Oh boy!

Pinocchio (1940)

Rated: G

Runtime: 88 minutes

Princess/Heroine: Blue Fairy

Prince/Hero: Pinocchio

Sidekicks: Jiminy Cricket, Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo

Villain: The Coachman, Honest John, and Stromboli

Music: “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor’s Life For Me)”, “I’ve Got No Strings”, “When You Wish Upon A Star”

Rating—out of 5 Mickey Mouse ears: 3 ½ ears. 1 for Pinocchio, ½ for Jiminy Cricket/Geppetto/Figaro/Cleo, ½ for The Coachman/Honest John/Stromboli, and 1 ½ for “When You Wish upon A Star”.

No traditional princess in this movie. The Blue Fairy is the only female character. I like Pinocchio, he does the “Sloppy Swish”, but he gets himself into a lot of trouble, which Jiminy Cricket is supposed to be keeping him out of. Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo are fun; The Coachman, Honest John, and Stromboli are evil. None of them really stand out though. The real treat is the song “When You Wish Upon A Star”, arguably the greatest Disney song ever.

There is a lot going on in this movie and it is all done well. Geppetto’s collection of clocks reminds me of Doc Brown’s in Back to the Future, so I recommend watching it just for that. This movie will do well in the bracket, even without the help of a princess.