Jungle
Pinocchio: Signature Collection Edition

Pinocchio

Movie
Studio(s): 
Genre: 
On Blu-Ray: 
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Grade:
A+
Running Time: 
88 Minutes

Like most Disney animated films, Pinocchio has had its fair share of home video releases over the years. After being in the Disney Vault since 2011, the 1940’s classic is returning as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection. It’s the definitive version of the film to own as it includes new bonus features as well as most of the previously released content from other versions. Whether you already own a copy of the film or are looking to pick Pinocchio up for the first time, the Signature Collection is the most well rounded version available.

 

It’s been years since I last saw Pinocchio so I was excited to experience the classic Disney feature with basically fresh eyes again. It was surprising how much of the film I had forgotten since I was a kid. For one thing, I thought the fact that Pinocchio’s nose growing when he lies played a bigger role in the film, but it’s only one scene! Figaro the cat has to be my favorite and is probably the most lively character in the film. His expressions are absolutely adorable, and his animations are incredibly smooth and still look amazing to this day. Of course nothing beats the wonderful songs throughout the film. "When You Wish upon a Star" is a Disney staple, as is "I've Got No Strings" and "Give A Little Whistle." They’re commonplace in Disney media, but they got their start in Pinocchio.

 

The film itself is fantastic, especially on Blu-ray, but the real magic lies in the bonus features. Disney has gone the extra mile to make sure the Signature Collection has most of what was included in previous releases. New content exclusive to the release includes The Pinocchio Project: When You Wish Upon A Star, a two-part featurette that features a music video from JR Aquino, Tanner Patrick, and Alex G and a behind-the-scenes making-of video. There is also Walt's Story Meetings: Pleasure Island, which goes into detail about the production meetings for the creation of Pleasure Island using transcripts from Walt Disney himself. Fun fact, Pleasure Island was referred to as Boobyland during this early stage of development. In Walt's Words – Pinocchio is an archival interview with Walt Disney in which he talks about the creation and impact of Pinocchio. Lastly, there’s the classic black-and-white Disney cartoon, Oswald The Lucky Rabbit In "Poor Papa."

 

These features alone would be worth the price but the Signature Collection also includes a “Classic Bonus Content” section featuring previously released content. There you’ll find a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, live-action reference footage, trailers, and more. It doesn’t include everything that’s ever been released, but it’s the most comprehensive collection to date.

 

The Pinocchio Signature Collection edition is one of Disney’s best re-releases they’ve done and is a must-own for any fan. Everything you could want to learn about the film is included and more. At a reasonable $25 it’s not going to break your bank account, either. Overall, I can’t recommend it enough.

Matt Rodriguez
Review by Matt Rodriguez
Follow him @ Twitter
Friend him @ Facebook