PINOCCHIO: WISHES COME TRUE

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I am a sucker for classic Walt Disney movies. At 59 years of age with no grandchildren I still make a point of adding the releases of classic Disney animated films to my collection. I never grow tired of watching them and they still retain the magic for me that they had when I viewed them decades ago as a child. I enjoy them with great nieces and nephews when I have the chance, exposing them to the magic that is Disney. They might find the animation lacking in a world of computer generated images but there is no mistaking that these films are works of art.

So it is with the release of PINOCCHIO: THE SIGNATURE COLLECTION EDITION on blu-ray. Yes, it has been released previously but as with all Disney re-releases new features have been added and each time they attempt to offer the cleanest and brightest picture possible. They never fail.

For those unaware of the story being told (where have you been to miss this?) it tells of a lonely marionette maker named Gepetto whose latest creation is a young boy he names Pinocchio. During the night a fairy arrives at his shop and brings the boy to life, placing a cricket named Jiminy in charge of watching over him, to be his conscience. Gepetto rises delighted to find him alive. But Pinocchio doesn’t want to be just a marionette. He wants to be a real live boy.

This goal sets Pinocchio and by association Jiminy on a set of adventures while Pinocchio tries to become that. As a young and uninformed person Pinocchio falls prey to the perils of life, kidnapped at one point and setting off to join a group of other young boys who want to grow up into a terror filled journey that finds some of them turned into burros. All the while Jiminy continues to warm Pinocchio of the dangers he is about to encounter but his warning seem to fall on deaf ears.

Pinocchio’s quest is a noble one. He loves his “father” Gepetto and wishes to become a real boy to be normal but also because he wants to please Gepetto. The bond between the two is as much parent to child as could be found. And before the story ends both will place themselves in danger because of the bond they have.

Watching this movie again after all these years it continues to hold up to the test of time. That was one of the most magical things about the classic Disney movies. They were not rooted in one decade or another 60 years later. The stories were timeless and always offered a bit of common sense guidance not determined by social mores of the time but based on things everyone should know and learn. It isn’t about political correctness or a cause but about life in general and that’s why they remain some of the best films around. In a year where we have all been pounded with politics it is wonderful to see a movie not mired in that but that offers a compelling story that teaches as well.

As I said earlier the movie itself is a masterwork of art, with images that were drawn by some of the best and brightest that Disney ever had working for him. Their ability to bring to life this story and to make it interesting is amazing. And it isn’t just the characters that make it so but the backgrounds, the settings and the attention to detail that make this film one that is a visual feast for the eyes. To just imagine the work that went into a single minute of film is stunning. To realize that the movie contains 88 minutes of that is astounding.

In addition to the remastered look of the film there are several new bonus items included as well. One is a reworking of the now famous tune from the film “When You Wish Upon a Star” as done by 3 Disney kids. Another is a behind the scenes making of on the film. A third is a behind the scenes look at items discussed for the Pleasure Island sequence that were abandoned and not used. There is a discussion with Walt Disney about the character of Pinocchio and the making of the movie. And there is a short cartoon featuring Oswald the lucky rabbit, one of the earliest creations of young animator Walt Disney. Not enough? Well there are indeed more extras to be found.

In addition to that the movie is available in a packaging that includes both the blu-ray and DVD versions on disc as well as a digital download for the film making it as portable as you possibly can right now. If you aren’t aware of digital downloads of films then by all means you need to begin looking into Vudu and ultra violet editions. This movie would be a great place to start.

When all is said and done PINOCCHIO remains the treasure that it was the first time you saw it. If you have children then don’t let this on pass you by. Normally Disney releases a film and then removes it from the market for several years. So pick this one up before that happens because by the time it comes around again your child might think themselves too “grown up” for a Disney flick. Have it on hand so they can enjoy it now. But don’t let them know that you’re enjoying it more than they are. Let it provide family memories now like it did for you when you were young. Isn’t your family worth the investment?

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