REVIEW: THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO (1996)
THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.5
Alternative Scale: ** out of ****
United States, 1996
Release date: 7/26/96 (wide)
Running Length: 1:36
MPAA Classification: G
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Genevieve Bujold, Udo Kier,
Bebe Neuwirth, Rob Schneider
Director: Steve Barron
Producers: Raju Patel and Jeffrey Sneller
Screenplay: Sherry Mills, Steve Barron, Tom Benedek, and Barry Berman
Cinematography: Juan Ruiz Anchia
Music: Pachel Portman
U.S. Distributor: New Line Cinema
There's an old adage that states: "Just because something can be
done doesn't mean it should be done." Director Steve Barron (THE
CONEHEADS) might have been advised to pay attention to this saying.
There's no reason why movie audiences need a live action retelling of
the story immortalized in 1940 by the animators at Disney. Not only is
the original PINOCCHIO (based on the satirical work by C. Collodi) a
motion picture classic, but it makes this dull, feeble re-telling look
like the product of second-rate hacks.
As in the Disney version, we're introduced to the kindly
puppetmaker, Gepetto (Martin Landau), who lives alone with his
creations. One day, he carves a little boy out of a magical log, and
Pinocchio (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) comes to life -- literally.
At first, Gepetto is understandably surprised by this turn of events,
but his shock turns to delight when the wooden boy calls him "papa".
Like all children, Pinocchio is imbued with curiosity, and it soon gets
him into trouble. Before long, he is being pursued by the two evil
lackeys (Bebe Neuwirth and Rob Schneider) of a nasty puppeteer (Udo
Kier). This leads to scenes on an island where bad boys become donkeys,
and in the belly of a whale.
When I was young, PINOCCHIO was my favorite Disney animated film.
It was, I thought, a perfect blend of adventure, fantasy, and
excitement. Even now, amidst quantum advances in animation, the scenes
with the whale never fail to impress. And then there's Jimney Cricket,
one of Disney's best-ever sidekicks. His rendition of "When You Wish
Upon a Star" (obviously absent from this new version) is a highlight.
PINOCCHIO is no less magical today than it was in 1940. And magic is
precisely the quality missing from New Line Cinema's THE ADVENTURES OF
PINOCCHIO.
When everything is animated, it's easy to accept all that
transpires during this tale. However, put live actors on screen with an
animatronic puppet, and, suddenly, there's an issue of credibility. No
matter how cute and imaginative this Pinocchio is, it never seems real.
It's a walking visual effect, and the slight imperfections visible in
the manner by which it is brought to life are painfully apparent. In
large part because of this, it's difficult to be drawn into the film's
reality.
The only actor who isn't completely wasted is Martin Landau, whose
performance as Gepetto is one of the film's few high points. Jonathan
Taylor Thomas is Pinocchio, but, mercifully, the young star's on-screen
time is limited to a few scenes near the end. Genevieve Bujold is
completely wasted as Leona, Gepetto's long-time love. In place of the
unforgettable Jimney Cricket, this version gives us Pepe the
grasshopper, a philosophizing insect whose voice is provided by David
Doyle.
THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO offers parents an obvious source of
midsummer entertainment for their offspring. Alas, this is a pale
imitation of what has come before, and yet another example of
Hollywood's unwillingness to strike out in new directions. This
PINOCCHIO is representative of the mentality that has studios finding a
comfortable, well-worn niche and hunkering down in its relative safety.
So, although this particular stringless puppet might be transformed into
a real live boy, he's stuck in a movie that's more pointless than
lively.
- James Berardinelli
e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net
ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin