THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO
A film review by Scott Renshaw
Copyright 1996 Scott Renshaw
Starring: Martin Landau, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Udo Kier, Bebe Neuwirth, Rob Schneider, Genevieve Bujold, David Doyle. Screenplay: Sherry Mills, Steve Barron, Tom Benedek, Barry Berman. Director: Steve Barron. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
There is a single word which is quite conspicuous in its complete absence from the production notes for THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO: "Disney." There are references to "the version most audiences find familiar," and comments about the "watered-down" adaptation, but nowhere does anyone acknowledge that Disney's 1940 animated classic presents a rather tough act to follow, perhaps as though they are wishing upon a star to erase that legacy. Naturally, the film-makers have chosen to push the fact that this version is more "in the spirit" of the 1883 children's tale by Carlo Collodi than previous film versions, but while THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO might be closer to the source material than that "version most audiences find familiar," I suspect it won't be closer to the hearts of many viewers. It is a moderately diverting entertainment for children with little to offer for adults.
It is, of course, the story of a lonely puppet-maker named Geppetto (Martin Landau), who many years earlier carved his initial and that of his unrequited love Leona (Genevieve Bujold) into a pine tree. Now an old man, Geppetto unknowingly cuts down that tree, and carves the trunk into a puppet boy he calls Pinocchio. Miraculously, Pinocchio (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) comes to life, and with a curiosity to explore his new surroundings. That brings him to the attention of Felinet (Bebe Neuwirth) and Volpe (Rob Schneider), two money-hungry scoundrels who want to bring him to the attention of wicked puppet show master Lorenzini (Udo Kier). Pinocchio is separated from Geppetto, and begins a series of adventures which will bring him to the playland of Terra Magica and into the belly of a giant sea creature on his quest to become a real boy.
There are a number of new twists to this telling of "Pinocchio" which are actually quite interesting, chief among them the portrayal of Pinocchio himself. Disney's Pinocchio usually seemed to be an innocent victim of naivete; director and co-scripter Steve Barron (TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES) makes him a bit more of a mischief-maker in his own right, never malicious but showing his share of the things that little boys are made of so that he can experience real growth. The Pinocchio puppet created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop actually makes him look like an expressive piece of wood, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas (no stranger to voice work after doing the young Simba in THE LION KING) does a nice job of allowing him to mature. The production design is also exceptional, with the Czech Republic town of Cesky Krumlov providing the perfect storybook look for Geppetto's village.
Still there is that legacy, and THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO finds itself in the most trouble when it brings to mind the way similar sequences were handled by Disney. All of the most familiar moments are here -- Pinocchio's triumphant performance at the puppet show; his fib-enhanced growing nose; the transformation of Lampwick (Corey Carrier) into a jackass; the escape from inside the whale -- but the changes in those scenes are generally cases of trying to make them bigger rather than better. The transformation scene is particularly noteworthy in this respect, placing Pinocchio, Lampwick and a pair of other boys on what appears to be the Indiana Jones Adventure, rocketing through caverns at maximum speed and volume. Most disgracefully, Barron handles the expectation for a cricket conscience by creating a computer generated insect named Pepe (voice of David Doyle, erstwhile Bosley of "Charlie's Angels" infamy). Barron seems to have no idea what to do with him except consistently have him magnified or placed in annoying perspective shots, and his comments generally consist of limp attempts at anachronistic humor. Jiminy Cricket was a dignified voice of restraint; Pepe is a kooky sidekick.
On the one hand, I want to give Barron credit for trying to unify the episodes of "Pinocchio," for eliminating the deus ex machina fairy and for underscoring the relationship between Pinocchio and Geppetto which seems to be an afterthought in Disney's version. Unfortunately, he doesn't really get where he wants to go, and he is too interested in keeping the kids happy with slapstick and the ever-popular dog urination gag to pay attention to the story which might mean something to adults. THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO has enough visual spark to please young audiences, and a noble enough message to appease their parents, but it lacks the wit, warmth and emotional highs to erase the memory it is trying so hard to erase. This PINOCCHIO may become a real boy, but he's not the real thing.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 strings attached: 5.
-- Scott Renshaw Stanford University http://www-leland.stanford.edu/~srenshaw
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