ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

leigh-bamford All the top film critics have obviously never read the book. This is literally how Carlo Collodi would have wanted it to be in its material; the bizarreness and abnormality of it all and how I feel with this adaptation is the same way I felt with it in the book.The story tells the tale of a log that falls out of a wagon and into the hands of a kind-hearted woodcutter named Geppetto who decides to carve the log into a beautiful marionette. The marionette comes to life causes assorts of damage in town. After his father is released from prison for his antics, the marionette which he names Pinocchio decides to change his ways and become a better behaved boy. However his mishaps lead into some mysterious adventures which also lead him to befriend the beautiful, loving Blue Fairy who teaches him more than just good behaviour but the rewards for it, which gives him an ambition to become a real boy.There are so many things I love about this film and the first one to mention is the material to the actual novel; it holds the same feel to the story which Carlo Collodi must have felt when he first wrote it and there are very few changes such as the character of Lampwick. In Collodi's Italian translation he is names "Lucignolo" (which is also in the film) and in the English dub he is renamed "Leonardo". Then there is the sea goblin and the bulldog that rescues Pinocchio from it, which is cut from the film. Then there is the Land of Toy renamed to "Fun Forever Land" which I see no complaint with as it has been renamed so many time: Pleasure Island, Playland, Terra Magico,. The designs for each background bring the story to life such as the Blue Fairy's beautiful house, Fun Forever Land in its manipulating colours of the rainbow, enticing naughty, lazy boys to become jackasses from their antics but my most favourite design would have the be the shark that swallows Pinocchio and Geppetto as it really captures the design from the original sketches when the book was first published.The actors were very conceiving to their characters. Especially Roberto Benigni's performance as the dancing, skipping Pinocchio. He obviously knew the character well form the book with his happiness, his naughtiness, his tantrums and finally his kind, loving heart. Many people criticise him for being a boy but there is no issue at all. You are never old for anything. Carol Marsh was twenty years old when she played the titular character in the 1949 Alice in Wonderland. Benigni looked the part himself with his pale face and curly black hair and his costume was very convincing to the character, all in which and in red checks with a cute pointed hat. Nicoletta Braschi did the role of the Blue Fairy justice, portraying the sweet, forgiving personality she carries as if she was actually an angel, due to the fact that she is never angry at Pinocchio for his lies or his broken promises. Even Glenn Close in the English dub convened us in her warm, soothing voice as she did with Tarzan's loving ape mother Kala. Other credits include Carlo Giuffre as the kindly old Geppetto, Peppe Barra as the wise Talking Cricket and Kim Rossi Stuart as Pinocchio's trouble-making best friend Lucignolo which suit their characters to a fault.The music is probably the best thing about the movie. Nicola Piovani is a very talented composer next to John Williams. The music really warmed my heart up to the top which fitted with the heart- feeling story perfectly well. It's only a shame that I cannot find it on any music website - even iTunes proves fruitless.Overall, this the most faithful adaptation to the classic Italian fairy tale. If anyone out there is a bookworm and would love to watch a film that relates well to whatever they read, this Pinocchio adaptation is an example.

Mauri If you are Italian, then you perfectly know what's wrong with this movie: recitation and accent; characters; location and timing (too much sun) and finally the plot is really too simple. Benigni has nothing to do with Pinocchio (a kid!!!) There is a movie that you should use as a reference; of course, this movie is NOT the Disney movie but the classic Italian TV movie done back in the 70s, with an excellent Nino Manfredi featuring Geppetto and a perfect Pinocchio (see IMDb: tt0068243). If you are not Italian and you haven't ever watch it, then rent it or buy it in Amazon. You will not regret the money you pay and the time spent in watching it. Beware! There are two versions: movie and the full TV version (in 2 DVDs).The latter is strongly recummended.Subtitles are of course essential to catch the original voices without missing a single word. You'll feel the cold that is everywhere in the little village where Geppetto lives. You'll feel the very same loneliness that Geppetto is feeling and his joy when he find a wood good enough to create a puppet. Believe me. Watch it and then go back to this movie: you'll then understand why the critics have been so severe

Melissa A-o This movie is horrible. Horrible and creepy. Annoying acting by creepy actors. As everyone knows, Pinnochio is a puppet who wants to be a real boy. Unfortunately, the actor playing Pinnochio is probably mid-to-late 40's and it just makes for things to be awkward and weird. All the supposed kids are old too. I don't know, the movie has a bit of a pedophile vibe to it? Don't let your kids watch this, unless you want to give them nightmares. Besides, the movie just really sucks. I can't believe this movie was nominated for and/or won awards. This movie made me want to regurgitate my lunch. There's really not much else to say about this film. I can't think of anything else to say. I don't know why IMDb requires a ten sentence limit?!

fbtestaccount68 Now, one word of advice: watch the English-subtitled version, NOT the English-dubbed version. I had no option but to watch the dub, and it lacked, well, everything. Then, later, I had the luxury to watch the subtitles. Still lacked quite a lot, but much better than the dub.For my review, now. The movie didn't have much substance to it. Honestly, I love the story of Pinocchio, but the movie turned it into a bland, empty form. There was no good acting, nothing that really stood out. I never really laughed at anything, or had a heartfelt feeling towards anything. To me, it was just about 2 hours of people talking. And nothing happened that made too much sense. They changed the story so much it took everything away. Even a fantasy like Pinocchio was so unrealistic, beyond the point of belief. I didn't feel there was much moral, as the boy says he's learned his lesson, but continues to lie and lie and lie. Too many things just kept happening. There wasn't just a basic storyline like: Event 1, 2, 3 (maybe even 4), and a resolution. It was more like Event 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc. The characters just change randomly, also. You don't know whether to like them or hate them. The whole time, I was thinking "I love how sweet Pinocchio is, oh wait, he lied. He betrayed her. But he realized his mistake! Good boy! Oh no! He ran off on a promise!" And so on. All the movie lived off of was slapstick humor, drastic character change, and unnecessary repetition of events.I hope I won't have to watch this horrendous movie ever again.