Pinocchio – An Emotionless Adaptation

Pinocchio marks the latest decision from the House of Mouse to embark in yet another live-action remake. Previously, these adaptations to animated classics were met with mixed results by audiences both familiar with the originals and newcomers alike. For some reason, the wooden boy is all the rage in 2022 marking not one but two feature-length films being released this year with the latter coming from Guillermo Del Toro.

Pinocchio finds director Robert Zemeckis at the helm nowhere near short on talent as the film boasts such stars as Hanks (Gepetto), Gordon-Levitt (Jiminy Cricket) and Ainsworth as the titular puppet. Alongside the characters, is the decision to lean on CGI throughout many elements which both works for and against the film in certain moments as the decision-making for what or who receives this computer glow-up are odd. Still, it is gorgeous to behold when used to full effect and notably stands out among characters such as Honest John (Keegan-Michael Key) and several other set pieces. One of the film’s strongest assets is its overall visuals but viewers are always kept as a supporting character when many times they were the standout performer above and beyond any actors on screen. This was blatantly noticeable throughout scenes in Pleasure Island or Stromboli’s circus where some remarkable CGI was on full display. And yet, the decision to create a CGI’ed Figaro and Cleo seemed almost counter-productive in establishing the early setting of the film as there was simply too much animation for Hanks to play off of in this supposedly live-action adaptation.

If viewers are looking for a different take or spin on this well-worn classic, then they will be slightly disappointed as Pinocchio delivers more of a straightforward re-telling of the story featuring only small deviations from the original source material. This can be seen as either a good or poor decision based on the viewer’s preconception of the story, however, this decision ultimately rings hollow in terms of the overall experience as many will be desperate to find something to enjoy during the runtime but knowing what was coming beat for beat will not help its cause.

This version of Pinocchio arguably feels like a half-attempt despite its budget, the actors, and the care placed on visuals. Hanks offers very little to the role of Gepetto which is something that’s hard to imagine considering his interpretation of Col. Parker in Elvis earlier this year, and Gordon-Levitt’s voicework for Jiminy Crickett is likely to divide audiences. The story, while familiar, seems extremely stretched out for time in moments and seemed to add to the running time more than the actual narrative. Truthfully, this effort simply lacks any real imagination or heart, instead relying on big names and solid computer animation to carry it forward. All of this results in a very lukewarm film which also commits one of the largest cardinal sins in filmmaking – not evoking any form of emotion.

Rather than celebrating what was, one can’t help but wonder what could have been before moving on to something more enjoyable.

still courtesy of Disney

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Critics w/o Credentials

Trying my best to get all thoughts about TV and Film out of my head and onto the interweb.