Pinocchio Blu-ray Review

Pinocchio Blu-ray

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Video Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video resolution: 1080p Aspect ratio: 1.35:1 Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1 Audio English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 English: Dolby Digital Mono (Original) English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 English: Dolby Digital Mono (Original) (less) Subtitles English SDH English SDH (less) Discs 50GB Blu-ray Disc Three-disc set (3 BDs) BD-Live

Price List price: $35.99  Amazon: $24.99 (Save 31%) Third party: $17.92 (Save 50%) Usually ships in 24 hours Blu-ray review Movie 5.0 Video 5.0 Audio 3.5 Extras 4.5 Overall 4.5 Playback Region A (B, C untested)

Pinocchio Blu-ray Review

Disney gives glorious new life to yet another animated classic...

From the moment "when you wish upon a star" graced the speakers in my home theater, I found myself in wide-eyed wonder, instantly transported back to my childhood to revisit one of the most moving animated films I've ever had the pleasure of watching. By all accounts, Pinocchio is an unforgettable masterpiece; a deceptively simple coming-of-age tale that, some seventy years after its inception, still has the ability to make a grown man cry. It's even more powerful in light of modern animated features that seem all-too-content resorting to pop-culture references and uninspired stories. Make no mistake, Pinocchio is a rare, timeless classic... one I was more than happy to introduce to a four-year-old who, just like his dear old dad, fell in love with every charming minute.

For a film celebrating its seventieth anniversary, Pinocchio feels startlingly fresh...

When a lonely woodcarver named Geppetto (voiced by Christian Rub) crafts a marionette called Pinocchio and makes a heartfelt wish on a starry night, he awakens to find the puppet has come to life. However, the Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) who grants the old man's request informs the pair that Pinocchio (Dickie Jones) can only become a real boy if he proves his true worth by being honest and selfless. At the puppet's side is a well-intentioned cricket named Jiminy (Cliff Edwards) who agrees to function as his conscience. The next day Pinocchio begins his life with gusto, but soon falls prey to the wiles of two con men (Mel Blanc and Walter Catlett) who sell him to a showman named Stromboli (Charles Judels). While the mischievous marionette escapes with the help of the Blue Fairy, he's warned to get his act together if he ever wants to be a real boy. Yet when he encounters the same con men as before, Pinocchio lands himself in trouble once again. Shipped off to a twisted dystopia known as Pleasure Island, the puppet has to survive an evil force that transforms children into donkeys, find his way home, and rescue Geppetto (who went searching for his lost son) from the belly of a vicious whale.

It never ceases to amaze me how dark and complex children's' films once were. Pinocchio never pulls a single punch, deftly examining the consequences of poor decision-making, the lure of temptation, and the fading innocence of childhood in every scene. Pinocchio's misadventures aren't lofty or whimsical; they're bleak and grimy, submerging the newborn marionette into a world intent on taking advantage of his ignorance. His visit to Pleasure Island is unsettling, his sacrifice for his father is unnerving, and his gleeful embrace of everything wrong in the world is frightening... yet it regularly imparts invaluable lessons to even its youngest viewers. I don't know about you, but I couldn't ask for a more relevant message to pass on to my son. In an age when animated films focus on being yourself and discovering your own uniqueness, it's refreshing to revisit a classic that teaches kids how easy it is to become something you don't want to be. Sure, its moral allusions can be heavy-handed at times (as can the film's symbology), but I appreciated its frank and honest dissection of several legitimate struggles every person, regardless of age, encounters over and over again throughout the course of their everyday lives.

Just don't let that scare you away. Pinocchio wears its heart on its sleeve, leaving little doubt as to how much Geppetto cares for his son, how imperfect the best intentions can be (Jiminy's mistakes are just as meaningful as Pinocchio's), and how love and selflessness remain two of the most powerful forces on the planet. Combined with stirring music, expressive animation, and a script that focuses the majority of its efforts on meticulous character development, the film transcends its cartoonish presentation to resonate with people of all ages. Perhaps I'm over-analyzing the tale's significance, but I was continually wowed by its artistry, storytelling, and meaning. Did my son cover his eyes once or twice? Sure. Did he look away? Not once. Did he understand everything he was watching? The conversation it struck up between us proved he had. Pinocchio isn't just an animated anomaly; it's a reminder of how worthwhile and important cinema can be... even when to those haven't started school yet.

With my praise and superlatives exhausted, I have little left to offer aside from a hearty recommendation that everyone -- parents, kids, and animation fans of all ages -- spend some time with this heartwarming Disney classic. It not only stands up as well as it did seventy years ago, it still exhibits the power to charm, teach, and influence young minds for the better. I cannot recommend Pinocchio enough.

Video

After earning critical accolades for its immaculate frame-by-frame remastering of Sleeping Beauty, Disney has chosen Pinocchio to receive its next 1080p/AVC-encoded treatment, granting the 1940 classic a thorough restoration and producing one of the finest traditional animation transfers on the market. The film's colors have been completely reinvigorated, giving each scene tremendous vibrancy, depth, and dimensionality. Even so, the newly-minted 1.33:1 image never feels overworked or insincere, instead allowing its modern artisans the privilege of paying homage to their Disney forbearers. Detail is equally impressive -- the hand-painted backgrounds are wonderfully textured, minor elements on each character is more apparent than ever before, and the lineart is exceptionally crisp and well-defined. More importantly, the picture is incredibly clean and stable. Artifacting, print damage, and noise are non-existent, black levels are rich and deep, and contrast is attractive and, dare I say, flawless.

