Disney Classics Marathon :pound_symbol:2

Talk about childhood trauma...

I haven’t watched this movie in about 15+ years. As a child it terrified me, and even as a teenager it made me uncomfortable and I didn’t enjoy a minute of it.

It has always been weird to me how this movie ended up on the top on so many Disney Classic rankings, especially since I personally never met anyone who truly enjoyed this film let alone put it even in their Top 10.

That being said, I do acknowledge what a masterpiece it is when it comes to animation from a technical standpoint or how aesthetically pleasing it is, even if terrifying at times.

In a way, "Pinocchio" should have been the first indicator towards Disney’s later trend of choosing, well, "offbeat" sources to turn into movies primarily aimed at kids. Even though "Pinocchio" is based on an actual children’s novel, one that is in aspects even darker and more disturbing than the film (can you believe it?)

Like I said, animation-wise it certainly deserves its title as a masterpiece. The movie looks absolutely gorgeous. The character design, backgrounds and flow in animation are gorgeous. "Snow White" was already a beautiful movie and it’s stunning what Disney achieved just a couple of years later. Even for today’s standards this movie is beautiful.

It is also way more dynamic than its predecessor. Character have more personality (also reflected in the animation) and relationships are more developed and have more depth. It not only teaches some valuable lessons to kids, it also ranges from small little funny moments to genuine emotional beats.

Perhaps, I always judged this too harshly. I mostly reduced it to Pleasure Island, which was and still is a nightmare to watch. I doubt Disney would get away with the terrifying imagery today (let alone the underaged drinking and smoking). The donkey transformation is horrific (even though the donkeys themselves have a rather cutesy design), but what really gets me today is how the transformed boys cry in agony for their mothers and just want to go home, only to be enslaved and send away to do hard labor. And no one saves them. Pinocchio and Jiminy might get away, but for them it’s only one segment of their adventurous journey, but for the other children, there is no resolve or happy ending. The Coachman is also terrifying and even if he just makes a short appearance, he is definitely one of Disney’s creepiest and perhaps most underrated villains.

On some random thoughts and loose ends: I forgot how amazing the animation on Monstro is. Pinocchio is less annoying than I remembered. Honest John and Gideon still crack me up for some reason. I love the design of the Blue Fairy. "When You Wish Upon A Star" is a beautiful song, but it’s still slightly overrated.

"Pinocchio" is far from my favorite Disney movie and will never be one of those I can rewatch all the time, though I gained slightly more appreciation towards it and can definitely recognize its beauty. Pleasure Island is still nightmare-inducing though.

Favorite Scene: The Blue Fairy giving life to Pinocchio

Favorite Character: Jiminy Cricket

Favorite Song: Still "When You Wish Upon A Star"

6.5 out of 10 Magical Stars.