Pinocchio Review: 4 Ups & 6 Downs

Ups...

4. The (Mostly) Solid Visuals

At least we can (usually) expect robust visuals from a Robert Zemeckis film, and despite its many flaws his Pinocchio is at least a regular feast for the eyes.

Sure, not all the character designs are going to work for everyone, but the digitally created Jiminy Cricket (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) looks fantastic, as does Pinocchio himself.

Yet it's during the Pleasure Island sequence where Zemeckis truly gets to dazzle viewers with a bombardment of eye-popping visuals.

The director clearly relishes the opportunity to expand the island's scope beyond that of the animated film, and it's by far the movie's most evocative and effective set-piece.

If some of Disney's live-action remakes - particularly Dumbo - have leaned too heavily on excessive green screen, at least there's a tactile feel to much of Pinocchio, which skillfully combines its digital and live-action elements into a mostly seamless whole.