Comwayon
A Disappointing Continuation
SpunkySelfTwitter
It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.
Micah Lloyd
Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.
Ava-Grace Willis
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
MissSimonetta
I watched this because on Whose Line is it Anyway they always brought it up to mock it. Before I finally sat down to see it, I read the reviews here on IMDb and was surprised to find that virtually everyone seemed to love it so much. I had no idea what to expect going in.The story is essentially the plot of the 1940 Pinocchio except told from the point of view of his father, Geppetto. It's a parable about the hardships of parenting, which isn't as easy as the toymaker had hoped it would be once he gets a son of his own. Believing Pinocchio is somehow defective since he doesn't listen to the rules or wish to be exactly like him, he tries to get the Blue Fairy to correct her "mistake", causing the puppet to run away. The rest of the plot concerns Geppetto's quest to find him and make things right, learning about parental love along the way.It's not a bad premise; actually, it's quite interesting, however, I just didn't care for the execution. If the 1940 animated film was a watered down version of Collodi's original book, then Geppetto is a watered down version of the 1940 animated film. It felt rather cloying to me.. I didn't find the musical numbers that memorable save for a scene where Geppetto and the Blue Fairy seem to be channeling Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, though I will admit Drew Carey has a pretty good voice. It's not technically perfect, but he lends the right amount of emotion. Most of the acting was quite good too, though I did find Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the Blue Fairy to be grating. The production values are wanting, but I didn't expect anything too elaborate as this is a television movie after all.Geppetto is not a terrible movie; it's a cute little musical that's not too elaborate, and judging from everyone else's reactions, they really enjoyed it. I'm just probably missing something.
overzeetop
If you can get past seeing and hearing Drew Carey in a serious role, a sickly sweet British accent used by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and a horrible makeup job on Pinocchio, this a a fun movie for the older crowd that remembers Pinocchio. Younger kids will like the film for the songs and dance numbers. You might say that this is a prequel to the Wicked genre - a familiar tale told from an alternate point of view. You'll find bits of sharp with below the surface at times, and they'll smack you in the face with it at other times.Once you get past the negatives, this is - as other reviewers have mentioned - a return of the old style musical. The rest of the cast is fantastic, with engaging performances from practically all the supporting roles. While I'll admit the music can be pretty sugary, the big production numbers lots of fun, and Geppetto's ballads very lyrical. There's no Defying Gravity in this libretto, but there are a couple of tunes you might catch yourself humming (Toys, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Pleasure Island).I'm torn between a 6 and a 7 for this film. I think, as a traditional silver-screen musical, it works well enough to be a keeper. I happen to like Drew Carey (though not in this role) so I'm going to round my score up. I think with a better effect budget (or simply better executed effects) and two new leads, this could be a solid 8-9.
johnstonjames
i just love this movie. i must have seen it over fifty times by now. i can't stop watching. it's so pleasing and congenial and so Disney. it's a return to 'Disney' live-action musicals like 'Mary Poppins', 'Pete's Dragon', 'One and Only Genuine Original Family Band', 'Happiest Millionaire',etc. i always love 'Disney' musicals and this is one of their best.the detractors of this have been so unfair. isn't it funny how this was written before Stephen Schwartz's 'Wicked' became a big Broadway hit. this show preceded 'Wicked' by a few years. many critics who skewered 'Geppetto' should have to rethink their position. how could anyone skewer a musical by Stephen Schwartz? i mean he wrote 'Godspell' and so many other musical theater classics. 'Gepetto' deserves more serious consideration than it has been given in the past.the cast is excellent. of course Drew Carey's beautifully sensitive performance as the lead role is the focal point, but the rest of the cast, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Brent Spiner, Rene Auberjonois, and Usher Raymond are all absolutely perfect and incredibly entertaining.i've always loved Walt Disney films and this one stands out for me. and yes, i have seen the original 'Pinocchio' cartoon which happens to be my favorite of the animated classics. i have also read Collodi's book. as someone who is very familiar with "little woodenhead" i found this version to be charming,hilarious, musical, and above all pure 'Disney' magic. after all, it did premiere on the 'Wonderful World of Disney'. that's where i first saw it and fell in love with it. God Bless Drew Carey and the rest of the wonderful Disney cast.
BlackX
OK, so the costumes and make-up were horrible?So what? I got over it. It's not the best movie out there, but considering I've never been able to keep my brain on in the original Pinnochio(in fact, I found myself, still with my eyes open, waking up and going "How long was I out? and once "Where am I?" and a lot of "What was I thinking?"s), it wasn't that bad. Too bad it seemed a one time thing. Drew Carey, one of my favourite comedians, doesn't do a lot of looking around, laughing or jerking motions like on his show(which doesn't mean the show is bad, a like it a lot), but instead is surprisingly strong if not as believable as other choices, and focused. I despised the Fairy woman(I forget the name) and Pinocchio himself gave a bad performance, not believable at all. But Brent Spinner and a short, good, but a little clumsy appearance by Wayne Brady keep the score from falling. His role a little unnecessary, the Magician was a good time filler. Brent was definitely the best actor out there, out to make a hard, almost no-reason-behind-his-actions character rise beyond all else.But please: Get a new composer! For the love of God!