The Adventures of Pinocchio (1996 film)

The Adventures of Pinocchio is a 1996 fantasy comedy family film, directed by Steve Barron and based on the original 1883 novel of the same name by Carlo Collodi. Barron collaborated with Sherry Mills, Tom Benedek and Barry Berman on the screenplay. It was an American, British, French, Czech, and German venture produced by New Line Cinema, The Kushner-Locke Company, Savoy Pictures, Pangaea Holdings and Twin Continental Films. It stars Martin Landau and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. It was a critical and commercial failure which led the sequel, The New Adventures of Pinocchio, straight to video.

Plot
Set in the 18th century, the film opens with the kindly Italian woodcarver, Geppetto, declaring his secret love for a woman named Leona by carving their initials in a heart on an old pine tree in the forest. Later, lightning strikes the tree. Many years later, Geppetto, now an elderly man living alone with his pet cat Nina and his puppets, returns to the forest. A piece of wood from that tree, bearing the heart Geppetto carved, finds its way into his cart. Feeling a certain affinity for it, he decides to carve a puppet from it. When he finishes his work, he names his new creation Pinocchio, from the pine wood he made him from and for his magnificent eyes. Suddenly, the wooden boy comes to life and shocks the old puppet-maker. Although Geppetto tells Pinocchio that he is not his father, he seeks to protect the puppet, who damages himself while trying to imitate a pigeon leaping and running along the roofs of the city. Later, Pinocchio wanders off, following a child with a ball. He runs into Volpe and Felinet, who try to sell him to the puppet-theater owner Lorenzini. Although Lorenzini agrees to purchase a great deal for Pinocchio, but Geppetto declines.

Later, Pinocchio follows a group a schoolchildren and becomes fascinated by school and learning. But a rowdy boy named Lampwick involves him in a violent prank. The teacher punishes Pinocchio harshly, and the puppet is forced to leave the company of the real boys. He then causes a great deal of mischief in a bakery. Geppetto is held responsible for the puppets mayhem and arrested. While Geppetto spends the night in a prison cell, Pinocchio returns home and meets 'the voice of truth' in the form of a wise and optimistic cricket named Pepe. Pepe promises to help Pinocchio to become a real boy, if he can promise to be good. The next day, Geppetto and Pinocchio are put on trial at court, and they stand before the judge, who rules that unless Geppetto can pay for the damage Pinocchio caused they will both be sent to prison. Lorenzini steps in and offers to pay off the debt, on the condition that Pinocchio be handed over to his custody. Geppetto strongly refuses but eventually gives in, believing that perhaps the puppet will be better off that way. Heartbroken, Pinocchio does not want to leave his "father" behind, but Geppetto tells them that he cannot be his father since he is not a real boy. Pinocchio comes to enjoy the theatre and also comes to believe that Lorenzini loves him as much as his Papa did. Pepe tells him that Lorenzini is just using him to gain money and success. Pinocchio comes to realize this as he performs in Lorenzini's play, and manages to save several puppets from being burned by the cruel Lorenzini. As he escapes, he accidentally sets the theatre aflame. He floats away down the river, passing through the woodlands to a quiet church. Volpe and Felinet catch up with him and manage to swindle him out of the few pieces of gold that he still has by telling him that if he buries them in the ground they will grow and cause a miracle that will turn him into a real boy. Pepe scolds the puppet and proclaims: "Miracles don't grow on trees. Miracles are made in the heart!" Meanwhile, Geppetto and his friend (and secret love) Leona have begun searching the forest for Pinocchio. However, Pinocchio is enticed by Lampwick to join of wagon-load of other boys who are being taken to Terra Magica, a hidden fun-fair for boys where they are encouraged to perform all sorts of cruel and naughty deeds. While riding on a roller-coaster, Lampwick and some others are turned into donkeys by the enchanted water of a huge fountain. They are then rounded up by Lorenzini, who runs the place and intends to sell the donkeys as work animals. Pinocchio, half-transformed himself, frees the donkeys from their pen. Chased by Lorenzini and his henchmen, Pinocchio attempts to warn everyone. No one believes him until Lampwick strikes out with his hooves and knocks Lorenzini into the fountain, where he turns into a monster and dives into the Mediterranean Sea. The boys run form the valley together and freed the other donkeys, leaving Pinocchio and the donkey Lampwick to journey alone.

