The world is full of lies. Turn on the television, and you will see a dozen falsehoods a minute, from sensationalist coverage of news events to utterly ridiculous claims made by brands. On a personal level, you probably hear a hundred lies a day, which could come in the form of a compliment with a hidden motive or a simple white lie from a friend to keep the peace surrounding a touchy topic.
The pervasiveness of lies is what makes the Pinocchio myth so compelling. Originally told in the 1880s Italian book The Adventures of Pinocchio, the story centers around a wooden puppet who desperately wants to turn into a real boy. A fairy offers him the opportunity on the condition that he behave himself. His propensity for spewing falsehoods (which, in certain versions of the story, cause his nose to grow) make that a rather difficult task. There have been countless adaptations of the wooden child’s tale. An animated Guillermo del Toro telling of the story, which will take place in the turbulent setting of 1930s fascist Italy, is set to be released in short order.
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However, del Toro was beaten to the punch by Robert Zemeckis, whose Pinocchio adaptation just hit the Disney+ streaming service. Here are a few characters that deserve the spotlight.
The Lonely Italian Craftsman Geppetto Brought Depth
The woodworker behind the puppet Pinocchio is a kindly older gentleman named Geppetto. The man has very little left in the world outside of his work. He is a widower, and it is revealed that he makes the puppet Pinocchio in the likeness of his deceased son, who died sometime earlier. Late one night, while staring up at the sky, he wishes on a star, and the next day, he finds that Pinocchio has come to life. When Geppetto decides that his newfound wooden child must attend school, the puppet quickly finds himself wrapped up in all manner of mischief.
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Beloved actor Tom Hanks plays Geppetto in this film. When Pinocchio first goes missing, Geppetto immediately leaps into action, tracking his puppet son to the ends of the Earth. We feel every ounce of his heartbreak, and Hanks’ performance has all the depth that one would expect from a character with such a tragic backstory.
Jiminy Cricket Is Engaging as Pinocchio’s Conscience and Narrator
In many Pinocchio adaptations, the story is narrated by a wise, well-dressed insect named Jiminy Cricket. Additionally, Jiminy serves as Pinocchio’s conscience. He encourages the puppet to stay in school and to keep away from trouble, though his advice ultimately goes unheeded. At the end of the film, Jiminy Cricket delivers a powerful monologue, where he neither confirms nor denies that Pinocchio became a real boy, but that he definitely had the kind heart of one. He also says that Pinocchio is absolutely real in the eyes of his father, Geppetto.
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In the new Pinocchio adaptation, Jiminy Cricket is given a voice by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. On its surface, this may seem like a strange casting decision. Gordon-Levitt was a child actor, but since then, he has traditionally been associated with somewhat more action-oriented roles. Nevertheless, he turns in a perfect portrayal of Jiminy Cricket. Audiences hear in the character’s voice his hope for Pinocchio’s future and his disappointment at the puppet’s many moral failings.
In an interview with Parade, the A-List actor revealed that he finds the story’s moral deeply resonant and that telling the truth is especially important in modern discourse. He states:
Honest John Is More Entertaining Than Ever
One of the greatest Pinocchio performances comes from Keegan-Michael Key, who portrays the villainous con-artist fox Honest John. In a manner traditionally associated with foxes, Honest John is sly and uses Pinocchio’s desire to become a real boy against him. He tells the puppet that the path to becoming real lies with fame and sells him to the evil puppeteer Stromboli.
While Honest John has long been an antagonist in Pinocchio adaptations, Key’s performance makes the character more enjoyable than ever. This version of Honest John combines his nefariousness with hilarity, making the audience laugh just as much as they jeer at the devious villain.
The tale of Pinocchio has a list of adaptations almost as long as the titular puppet’s nose. One of the producers of the newest adaptation, Jacqueline Levy, recently said that there are some ideas floating around for a potential sequel. It’s probably unlikely that a sequel will be greenlit, given the mixed reviews the live-action film has garnered thus far. Nevertheless, the movie provides audiences with fresh takes on classic characters. You can’t lie: 2022’s Pinocchio is filled with fascinating performances.
