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First off, I saw the Italian version of Pinocchio, subtitled in English. After watching the Italian version on DVD, we decided to switch to the English-language track to hear what it sounded like. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard...As unprofessional as watching a dubbed Godzilla movie. Anyway, after hearing all the incredibly negative press about this film, I'm not sure why we rented it. But when my family got a free rental, we decided to choose a movie that we wouldn't actually pay money for...and we chose Pinocchio. First of all, the movie is certainly not an excellent, 5 star affair. But it is a decent film that entertained the three of us for close to two hours. Strong Points- Technically speaking, the film is beautifully made with beautiful sets, cinematography and scenery. These are not enough to entertain anybody but the most pompous film critic of course. The best part of the film for me, was the very faithful adaptation of the original classic story (foolish American audiences may say too dark...and yes, I am an American). It brought back fond memories for all of us, of the original story we had enjoyed as children. And Kim Rossi Stuart as the doomed Lucignolo (not Leonardo) is charming. Weak Points- Well, as many commenters have noted, Roberto Benigni is simply miscast in the role of Pinocchio and the sight of a 50-year old man playing a little boy does get annoying. But even so, he's not half as bad as they say he is. All in all, it's an entertaining, if average, film as long as you have the brain cells to read the subtitles. Just a quick trivia note....one of the reasons the English dubbing is so bad (in my opinion) is that it was incredibly rushed. Benigni was supposed to dub his own voice, but dropped out at the last minute and was replaced my Breckin Meyer. By this time, the US release date was fast approaching, the film was directed at a childrens audience and the studio felt it couldnt release a childrens movie with subtitles. *** 1/4 stars.
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