In 2015, Disney lit the dynamite and began a comprehensive strip-mining operation on its huge catalog of animated classics. These movies are revered for their fairytale wholesomeness and the still jaw-dropping artistic skill of the Mouse House’s golden age artists. But hey, what if they were remade in live-action using cutting-edge CGI and with a glitzy A-list cast?
Results have been mixed, though all have made money. Now, we have a hint that Disney may be running out of road, as their live-action reworking of 1940’s Pinocchio has been met with a collective critical shrug.
The movie lands on Disney Plus today, boasts Tom Hanks as Geppetto, Luke Evans as the Coachman, and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Jiminy Cricket, and reactions are beginning to flood in on social media.
Was this really necessary:
“Reasonably enjoyable” isn’t exactly high praise:
It seems like in this case CGI is no match for hand-drawn animation:
A “waste of time”:
Nothing new has been added to make this distinct:
Self-serving and hollow:
And, the worst review, Variety writer Courtney Howard describes it as “one of the worst films of the year”:
With Disney’s effort now out, all eyes will move to Netflix’s own Pinocchio, as directed by horror/fantasy master Guillermo del Toro. This long-in-development stop motion take on the fairytale features the stunning visuals you’d expect from del Toro and a similarly excellent cast. Here’s hoping that project meets a warmer critical reception than Disney Plus’ effort when it lands on December 9.
Pinocchio is now available on Disney Plus.