"The Adventures of Pinocchio" follows Carlo Collodi's beloved children's book more closely than Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" does. But that doesn't necessarily make it better or more enjoyable.
The latest version of the oft-filmed puppet story — which features great performances, especially by Martin Landau, and magical animatronic puppet effects by Jim Henson's Creature Shop (which, most recently, worked on "Babe") — is good, even very good at times. Unfortunately, some dumb, contemporary touches in dialogue and a couple of surprisingly sour musical numbers prevent it from being great.
Landau stars as Geppetto, a lonely puppeteer whose wooden creations are like family after his lifelong love Leona (Genevieve Bujold) jilts him to marry his brother. But when he carves a new puppet, Pinocchio, from a magical log, it comes to life. (The log in question was taken from an enchanted forest where Geppetto once pronounced his love to Leona, and their love has helped animate the puppet.)
Like a "real" boy, Pinocchio (the voice of Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is curious, which gets him into big trouble. After the puppet innocently destroys a bake shop, Geppetto is forced to sell his beloved Pinocchio to the evil showman Lorenzini (Udo Kier) to pay off his legal bills.
When Lorenzini disappears, Geppetto — aided by Leona, who has now been widowed — tries to recover the puppet, which has been like a son to him. Pinocchio, meanwhile, must choose between his darker or lighter nature — aided by Pepe, a talking cricket (the voice of David Doyle), and hindered by dimwitted shysters Felinet (Bebe Newirth) and Volpe (Rob Schneider).
The puppet-boy consequently learns some valuable lessons about telling the truth and practicing self-restraint, which, if nothing else, make the film worthwhile for families. As stated before, though, there are several winning performances, especially from Landau, who is charming as ever and really pulls off the Italian accent.
Also, Thomas is surprisingly solid, and only becomes annoying once Pinocchio becomes flesh-and-blood. And the three villains — Kier, Schneider and Newirth — nearly steal the show with their restrained buffoonery.
The puppet effects are dazzling, as are Pepe's fluid motions (created by the teams responsible for parts of "Goldeneye" and "First Knight"). Similarly, the beautiful and lush Czechoslovakian forests make a more than adequate 15th century Italy.
But the screenplay, some of which was written by director Steve Barron ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"), sometimes stoops to juvenile comedy — such as when Pinocchio sneezes sawdust on his teacher and a bake shop scene that mines Three Stooges-like pie-throwing humor. It also includes some dumb, anachronistic dialogue (like "Put a sock in it!") that doesn't work very well.
The songs were composed by Stevie Wonder and former Queen member Brian May. Though May's compositions display nice, operatic touches, Wonder's songs — in particular, the shrill "Kiss Lonely Goodbye" — are too sappy and aren't especially memorable.
Still, given much of the inappropriate fare directed at families, "The Adventures of Pinocchio" couldn't come at a better time.