Pinocchio (2018)
By Renee Longstreet,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Reimagining of classic tale has lots of peril, some scares.
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Pinocchio (2018)
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Based on 4 parent reviews
SpongeBob is now Pinocchio after watching
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MANNY HEFFLEY IS NOW PINOCCHIO AFTER WATCHING THIS
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What's the Story?
PINOCCHIO (2018) is set in Italy a long time ago. Lucky Geppetto (voiced by Michael Rudder), the wood carver, finds a wonderful hunk of wood that he hears giggling like a child. Delightedly he carves a puppet who appears immediately to be the "son" that Geppetto has longed for. But Pinocchio (Johnny Orlando) isn't the son that Geppetto anticipated. Instead of being an obedient, loving child, the little puppet is incorrigible, a wild child who wants to do only as he pleases. Eating, drinking, and sleeping are the only activities he's willing to try. What's more, he's curious, ready to believe just about anything anyone tells him, other than his dad. And because of his nature, the poor little puppet gets caught up in a series of perilous adventures that threaten to separate him from his belongings, his home, his father, and even his very short life. Only a chance meeting with a beautiful blue-haired fairy (Jennifer Suliteanu) gives Pinocchio pause and helps him see that perhaps being a real boy who is loving and well-behaved might offer a calmer, more productive way of life.
Is It Any Good?
Dazzling color, inventive animation, funny and/or memorable characters, along with some cute original songs, are Director Enzo D'Alo's contribution to the iconic misbehaving puppet's story. And it doesn't hurt that the movie is set in Italy, home to Collodi, the 19th-century author of the original book. The movie's animation beautifully captures the place, bringing its countryside and villages to life. Pinocchio (2018) has lots of familiar messages about honesty, good behavior, and duty. However, an inconsistent performance by the lead actor -- Johnny Orlando, who has since gone on to a busy career as a young teen -- and some pacing challenges, which may have to do with the adaptation from the original Italian into English, fail to deliver a top-notch audience experience. Kids who are at ease with cartoon violence should enjoy the characters -- particularly the peripheral ones, many of whom have been given distinctive, quirky personalities.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how fairy tales and other classic stories are filmed over and over again. What's the advantage to a film production company of using a story or character that people are already familiar with, like Pinocchio? What responsibilities do the new creators have to make their own vision special and separate from those that have gone before?
Pinocchio started out as a very naughty little puppet. What character strengths did he develop over the course of the film (e.g., self-control, perseverance)?
Be creative. Take a familiar storybook or fairy tale character and write or draw that character into a new adventure that's true to the underlying premise (e.g., the curious Goldilocks landing in a big city).
Talk about the violence in Pinocchio (2018). Was it scary? Funny? Did you think any of the scenes were too frightening for kids (e.g., Pinocchio in the burning tree)? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: April 10, 2018
- Cast: Johnny Orlando, Ambyr Childers, Jon Heder
- Director: Enzo D'Alo
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Music and Sing-Along
- Character Strengths: Courage, Gratitude, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-control
- Run time: 84 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: thematic elements and some peril
- Last updated: March 31, 2022
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