Pinocchio

What’s the Story?

First released in 1940, PINOCCHIO tells the story of a kindhearted but lonely woodcarver named Geppetto (voiced by Christian Rub) who wishes that the wooden puppet he carved would be a real boy. His wish is granted by a fairy (Evelyn Venable,) but only in part; it is up to the suddenly mobile Pinocchio (Dickie Jones) to finish his transformation to boyhood by being brave, truthful, and unselfish. The fairy gives him help in the form of Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards), his designated "guide along the straight and narrow path." But when that path is strewn with temptations to skip school and visit Pleasure Island, Pinocchio's quest to be a real boy -- not to mention his father's life -- are imperiled.

Is It Any Good?

Seven decades after it first came out, Pinocchio hearkens back to a time when the stars of animated films were the illustrators, not celebrity voice talent. The 2009 reissue includes digital restoration of the film's original colors, so that, for instance, scenes of various cuckoo clocks chiming simultaneously in Geppetto's workshop would be reason enough to recommend the film. The soundtrack includes classics like "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Give a Little Whistle" that will still be familiar to families today.

But the lessons in the film are also timeless: the same traits of bravery, honesty, and selflessness that make Pinocchio human are ones we would like our children to possess in adulthood. The downside of ignoring your conscience is rendered in a way that may be uniquely terrifying to children -- how indulging in the temptations of Pleasure Island results in separation from family and utter loss of self. Though Jiminy's reassuring presence allows viewers to hope for the puppet boy's rescue, Pinocchio acts as the original "Scared Straight" experience for the younger set.