You’re A Real Boy!
Over the years there have been a number of different versions of Pinocchio released. It’s a story that filmmakers continue to revisit over the years, with the original Disney version in 1940 still standing tall as the most memorable and recognisable version of this tale. If you’ve finished streaming this one on Disney+ and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top picks for alternate viewing. So without further ado, we present 10 movies to check out when you’ve finished watching Pinocchio.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Steven Spielberg’s intriguing, thought provoking sci-fi piece takes place in the no-so-distant future where the polar ice caps have melted and ocean waters have consumed many of the coastal cities in the world. With humanity gathered together, a mecha-producing company rises up and builds David, an artificial child that exhibits real feelings. Those feelings come in the form of never-ending love for his “Mother”, Monica. She adopts this child as a substitute for her real son, who’s in a comatose state. When he awakens however, Monica is left with two sons and one big dilemma. With interesting ideas around humanity, love and our purpose in life, A.I. Artificial Intelligence is a smartly written movie and well worth checking out.
Coraline
Genre: Animation (CGI) On the surface, this nightmarish, Tim-Burton-esque animation has all the ingredients to fuel a child’s nightmare. From a talking cat to the button-eyed Mother, Coraline certainly has its fair share of oddities. However, the movie packs a pretty important thematic punch that makes these surrealistic elements feel engaging and important to the narrative. While the story has been told before in many different formats, Coraline is one of those artistic and cleverly written titles that stick with you over time.
Wall-E
One of Pixar’s greatest animated films, Wall-E is a well written dystopian tale with a lot of warnings around humanity’s future. With the world uninhabitable, the opening shots of an eerily silent Earth, folding back to show our little clean-up robot dwarfed by skyscrapers of rubbish, is a pretty harrowing way to start this movie. From here, the adventures of little Wall-E see him wrapped up in a wide-spanning journey that takes him into space where we see humanity’s fate and what has befallen mankind. With strong themes surrounding the future, class, global warming and AI, Wall-E is a solid option in the sci-fi field.
Dumbo
Clocking in at a little over an hour, Dumbo is a brief but highly enjoyable Disney animation. It is, of course, pretty dated now but the movie remains one of the better animated offerings in the 1940’s. The story here revolves around a stork who delivers a baby elephant to Mrs Jumbo, the veteran of the circus this movie takes place in. Sporting enormous ears, “Dumbo” is ridiculed and separated from his Mother, relegated to the clown acts. All seems lost until his faithful mouse friend (aptly named Timothy Q Mouse) helps assist Dumbo to achieve his full potential. The pink elephant scene is really trippy too and some of these neat visual cues definitely takes some nods from Pinnochio.
Cinderella
Cinderella is a classic Disney movie and hits all the emotional beats one would expect from a movie like this. Cinderella is also the name of our protagonist, a kind0hearted and beautiful girl who finds her life turned upside down when her Mother dies and her Father remarries. Unfortunately he marries the wicked Lady Tremaine, complete with two equally wicked daughters, Anastasia and Drizella. When Cinderella’s Father dies, Cinderella is forced into becoming the main for the family. Thankfully she receives a thin sliver of hope in the form of her Fairy Godmother who helps concoct a plan to allow her to attend the King’s royal ball. The story is well paced for the most part, with a story that’s been adapted so many times over the years that it’s hard to keep track of the number of adaptations! Even so, this one continues to stand the test of time as a real Disney classic.
Geppetto
Did you ever find yourself wondering what it could be like if Pinocchio was a musical and told from the perspective of Geppetto the puppet maker? No? Well, this film does just that. Garnering a pretty polarizing reaction from audiences and critics alike, Geppeto is a live-action musical version of the 1940’s movie, playing on ideas of parenting and the hardships that brings. The crux of the drama here really centers on Geppetto, who brings in the Blue Fairy and asks her to try and fix Pinocchio. This subsequently ends up as the catalyst that sends this little toy on the run. It’s not perfect but it is a cute homage to the movie and definitely one of the more unique ways to portray this story.
Brother Bear
With Disney’s animated efforts moving ever-nearer to an all-digital future at the time, 2003’s Brother Bear is one of those long-forgotten hand-drawn gems that’s overshadowed by more illustrious efforts in Disney’s catalogue. Still, it’s undoubtedly a really good movie. The story takes place long ago, just after the Earth emerges from the Ice Age. The tale itself centers on three brothers. Their family unit is shattered though when a bear takes the life of the oldest brother, sending impulsive Kenai off in a fit of rage, determined to exact revenge against that very same bear. Only, when he himself transforms into a bear, Kenai finds himself hunted by his own brother, Denahi. The only way for Kenai to survive is to team up with his own worst enemy – a grizzly cub named Koda. On the surface, this doesn’t have a lo of similarities to Pinocchio but strong themes and ideas surrounding love, brotherhood and comradeship definitely are.
Frankenweenie
Frankenweenie is a Tim Burton animation, packed with gnarly visuals backdropped on a black and white palette. Armed with decent character design and a well-paced story, this one is definitely an interesting animated tale. The story revolves around a young boy called Victor. When his pet dog Sparky is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life. Only, when this bolt-necked “monster” begins to wreak havoc on Victor’s neighbours, Victor is forced to try and prove that Sparky is still the same loyal friend he’s always been. With strong themes about compassion and mild bites of suspense, Frankenweenie is another movie worth checking out.
Fantasia
Fantasia is a hedonistic deep dive into classic Disney hand-drawn animation backdropped by some orchestral western music – and it works perfectly! The movie itself is split over 2 hours and broken up into various different stories to tie everything together. ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician, complete with marching brooms and buckets of water, and is easily the most memorable of them all. ‘The Rite Of Spring’ is an ode to evolution while ‘Dance of the Hours’ is a comic ballet performed by animals. The movie then ends with ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ and ‘Ave Maria’, which both focus on the idea of darkness against light. While on paper this doesn’t have a lot in common with Pinocchio, the art-style and ideas for this time period are very similar and make for a really unique animated experience like none other.
Pinocchio (2020)
Last year’s Pinocchio remake released to very little fanfare. Of course, part of that can be attributed to a certain virus but the staggered international release meant that it largely went under the radar. Unlike the 1940’s Disney movie however, this adaptation sticks much closer to the classic Italian tale. The result is something that’s both wholly original and also familiar, with a unique perspective that helps this stand out. Given the number of other remakes out there, this one is unique in that it remains grounded despite its fairy tale origins. If there’s one version of Pinocchio you check out after the Disney classic – make it this one! So there we have it, our 10 Movie picks to keep you busy after watching Pinocchio. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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