'Pinocchio' Review: A Familiar Tale With No New Magic
Disney has released yet another live-action remake of one of their beloved classic films with Pinocchio, a hollow re-imagining of the revered story that fails to capture any sort of magic.
Disney’s live-action remakes have turned out to be different varieties of mediocre over the past several years, leaving very little excitement for another version of Pinocchio on the table. The tale of the wooden boy come to life is a story audiences have come to know and love, this time being told by director Robert Zemeckis, who is accompanied by a stellar cast that includes Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cynthia Erivo, Keegan-Michael Key, Luke Evans, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as the titular character.
With an impressive pedigree in front of and behind the camera, the potential for a fun, breezy re-imagining of this classic story is certainly there. However, there is very little to enjoy in this live-action remake. The cast is one of the few highlights of the film, Ainsworth giving his all as the voice of the wooden boy, supported by strong performances from Gordon-Levitt, Erivo, and Michael Key. Evans is also having the time of his life chewing up scenery as the villainous Coachman. Hanks, after delivering a truly bizarre turn in this year’s Elvis, is miscast yet again as Geppetto, sliding in and out of a cartoonish accent that simply takes the viewer out of the story time and time again.
The visuals occasionally delight as well, the CGI and action sequences looking great for the most part. There are a handful of sequences that are extremely well-crafted and orchestrated, casting faint glimmers of the director behind far superior classics, such as Back to the Future, Cast Away, and Forrest Gump. This is easily the most epic in scope this story will ever look and feel, but that also comes at the film’s detriment.
The main reason as to why this remake misses the mark substantially is that it comes across as more of a theme park ride than it does a feature film. The action sequences will make you feel like you’re on a ride at one of Disney’s parks, but the emotional element that should be present is completely absent throughout. It feels as if more time and effort was put into crafting the film’s special effects and set pieces than on the most important elements, the story and characters. None of the characters in the film feel fleshed out or three-dimensional, resulting in next to no emotional attachment for the audience. As a result, the film itself feels emotionally vacant, an upsetting disappointment.
The magic of the original story is also noticeably gone, character interactions and humor falling completely flat throughout. The film tries to emulate the wonder and awe of the classic story on multiple occasions, but nearly always comes up short, feeling like a pale imitation of what magic should feel like. CGI and action sequences can’t conceal a lackluster story, but the film gives its all in trying to do so.
Pinocchio is a story that has stood the test of time due to its indelible story, music, and lovable characters. Zemeckis’ reimagining falls flat on virtually every level, failing to remind viewers why this is a story that remains in the hearts of so many. It’s a film where the ending tries to convince the viewer they’ve watched something extraordinary and magical, but all it succeeds in doing is sobering them up to thinking the complete opposite. Simply put, watch the original instead and leave this lifeless remake on the shelf to collect dust.