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mcauleycssp
Reviews
Pinocchio (2002)
what was he thinking?
This is without a doubt the most awful film EVER made. It is just sick! What was Benigni thinking? This was a pure vanity project from a man who was delusional about his fame and talent after the success of Life is Beautiful. Didn't anyone, his wife or anyone, try to stop him and say that this is a bad project? A balding, late middle aged man playing a wooden puppet? Sick, Sick, Sick!! I could hardly sit through it - the noise and his over the top antics were revolting. Kid will HATE this and adults will HATE it more. So who did he make it for? Why did no one stop him? There is not a single redeeming feature about this film. There are so many things I despise about this movie and the first is that Benigni himself decided to play the title role. Secondly, at the beginning when he is supposed to be a wooden puppet, he does not make any attempt to be wooden or a puppet. He just plays the role as a stupid rubbery Benigni. When he finally becomes a real boy - (or a real balding middle aged man) he just looks and acts the same except for a costume change. Speaking of costumes - the outfit for Pinocchio made me want to vomit. I just kept shaking my head in wonder at the blindness of all the people involved in this disaster. As the cameraman was filming, wasn't he thinking, "I'm not taking my children to see this." As the set directors were getting things ready, were they snickering behind Benigni's back? Why did no one have the courage to take him aside and tell him to his face that this movie is not working? All of this being said though, it is worth renting the DVD as a cautionary tale of when ego and fame get out of control. I gave this movie a rating of 1 on the scale, but in truth, it is worse than that. It is far below 1, it is much worse than awful.