the foreground drawings. Even "blending" shades within surrounding objects is clearly visible and demonstrate the love and care taken in creating the charming artwork. Primaries and secondary hues are rich, bold and vibrant. Contrast is spot-on, providing the image with much to look at without ruining detail. Blacks are strong and deep, while low-lit scenes offer plenty of detail in the dark shadows. In its own way, this Blu-ray presentation of Disney's Pinocchio is of demo-worthy quality, looking better than I would have imagined.

Despite the package reading 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, this lossless track feels more like mono with a slight hint of stereo quality. When comparing with the restored original soundtrack, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself actually enjoying this higher resolution option. Disney made the right choice in maintaining the original recording and not adding a bunch of sound effects for a faux surround sound. With that said, the audio presentation of Pinocchio is exactly as it should be, only more polished up and plenty of warmth. The front three channels handled the music and action with ease, giving the sound design some expansiveness and wonderful imaging. Vocals are pitch-perfect and clearly discernible throughout, and the LFE-channel added a bit of intensity to those scenes that required it. For a recording of this age, the soundtrack offers a satisfying experience.
Rating: 9/10

The Extras:
Living up to its name, this Blu-ray Platinum Edition of Pinocchio debuts with a heavily loaded supplemental package that matches its DVD counterpart and ups the ante with exclusives. The features are all presented in high definition, includes a Bonus DVD copy of the film, and the disc is BD-Live Enabled.

Disc One:

Disney View
Watch the film as custom artwork by Toby Bluth replaces black pillarboxes.
Cine-Explore
PiP commentary with Leonard Maltin, Eric Goldberg, and J.B. Kaufman.
Audio Commentary
Same as above, only without the PiP view.
Music Video (3 min.)
Meaghan Jette Martin performs a modernized version of the classic "When You Wish Upon A Star."
Sing Along Mode
Allows viewers to sing along with their favorite songs as lyrics pop-up on screen.
Pinocchio's Matter of Facts
Trivia track about the film and other related subjects.
Pinocchio Knows Trivia Challenge
Game which tests viewer's knowledge of the film.
Sneak Peeks
Includes upcoming releases Bolt, Monsters, Inc., Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Up.

Disc Two:
Pinocchio's Puzzles
Solve several wooden puzzles to construct a picture with Jiminy Cricket.
Pleasure Island Carnival Games
Choose between four different carnival games to help release your donkey friends.
No Strings Attached: The Making of Pinocchio (56 min.)
A behind-the-scenes doc about creating the film from Collodi's novel.
Deleted Scenes (10 min.)
Series of deleted scenes using original storyboard art.
The Sweatbox (6 min.)
A quick look at how Walt Disney's film process was developed.
Live Action Reference Footage (10 min.)
Archival footage showing the filming process and the use of real marionettes for reference.
Pinocchio Art Galleries
Collection of artwork used during the film's production.
Publicity
Collection of theatrical trailers from 1940, 1984, and 1992.
Deleted Song: "Honest John" (3 min.)
A song that did not make the final cut, but used for promotional purposes.
Geppettos Then and Now (11 min.)
A look at the history of toy making and its craft.

Rating: 10/10

Overall:
One of the most beloved classics in Disney's pantheon of animated films finally comes to Blu-ray with a terrific video and wonderful audio quality. This is a definite upgrade and the best presentation of Pinocchio anyone could have hoped for.
Rating: 10/10