Pinocchio: Platinum Edition - Blu Ray Review
"Pinocchio" is one of those iconic pictures like "Dumbo" and others that simply works no matter what time you are in. With the new platinum edition Blu Ray, the essence of the crispness of colors and their prevalence becomes even more vibrant. The basis of the picture becomes clearer upon multiple viewing especially in the closing moments involving Monstro, the whale. Pleasure Island pops but not as much while the puppet theater retains all its darkness. The Cineview feature which combines the commentary with on screen picture in picture motion video is the extension of what this kind of commentary should be highlighting moving pencil drawings, artwork and older interviews from animators who actually worked on the picture. On another angle, "Disney View" fill out the 1:33 screen with border artwork by Toby Blush while "Pinocchio's Master Of Fact" provides more rudimentary facts on the aspects kids will appreciate. The great thing about "Pinocchio" is that, although dealing with basic moral issues, it didn't mind getting its feet a little dirty while still moving towards a set goal. In terms of other extras, the trivia game works on basic or advanced level and truly does test your knowledge of old school animation. The "Disney Song Selection" features highlights each song by jumping through chapters. There is also a new music video with a young female singer of "When You Wish Upon A Star". The sneak peeks are Blu Ray central specifically with "Monsters Inc." while "Up" gives a different Pixar view which is always the case.
On Disc 2, "No Strings Atached: The Making Of Pinocchio" shows the process by which the film came together from initial idea (inspired by an italian collection of short stories) to visualization (Walt Disney actually shut down production for a short while because the character of the puppet didn't look right to him). This docuementary goes in depth with both old and new interviews which detail everyting from individual character animation supervision to moving lateral backgrounds (through the use of multiplane) to sound effects and special FX animation (like the waves). The visual references as well as the voices are analyzed and the reasoning involved in their perception is explained. In terms of deleted scenes, none were actually animated. They were all based within stobaords and notes but are wonderfully encapsulated for this medium. The first deleted scene was about a Grandfather Tree but seemed to come off as more fantastic and structured within a separate short than part of this feature despite its lyrical sense. "The Belly Of The Whale" tells of a scene where Geppetto and Figaro begins hallucinating and, at one point, almost eat Cleo. It is a little too cruel and dark for the picture and takes away from the nature of these two. The alternate ending which was said to have been possible by using the same closing animation is the most rough. It shows Pinnochio turning into a real boy on the beach and it is Geppetto that is drowned and returns from the dead. But ultimately, the ending used is the better one.
"The Sweatbox" where Walt Disney brainstormed with his writers is explored as a special feature. The "Sweatbox" was a small enclosed theater with no air conditioning. This small bit covers the effectiveness of this using actual transcription from some of the meetings for "Pinocchio" to highlight the process. "Live Action Reference Footage" shows the elaborate elements of shooting as well as set and photo placement as reference for the animators. A rescued training film with no sound is shown as to how it was used. What is really neat is the existence of a photo stat at the time which was like a modern photo copier. This was probably kept fairly quiet and confidential but the fact that they had that kind of technology probably added to how complicated they could get in their animation. Interesting.
The "Pinocchio Art Galleries" start off with visual concepts which are very detailed. The art progresses through colored backgroundS and a full set of storyboards that runs the entire gamut. However what is more interesting to see is the models specifically the ones recaptured in real life 3D rotation because you get a perception of the characters from every angle. Some of these actual three dimesnional models can be seen in the production photographs which gives a sense of weight and real world practicality for the animators. The trailers for the original and two subsquent theatrical releases of "Pinocchio" show a progression from new to classic because "When You Wish Upon A Star" would have been on the hit parade in its original run. The "Honest John" song highlighted here was never used but its barbershop beginnings seems too dated while the rest of the songs do not.
"Geppetto: Then & Now" gives a perception of old school toymakers to the digital advances of today. The one that specifically shows this transformation is a Wall-E toy that responds based on sensors. The games included on the second disc are comprehensive and not as easy as one might think. The puzzles work on the basis of IQ tests. The carnival games are somewhat more clunky but it is the controls that holds it back. This edition also includes a DVD copy of the film which also includes the previously watched music video.
"Pinocchio" on Blu Ray is fairly comprehensive and gives a look at the love with which is the film was made. Granted the original material was from 1940 so there is only so much you can do with the sound and picture but it looks the best it can and the in depth docu on "Backstage Disney" is wonderful. Out of 5, I give it a 3 1/2.