Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #2: Pinocchio (1940)

By Munir Abedrabbo.

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #1: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

After the huge success of Snow White, Walt Disney decided to be bolder and push the boundaries of animation even further with his second feature. Pinocchio, released just three years after Snow White, shows a level of detail and beauty that has still yet to be matched even to this day. But not only the animation was perfected, the story and the characters were too (reportedly, Walt scrapped production after six months and started from scratch because he was dissatisfied with the film) creating a superb story of right vs. wrong and unforgettable characters such as Jiminy Cricket, who is still one of the studio’s most recognizable personas. Though, unfortunately, it wasn’t very successful when it first premiered, Pinocchio is still a triumph on every front (it also won the Academy Awards for Best Original Song & Score) and a testament to Walt’s limitless quest for perfection. Rating: 5/5.

Next Week: Animated Classic #3 Review: Fantasia