overzeetop If you can get past seeing and hearing Drew Carey in a serious role, a sickly sweet British accent used by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and a horrible makeup job on Pinocchio, this a a fun movie for the older crowd that remembers Pinocchio. Younger kids will like the film for the songs and dance numbers. You might say that this is a prequel to the Wicked genre - a familiar tale told from an alternate point of view. You'll find bits of sharp with below the surface at times, and they'll smack you in the face with it at other times.Once you get past the negatives, this is - as other reviewers have mentioned - a return of the old style musical. The rest of the cast is fantastic, with engaging performances from practically all the supporting roles. While I'll admit the music can be pretty sugary, the big production numbers lots of fun, and Geppetto's ballads very lyrical. There's no Defying Gravity in this libretto, but there are a couple of tunes you might catch yourself humming (Toys, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Pleasure Island).I'm torn between a 6 and a 7 for this film. I think, as a traditional silver-screen musical, it works well enough to be a keeper. I happen to like Drew Carey (though not in this role) so I'm going to round my score up. I think with a better effect budget (or simply better executed effects) and two new leads, this could be a solid 8-9.

johnstonjames i just love this movie. i must have seen it over fifty times by now. i can't stop watching. it's so pleasing and congenial and so Disney. it's a return to 'Disney' live-action musicals like 'Mary Poppins', 'Pete's Dragon', 'One and Only Genuine Original Family Band', 'Happiest Millionaire',etc. i always love 'Disney' musicals and this is one of their best.the detractors of this have been so unfair. isn't it funny how this was written before Stephen Schwartz's 'Wicked' became a big Broadway hit. this show preceded 'Wicked' by a few years. many critics who skewered 'Geppetto' should have to rethink their position. how could anyone skewer a musical by Stephen Schwartz? i mean he wrote 'Godspell' and so many other musical theater classics. 'Gepetto' deserves more serious consideration than it has been given in the past.the cast is excellent. of course Drew Carey's beautifully sensitive performance as the lead role is the focal point, but the rest of the cast, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Brent Spiner, Rene Auberjonois, and Usher Raymond are all absolutely perfect and incredibly entertaining.i've always loved Walt Disney films and this one stands out for me. and yes, i have seen the original 'Pinocchio' cartoon which happens to be my favorite of the animated classics. i have also read Collodi's book. as someone who is very familiar with "little woodenhead" i found this version to be charming,hilarious, musical, and above all pure 'Disney' magic. after all, it did premiere on the 'Wonderful World of Disney'. that's where i first saw it and fell in love with it. God Bless Drew Carey and the rest of the wonderful Disney cast.

Neal The Disney folks must be applauded for reviving the live-action movie musical (albeit on television); it wasn't hard to improve on John Huston's gruesome film of ANNIE, but the Disney version actually seemed an improvement on the overrated Broadway show. And it's always fun to see stars not primarily known their for singing and dancing kick up their heels (if you haven't seen Kathy Bates' spectacular turn in ANNIE, rent it now.) So it's disheartening to report that GEPPETTO isn't even in the ballpark. Ostensibly a retelling of the Pinocchio story from his father's point of view, it will probably bore kids and puzzle most adults.Admirably, Drew Carey as Geppetto displays none of his sitcom or stand-up personae, but hasn't found any persuasive replacement. It doesn't help that the character as written is pretty much a simpering wimp or that his wig appears to be the one originally worn by Patty Duke as the American twin on her old TV series; Carey could be auditioning for a biopic about The Turtles. In fact, the whole production has the look and sound of the kind of expensively cheesy sixties musicals that helped bury the genre: technically slick and impressive without being attractive or appealing. The tone, however, is pure nineties: guilty parents can only find happiness by learning to obey their children.Hearing just a few bars each of "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "I've Got No Strings" here is enough to illustrate how uninspired Stephen Schwartz's score is. Schwartz seems at fault too for pushing Carey, who has a more than adequate singing voice, beyond his range; he could and should have sounded a lot more comfortable. As a hazily-conceived Blue Fairy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus attempts an unsuccessful homage to Billie Burke in THE WIZARD OF OZ, but also reveals a very pretty soprano behind the affected diction. Poor Usher Raymond gets stuck with the worst song, and though he looks like he could dance up a storm he's barely given the chance. Brent Spiner, with vocal chops to spare, comes off best, but then again he is playing the villain (and gets the best hair, too.)It would be churlish to complain about Seth Adkins' whiny performance as Pinocchio; nearly all of the child actors have been directed to whine and sulk brattily, the better to manipulate their supplicatory parents. But the sheer awfulness of his costume and makeup is indicative of the production's creative clumsiness. With a grotesquely streaked face and awkward, artificial "puppet" joints, Pinocchio looks less like a little wooden boy than the unfortunate victim of some horrible real-life disease.

deepspace93 I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie, and thought it was much better than the Jonathan Taylor Thomas version. While the JTT one had better special FX, this one had much better direction and script-writing. Also the fact that it was a musical made it all that much more enjoyable. Brent Spiner (Star Trek TNG's Data) was wonderful as Stromboli. And Rene Auberjonois (Star Trek DS9's Odo) was magnificent as Buonragazzo. I highly recommend this film, and will probably buy it on video.