Unearthing a Classic

So what's on the schedule for this week? Another one of Disney's oldest, that's what! Amazingly, this was the second animated film Walt Disney ever made, and it's still a wonder to watch.

Pinocchio
Original release: February 7, 1940

This film is undoubtedly a favorite among families all over the country, as it has been for decades; the movie was so popular that it was re-released to theaters seven times! The character of Jiminy Cricket has appeared in countless places, and is perhaps the most recognized Disney character after Mickey Mouse...and perhaps Donald Duck. ("And Simba," Mah reminds me.)

It's hard to put a finger on what exactly makes this movie such a good one. First, I can say that its characters function well. I've actually become quite partial to that fox, Honest John. He's clever and somewhat comical; he leads Pinocchio astray for a bit of fun and to earn a handful of coins, nothing more, as is evident from the terror he expresses at the Coachman's far more diabolical plans. I also made several notes about how much work went into Jiminy Cricket's characterization. He really is quite charming. Now if only they'd made him look like a cricket...

Second, the musical numbers in this movie are entertaining to listen to and simply beg to get stuck in your head. "When You Wish upon a Star" has become a landmark tune in itself: hum it and you will turn heads. I'm serious. Disney even made it its official fanfare recently. Don't believe me? Take a look.



Gee, that tune sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Granted, there were a few moments in the movie that had me scratching my head. In Geppetto's first scene, he came off as a bit, well, mentally unstable. And when we first meet the Blue Fairy, she looks exactly like a Snow White who got her hair bleached. And that whale, Monstro? He's completely hollow! Whatever happened to the idea that the mouth, stomach, and lungs are all separate cavities?

However, it's pointless to rail at these minor grievances. The rest of the movie far outweighs the questionable scenes. I particularly liked the puppeteer, Stromboli; greedy and irascible, he serves as the perfect model of a person who has fallen into the "temptation" that Jiminy has warned Pinocchio about. And though Monstro may be anatomically inaccurate, he is the perfect vehicle to carry the story's climax: a fearsome monster who is determined to make the protagonists feel his wrath.

Perhaps the most amazingly staged scene is the one I'm about to show you. Many people, critics and casual watchers, have described the following sequence as one of the most frightening that they've ever witnessed. Do you dare to click 'Play'?



You can laugh at me if you want, or call me an imposter in the realm of animation aficionados, but I had never seen this movie before. Seeing as it is considered one of the most classic of the classics, I figured that it would be a good idea to watch it for the purpose of this blog...and, of course, for recreation. I had fun watching this. After all, that's what movies are about, right?

Mahewa's rating: 4.7/5




Let's try something a bit different when looking at reviews. Here is a page from MSN Shopping (don't laugh) that contains snippets about what customers thought of the DVD. Each answer is thorough and concise. Sometimes you've got to value brevity; just ask any Twitter user.