There’s no soul to Disney’s live-action Pinocchio remake

Tom Hanks might be the nicest man in Hollywood but that decency sometimes translates to a one-dimensional performance.

Pinocchio is streaming now on Disney+.

Did you know Tom Hanks is meant to be a good guy?

With a reputation as one of the most genuinely nicest people in Hollywood, Hanks has embodied an almost old-fashioned ideal of American decency both on and off screen.

His public persona as America’s dad dovetails with his choice of roles as heroes staring down challenges ranging from world wars and sea pirates to political corruption and daddy issues.

Our conception of Hanks is wrapped up in fundamental goodness.

Rare is the villainous Hanks role so it makes sense to cast him as Geppetto in the live-action remake of Pinocchio. Geppetto is the kindest and worthiest character in fairytale history.

While it may have been an obvious casting choice, it’s a creative decision that ultimately didn’t work. The combination of the existing goodwill surrounding Hanks with the saccharine approach to one of the least nuanced characters in fairytale history makes for a one-dimensional, treacly rendering. It’s too much, too earnest.

Tom Hanks as a one-dimensional Geppetto.

In this version, Geppetto is too kind and too worthy – that’s not a character you can invest in because there’s nothing to latch onto. His dithering is akin to a sketch comedy caricature.

Hanks reunites with his Forrest Gump, Castaway and The Polar Express director Robert Zemeckis and despite the pedigree, this version of Pinocchio is as droopy as a puppet gathering dust in a forgotten corner of the theatre.

The classic morality tale about the wooden puppet on a mission to become a real boy carries the same themes about doing the right thing when you’re tested. Pinocchio must learn to be brave, truthful and unselfish, as the Blue Fairy directed.

And he’ll be tested through a series of adventures and misadventures, his simple naiveté placing him in the path of those who would exploit his innocence.

The story is exactly as you remembered, almost beat-for-beat with the 1940 animation. Even its visual effects looks to replicate its predecessor.

There are no strings on him.

The Disney live action remakes have been a real mixed bag and oftentimes it’s when it tries to hew too closely to the original, it prompts the question, what was the point of any of this?

If you have nothing to add, how can its existence be anything other than a cynical cash grab? Pinocchio can’t even point to technological advancement because the visual effects here are flat and uninspiring.

Perhaps Zemeckis, having been burnt by the uncanny valley of The Polar Express, was too timid to be more ambitious.

So what’s even new here worth preserving? Cynthia Erivo’s Blue Fairy was serviceable but her voice, as always, was phenomenal and you can’t fault her “When You Wish Upon a Star” while Luke Evans’ Coachman displays a modicum of liveliness.

Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy.

The standout is dancer and actor Kyanne Lamaya, who plays a character in Stromboli’s show. Her sensitive portrayal of a puppeteer yearning to live a life that’s hers becomes the emotional centre of the film that offers little interiority.

On the voice talent side, Keegan-Michael Key is genuinely a delicious delight as the devious Honest John while Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Jiminy Cricket is functional.

As a character, Pinocchio was bold and curious. As a movie, this live action remake is neither. Just as Pinocchio wasn’t a real boy to start, this wasn’t a real movie – and there’s almost no chance it learnt enough lessons to become one with a soul.

Rating: 2/5

Pinocchio is streaming now on Disney+

Originally published as There’s no soul to Disney’s live-action Pinocchio remake