Walt Disney Animation Studios Film Watch – Day 2: Pinocchio
Ultimately, I’m a little mixed about this film. On one hand, The quality of the animation is on par with Snow White and very nice to look at (though, that’s pretty much par for the course for most of Disney’s animated films.), and even with the titular character’s attitude change from a little brat in the original story to a cheerful, kind child in the adaptation, he was still naïve and prone to temptation which gave him enough room to have character development and earn his reward to be a real boy.
On the other hand, a slow, padding start and pretty much none of the villains getting their comeuppance (Lampwick and Monstro don’t count (to me, anyways)) can make the experience a little dour for some viewers.
Lampwick’s transformation was one of the darker highlights for the film. Him crying out for his mama as he turned into a donkey was pretty frightening for a lot of viewers, especially parents, back in 1940.
Overall, I’d still give it a watch, even if it’s not as satisfying as Snow White (again, mainly because of the villains getting away scot-free) in my opinion.