As it stands, I couldn't find much of anything to complain about... a welcome rarity in my position, I assure you. Pinocchio looks so amazing that I can't wait to see what Disney will do with the rest of its beloved canon in the years to come.

Audio

The relative low-point of Pinocchio's Blu-ray debut is undoubtedly its DTS HD 7.1 Master Audio track. Don't get me wrong, I can't imagine the film sounding much better than it does here, but voices alternate between thin and stuffy, LFE-laden effects are slightly inconsistent from scene to scene, and directionality is a bit artificial and spotty. Honestly, I preferred listening to the restored mono mix, if for no other reason than to revisit the film as it was meant to be heard. Still, it's impossible to criticize Disney's efforts and investment. A 7.1 surround track may seem like overkill to some, but I found the film's audio elements had been treated with extreme care, leaving little doubt in my mind as to how serious the studio is in presenting their catalog classics with all the bells and whistles available in this modern age without sacrificing the integrity of a film's original presentation. In that regard, Pinocchio offers an impressive audio package that does its best with the inherent limitations of its source material. Considering the film is celebrating its 70th anniversary, that's saying something.

Supplements

The 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Pinocchio not only packs in all of the supplemental content from the standard DVD (in high definition no less), it gives fans access to a slew of exclusive extras including a Picture-in-Picture video commentary, BD-Live interactivity, and more. Like the highly-rated Blu-ray release of Sleeping Beauty, Disney really pulls out all the stops to produce a remarkable collection of special features.

• Exclusive Cine-Explore Feature: The opening volley of Pinocchio's excellent supplemental package comes in the form of a Picture-in-Picture video commentary. Animator Eric Goldberg, Leonard Maltin, and J.B. Kaufman discuss the film, its impact on cinema, and its lasting influences while original storyboards, stills, and archive footage appear on screen. It's a high-quality presentation that remains engaging from start to finish. A definite must for fans of the film, classic animation, and tech nuts alike.
• Audio Commentary: You can also listen to Goldberg, Maltin, and Kaufman's informative commentary in a more traditional manner by disabling the PiP option.
• Exclusive BD-Live Interactivity: BD-Live users will discover four bonuses to enhance their viewing pleasure. Movie Chat allows you to create text-based viewing experiences with friends, Movie Mail gives you the opportunity to distribute personalized voice messages that have been superimposed overtop of pre-selected film clips, Movie Challenge is a competitive trivia game that runs alongside the movie, and Disney Movie Rewards Live gives you activity-based points to use to redeem content like Avatars, downloadable extras, and more. While they're all niche features, I still can't help but praise Disney for thinking outside of the box and encouraging filmfans to take advantage of everything Blu-ray has to offer.
• No Strings Attached (HD, 56 minutes): This lengthy behind-the-scenes documentary can be a tad repetitive after sitting through the PiP commentary, but it also produces plenty of details that haven't already been covered elsewhere on the discs. Thankfully, it digs into the classic production, the film's legacy, and the restoration work modern animators put into revitalizing each aging frame.
• Deleted Scenes and Alternate Ending (HD, 11 minutes): While they only exist in storyboard form, this collection of cuts is worth watching for anyone interested in the construction of the film and the editing process.
• Deleted Song (3 minutes): An audio presentation of "Honest John," a song that didn't make it past the cutting room floor.
• The Sweat Box (HD, 6 minutes): An absolutely fascinating, yet truncated look at a small screening room in which animators anxiously presented story reels, rough animation, and dailies to Walt Disney himself.
• Live Action Reference Footage (HD, 10 minutes): Silent archive footage of reference material used by various Disney animators. Bits of narration give each scene context and explain how facial expressions and everyday objects were replicated in the film.
• Optional Border Fills: Don't like the black bars on either side of your screen? Engage this option and those boring black spaces will be replaced with alternating images of bundled stage curtains and more.
• Pinocchio Art Galleries: Eight extensive galleries are home to hundreds of production stills, concept art, storyboards, drawings, design work, and reference photographs. Sure, it will only appeal to purists, but the collection is staggering.
• Geppettos Then and Now (HD, 11 minutes): A dry exploration into the evolution of toymaking over the years.
• Disney Song Selections: A karaoke-esque subtitle track that places lyrics on the screen along with the film's songs.
• Music Video (HD, 3 minutes): A video for "When You Wish Upon a Star" with singer Meaghan Jette Martin.
• Pinocchio's Matter of Facts: A pop-up trivia track that includes dozens of factoids and production notes about the film, the original children's story, and the animators who brought it to life.
• Exclusive Pinocchio Knows Trivia Challenge: An interactive, multiplayer trivia game.
• Trailer Gallery (SD, 5 minutes): The only standard definition extra is this trio of theatrical trailers.
• Pleasure Island Carnival Games: A series of interactive arcade games. Unfortunately, the controls are less than ideal that will lead to a lot of frustration for both adults and children.
• Pinocchio's Puzzles: An interactive puzzle game hosted by Jiminy Cricket.
• Bonus Standard Definition Copy of the Film: Don't have a Blu-ray player in every room of the house? No worries, Disney has included a DVD disc for kids' rooms and other household TVs that don't have that high definition sparkle.

What else can I say about this fantastic Disney Blu-ray release? It features a timeless cinematic classic, a gorgeous restoration, a stunning video transfer, a relatively remarkable DTS HD 7.1 Master Audio track, and an endless collection of supplemental material that includes several meaty exclusives. Simply put, the 3-disc Blu-ray edition of Pinocchio should already have a comfortable home on every true filmfan's shelves. Buy it without any further delay.



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