PINOCCHIO
Beautifully photographed, but better saved for home viewing.
Should You Watch It?
This live-action Pinocchio has genuine strengths. Its vibrant colors, beautiful costumes, sets and scenery make it a visual treat. It also rebukes lying, laziness and rebellion while praising hard work and obedience to parental figures.
But the movie struggles to make you care about its characters. Pinocchio is petulant from the beginning and hurts the people who love him. The English dubbing does not help, and the story lacks cohesion. Its supernatural worldview also suggests that lesser beings, people and magical puppets can manipulate reality.
The movie's G rating and positive moral lessons make it broadly accessible, but its irritations will likely weigh on many families. Watch it at home, where you can decide whether its visual beauty and moral teaching are worth the uneven journey.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESA rambunctious piece of pinewood lands at the door of poor wood-carver Geppetto, who carves it into a puppet and names him Pinocchio. Pinocchio wants more than anything to become a real boy, but he immediately rejects Geppetto's direction and heads into the streets.
After a nagging cricket tries to teach him good behavior, the Blue Fairy takes matters into her own hands. She urges Pinocchio toward righteousness and common sense, but a cat, a fox and Pinocchio's own rebelliousness lead him into trouble.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this is a visually impressive but uneven film. Benigni and director of photography Dante Spinotti give Pinocchio vibrant colors, beautiful costumes, and striking sets and scenery. The movie can astound the eye.
The storytelling is much less successful. It fails to create enough sympathy for Geppetto, the Blue Fairy or Pinocchio, and Pinocchio's petulant behavior may annoy viewers more than the cricket does. The English dubbing makes matters worse.
The Worldview
Pinocchio preserves moral qualities that have made the fairy tale beloved. It rebukes lying, laziness and rebellion while extolling hard work and obedience to parental figures. The Blue Fairy's efforts to guide Pinocchio toward righteousness and common sense give the story a positive moral direction.
The movie could have strengthened the story's redemptive, Christian aspects. Instead, its worldview is slightly nominalistic: lesser supernatural beings, people and magical puppets appear able to manipulate reality. The film includes a couple of brief Christian references, but its larger supernatural framework remains different from a biblical understanding of God's sovereign rule.
The story's longing is for a rebellious child to be trained into goodness and, ultimately, to become what he was meant to be. Scripture likewise connects wisdom with receiving correction: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” (Proverbs 12:1).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Pagan, nominalistic worldview where beings can manipulate reality and positive moral elements about training rebellious children; a couple brief Christian references, including a blessing and an angel forms a rough cross on a tombstone; slapstick violence such as runaway log hits people, policemen accidentally pelted with fruit, schoolboys fight, one schoolboy throws a book and hits another boy on the head, people fall into ocean, and protagonist catches foot in bear trap; no sex or nudity; no alcohol, smoking or drugs; and, child is lazy, lies and rebels but is rebuked. GENRE: Fantasy Pa B C M V
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Pinocchio resists correction and hurts the people who love him. Why can loving correction be difficult to receive, and how should it be given?
Proverbs 12:1 · Ephesians 6:4The film rebukes lying and praises hard work. Why do truthfulness and diligence matter beyond simply avoiding punishment?
Proverbs 12:22 · Colossians 3:23The story presents magical beings and puppets as able to manipulate reality. How is that different from the Bible's understanding of God's authority over creation?
Psalm 115:3 · Colossians 1:16–17The Blue Fairy tries to lead Pinocchio toward righteousness and common sense. What does genuine change require from someone who has been rebellious?
Proverbs 28:13 · Luke 3:8The Final Word
Pinocchio is colorful and morally instructive, but its lack of cohesion, irritating central character and nominalistic worldview make it a better home viewing choice. For a more satisfying family movie night, consider these.
WAIT FOR HOME