Geppetto and Leona arrive and find Pinocchio's hat, believing him to be lost at sea. Before striking out in a rowboat to search for the puppet, Geppetto finally declares his love for Leona. She angrily cries that she (who was married to his deceased brother for many years is done waiting for him). However, when Pinocchio arrives she is still there, and takes care of Lampwick while reluctantly allowing Pinocchio to follow Geppetto. The puppet is swallowed by a gigantic sea monster. Based on Pepe's observation of the inside smelling like "rotten chili peppers", Pinocchio presumes the sea monster to be Lorenzini. Inside the creature's stomach, Pinocchio is finally reunited with his Papa. In order to escape, Pinocchio tells Geppetto that he hates him. The lie causes Pinocchio's nose to lengthen and push the sea monster's throat open wider. Pinocchio's nose snapped as they made their escape, leaving his nose lodged within Lorenzini's throat, presumably killing him eventually. They make it back to shore, where Geppetto apologizes for giving Pinocchio away and tells him he loves him, while Pinocchio apologizes for not being the real boy his father wanted him to be. Geppetto, who has fully accepted his son as he is, tells him that he's "real to him". Pinocchio begins to cry tears and turns into a real boy. He proclaims: "Miracles are made in the heart, Papa,". Pepe leaves Pinocchio temporarily to go on a much needed vacation. On the way home, Pinocchio runs into Volpe and Felinet. He tricks them into drinking from the fountain where he and the other boys were turned into donkeys. The two swindlers are transformed into a fox and a cat, which results in them being captured by a farmer as new pets as they witness Pinocchio in town. Pinocchio returns to live life as a real boy with his Papa, Leona and his best friend Lampwick, who changed back by becoming good after Pinocchio asks his father to carve him a girlfriend for him.

Live action

 * Martin Landau as Geppetto, an impoverished Italian puppet maker who accidentally gives Pinocchio life after carving him from an enchanted log.
 * Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Pinocchio, the eponymous character and main protagonist of the film. He seeks to learn about right and wrong so that one day he will become a real boy.
 * Geneviève Bujold as Leona, a friend of Geppetto with whom he is secretly in love.
 * Udo Kier as Lorenzini, a puppeteer who takes custody of Pinocchio and later turns into a sea monster.
 * Bebe Neuwirth as Felinet, a scheming con artist always looking for the next profit. She is based on the Cat from the original novel.
 * Rob Schneider as Volpe, Felinet's dim-witted partner and sidekick. He is based on the Fox from the original novel.
 * Corey Carrier as Lampwick, Pinocchio's troublemaking friend.
 * Dawn French as the Baker's Wife, an unnamed baker who works inside a bakery in the village.
 * Richard Claxton as Saleo, Lampwick's companion and sidekick who kicks Pinocchio in class at school.
 * John Sessions as the Professor, an irritable teacher who Pinocchio inadvertently annoys while attending one of his classes.
 * Jerry Hadley as the Judge, a court official who threatens to send Geppetto to a debtors' prison for Pinocchio's irresponsible behavior.
 * Jean-Claude Dreyfus as the Foreman.
 * Michael Gregory as Capone, Lorenzini's henchman at Terra Magica.

Voice

 * Gary Martin as the Giant's voice.
 * David Doyle as the voice of Pepe, a Talking Cricket who serves as Pinocchio's conscience.

Puppeteers

 * Mak Wilson (principal puppeteer and puppet performance coordinator)
 * Robert Tygner (principal puppeteer)
 * Michelan Sisti (principal puppeteer)
 * Bruce Lanoil (principal puppeteer)
 * William Todd-Jones (principal puppeteer)
 * Ian Tregonning (principal puppeteer)
 * Peter Hurst (assistant puppeteer)
 * Gillie Robic (assistant puppeteer)
 * Susan Dacre (assistant puppeteer)
 * Phil Woodfine (assistant puppeteer)

Reception
Critically, the film received a 35% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 26 reviews with the consensus: "The Adventures of Pinocchio is an admirably faithful adaptation of the source material, but it may be too frightening for younger viewers – and too dull for older ones."

On the television review series Siskel & Ebert, Roger Ebert expressed disappointment with the film, while Gene Siskel praised the special effects, and remarked that he believed the film to be a faithful adaptation of the book, as opposed to Disney's interpretation, which strayed significantly from it. Ebert gave the film a two out of four stars and said, "The story is told with visual grace, but lacks excitement. Even Pinocchio's little cricket friend seems more like a philosopher than a ringmaster. Smaller children may be caught up by the wonder of it all, but older children may find the movie slow and old-fashioned." Joe Leydon of Variety gave the film a mostly positive review, writing "The Adventures of Pinocchio is a well-crafted and gently charming version of the classic 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi. Unfortunately, this live-action, non-musical adaptation must compete with vivid (and, in many cases, video-enhanced) memories of Disney's beloved 1940 animated feature."

In her seminar "The Persistent Puppet: Pinocchio's Heirs in Contemporary Fiction and Film", Rebecca West found The Adventures of Pinocchio to be relatively faithful to the original novel, although she noted major differences, such as the replacement of the Blue Fairy by the character of Leona. Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times, gave the film a negative review, writing "Despite the interesting differences between the latest Pinocchio, which mixes animated and live characters, and the wholly animated Disney version, the new film simply doesn't generate much magical enchantment."

Sequel
A sequel was released in 1999 called The New Adventures of Pinocchio. Landau reprised his role as Geppetto, while Kier was recast as Lorenzini's estranged wife, Madame Flambeau. Gabriel Thomson played the title role, replacing Jonathan Taylor Thomas. It was shot in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.