Disney's relentless pursuit of reviving their older properties for remakes continues, seemingly driven by financial considerations. The latest result of this effort is the live action musical adaptation of “Pinocchio,” which unfortunately falls far short and diminishes the standing of the original 1940s film. Director and co-writer Robert Zemeckis delivered a production that lacks imagination, feels intrusive, and fails to inspire. The story centers on Geppetto (Tom Hanks), an isolated Italian woodcarver who crafts a marionette named Pinocchio (voiced by Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) and raises him as his own son. With a bit of magic from the Blue Fairy (Cynthia Erivo), the puppet comes to life and harbors a desire to become a real boy. The movie follows Pinocchio’s experiences, both positive and negative, as he pursues this dream, including being tricked by Honest John (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), taken captive by a circus, transformed into a donkey, and swallowed by a whale. He navigates these events with Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) acting as his conscience. The narrative largely adheres to the original 1883 book and the earlier Disney animated film. It has been updated with new characters and some jarring one-liners about Hollywood, which feel out of place in the context of the story. The script feels dated in its attempts at modernizing the underlying themes. Pinocchio even declares, “I don’t need school!” when he prioritizes fame over education—a sentiment that may resonate with current trends but still seems forced. From this point onward, things decline further. The animation is unattractive and unsettling, featuring characters that appear artificial and equally disappointing vocal performances. Gordon-Levitt's portrayal of Jiminy Cricket comes across as strained and unpleasant, damaging the reputation of a beloved character. It’s difficult to understand why everyone seemed to be trying so hard. Thankfully, Hanks delivers a strong performance as Geppetto. The film incorporates several original songs that are easily forgotten, along with new versions of well-known tunes like “When You Wish Upon A Star,” “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee,” and “I’ve Got No Strings,” which don't offer any significant improvement over the originals; they're almost painful to listen to. The singing is simply dreadful, to put it mildly. The scenes set on Pleasure Island are visually impressive and well-executed (though one might want to overlook the disturbing actions of the "bad" boys, like drinking root beer), but that’s where any compliments end. What's positive about the film also hints at something troubling, and parents should be aware that the PG rating is justified; it contains frightening situations that could upset younger viewers, particularly those who struggle with feelings of abandonment or fear of the dark. Nearly every aspect of “Pinocchio” is embarrassing, and it’s simply not a worthwhile movie. It's hard to understand why they would treat a Disney classic this way.

Source on TMDB