Review: Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Pinocchio’ is a soulless knockoff of the beloved 1940 animated classic

It may have started when they shunned hand-drawn animation from their feature productions, or perhaps when churning out superhero sequels became their mainstay. Produced by Walt Disney himself, the 1940 interpretation of “Pinocchio” is often regarded as one of the most accomplished and innovative animated features ever conceived. As opposed to Matteo Garrone’s recent gorgeous take or Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming stop-motion reimagining, which take aesthetic liberties, Zemeckis isn’t adapting Carlo Collodi’s 19th century fable but the previously Disneyfied version of it. Pinocchio’s transmutation from the 2-D animated design into one with volume makes for an almost identical copy because he remains an inanimate object that can keep his cartoonish features. Zemeckis’ “Pinocchio” prompts one to wish upon a star that Disney would stop diluting the legacy of its beloved animated features with these soulless knockoffs.