Pinocchio

Based on the story by Collodi, Pinocchio follows the adventures of a wooden marionette who is visited by a blue fairy, who agrees to transform him into a real boy if he can prove himself “brave, truthful and unselfish”.


The film begins with an introduction by Jiminy Cricket. Jiminy tells how he came to meet Geppetto, the old wood-carver, as he snuck into the old man’s cozy workshop one evening to warm himself by the fire. Marveling at the myriad of clocks and knick-knacks on the craftsman’s walls, he notices Geppetto putting the finishing touches on a wooden marionette. The old man names his creation Pinocchio, much to the disappointment of his kitten Figaro, and his goldfish Cleo, who dislike the name. Geppetto dances with his new creation to a tune chiming from a small music box on the shelf until the wall clocks begin to chime. It’s time for bed.

Saying his bedtime prayers before an open window, Geppetto makes a wish on the first star of the evening that his new creation, Pinocchio, should become a real boy.

As they all sleep, a lovely blue fairy appears in the workshop. Granting the slumbering old man’s wish, she brings the wooden Pinocchio to life. The amazed Pinocchio is told that to become a real, living, breathing boy, he must prove himself Brave, truthful and unselfish. The fairy assigns Jiminy Cricket the role of Pinocchio’s counselor and conscience, touching him with her magic wand.

The fairy disappears, leaving Jiminy to sing a song about right and wrong to Pinocchio, who wakes the sleeping Gepetto when he stumbles off the workbench. The startled Geppetto investigates the sound, and believes he is dreaming when he sees that Pinocchio is alive. Overjoyed when he realizes that his wish has come true, Geppetto introduces the puppet to Figaro and Cleo and they dance happily across the floor.

After the joyous celebretion, they all return to bed, and the next morning, Pinocchio is sent off to school with the other children. As Pinocchio makes his way to school, he is intercepted by the sly fox Honest John, and his mute companion, Gideon the cat. They plan to sell the wooden boy to Stromboli, a traveling puppeteer, and convince the naive Pinocchio to join his puppet theater.

Jiminy Cricket tries to stop Pinocchio from going off with the fox and cat, warning him of temptation. Pinocchio ignores Jimminy’s warning, however, and joins his new “friends” on their way to Stromboli. Pinocchio is immediately put to work in a puppet show, and Jiminy decides that he is no longer needed. “What does an actor want with a conscience anyway?” he muses, returning to Geppetto’s workshop.

Back at home, Geppetto paces the floor, worrying what might have happened to Pinocchio. Donning his coat, he heads out into the rain in search of the puppet.


Meanwhile, Stromboli fills Pinocchio’s head with visions of fame and fortune, then throws him in a cage so that he may not escape, threatening to turn him into firewood if he doesn’t follow his orders. Jiminy eventually finds the terrified Pinocchio, but fails in his attempt to free him.

Having resigned themselves to his terrible fate, they are amazed when the blue fairy appears. Pinocchio’s nose begins to grow when he lies to the fairy, telling her that he missed school when he was abducted and thrown into a sack by monsters. The fairy explains to Pinocchio that a lie will grow till it is as plain as the nose on his face. She agrees to free Pinocchio and give him another chance, explaining that this is the last time she can help him. after all, “A boy who won’t be good might just as well be made of wood”. Now free, Pinocchio and Jiminy make their way home.

Meanwhile, at the Red Lobster Inn, Honest John and Gideon are propositioned by a coachman to kidnap wayward boys and bring them to Pleasure Island. They immediately hit the streets and find Pinocchio on his way back to Geppetto’s workshop. Convincing Pinocchio that he is sick and in need of a vacation, they wisk him off aboard a coach to Pleasure Island.

Pinocchio meets a buck-toothed boy named Lampwick, who excitedly tells Pinnochio of the fun that awaits them on Pleasure Island, where there are no rules and everything is free. Upon arriving at the island, Pinocchio and Lampwick join the other boys in eating junk-food, fighting, vandalism and smoking cigars.

Jiminy finds Pinocchio, but leaves in disgust after seeing that he would rather stay with his new friend, Lampwick. As he storms off, Jiminy sees that the boys are being turned into donkey’s by their reckless indulgences and sent to work in the salt mines. Rushing back to Pinocchio and Lampwick, he is too late. The transformation has begun. Lampwick has now transformed completely, and Pinoccio has the long ears and tail of a donkey. Together, Jiminy and Pinocchio frantically make their escape, climbing to the top of a cliff and throwing themselves off into the sea.

Finally climbing onto shore, they rush back home, only to find an empty house. As they sit on the stoop, an enchanted bird delivers a note, telling them that Geppetto had gone off in search of Pinocchio, but was swallowed by a whale named Monstro. He is alive inside the whale at the bottom of the sea. They head off to the ocean, and using a rock as an anchor, Pinocchio throws himself off a precipice, sinking to the bottom of the sea. Jiminy and Pinocchio trudge along the sea floor, calling out for Geppetto, marvelling at the exotic creatures surrounding them.

Geppetto sits in a boat inside the whale with Figaro and Cleo trying to catch fish, but there are none to be caught. When the gigantic monstro opens his mouth to swallow an enormous school of passing tuna, the gleeful Geppetto hooks all that he can. Pinocchio is swallowed by the whale along with hundreds of fish, and is snagged by Geppetto’s fishing pole.
After a joyful reunion, Geppetto is surprised to see that Pinocchio has grown donkey ears and a tail. Deciding that it’s unimportant, the two hatch a plan to escape the belly of the whale by building a smokey fire, causing the whale to sneeze.

As smoke billows out of Monstro’s blowhole, he sneezes, blowing them all out of his mouth as they cling desperately to a makeshift raft. Barely escaping with their lives, they wash up onto the shore, where it appears that Pinnochio has drowned.

Having returned to the workshop, Jiminy, Geppetto and his pets hang their heads in mourning, believing Pinocchio to be dead. Suddenly, Pinocchio’s limp body is transformed into a living human boy; He has proved that he is brave, truthful and unselfish, and the elated Geppetto dances with his new son. The film ends with Jiminy Cricket marveling at a medal granted to him by the blue fairy for fullfilling his duty as Pinocchio’s conscience as he gazes out into the night sky.

Though received poorly after it’s initial release due to World War II, Pinocchio was voted second best animated film after Snow White in 2008 by the American Film Institute, and it’s most well known song, “When You Wish Upon A Star” has been an american classic for generations.\