An old craftsman, Geppetto, carves a wooden puppet which he names Pinocchio. The latter dreams of becoming a real little boy, but for that, he will have to be brave, generous and trustworthy. The cricket Jiminy Cricket, recruited by the Blue Fairy to become Pinocchio’s conscience, has a lot to do to protect the puppet as he faces the world.
Posted at 8:30 a.m.
It is a dark reading of the Pinocchio tale offered by director Robert Zemeckis. He essentially bases his story on the famous animated cartoon from Walt Disney Productions, a masterpiece from 1940 which already contained its dark side, and not on the story of Carlo Collodi, published in 1883.
Robert Zemeckis’ film mixes flesh and blood actors, like Tom Hanks in the role of Geppetto and Cynthia Erivo in that of the Blue Fairy, and computer-generated characters, like Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket. The stowage is done rather well, but not always to perfection.
Traditionally, the tale of Pinocchio is a cautionary tale: it aims to teach children not to lie and not to be seduced by talkers. In Robert Zemeckis’ film, almost all the adults are evil, except for Geppetto and a young girl who comes to Pinocchio’s aid. The kids aren’t much nicer: they’re bad, older kids heading for disaster. There is a certain evolution compared to the 1940 film: there are several girls among the naughty children, not just boys.
Much of the action takes place in the dark, which accentuates the disturbing character of the plot while providing an aesthetic that is sometimes a little gothic. There are some funny scenes, but there aren’t enough of them to fully relax the atmosphere.
The film is therefore not intended for young children. And not to adults either: there are many winks here and there, but they are not legion.
Older kids might enjoy the story, which doesn’t see much respite. One incident does not wait for the other. Pinocchio is definitely having a tough few days.
True to tradition, Robert Zemeckis includes a number of songs in Pinocchio. If Cynthia Erivo’s interpretation of When You Wish Upon a Star is particularly successful, it must be admitted that Tom Hanks is clearly not a singer.
In a way, the main element that illuminates the film is Pinocchio himself, a small man of immense candor who matures according to events.
Guillermo del Toro will offer his own take on the tale of Pinocchio in an animated film slated for release in December on Netflix. Perhaps we should not expect a version much more perky than that of Robert Zemeckis: Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro will take place in fascist Italy in the 1930s.
On Disney+
adventure movie
Pinocchio
Robert Zemeckis
With Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Cynthia Erivo
1:51 a.m.