Since its inception, Disney has been one of the most vocal and eager backers of the Blu-ray disc format. Their releases have been uniformly excellent. That is no surprise as animation, whether of the old school variety of the newer computer animation variety, always seems to look great in high definition. Cases in point are the various Pixar releases which are of reference video quality. Disney really raised the bar last year with its stunning releases of Sleeping Beauty which garnered rave reviews across the board. After that release, film fans have been anxiously awaiting releases of other Disney classics on the Blu-ray format. The first of these releases is the 70th Anniversary edition of the all time classic Pinocchio. Was it worth the wait? To quote Sarah Palin, “You Betcha!”
Film 
I am sure that you are all well aware of this film, as it is one of the most beloved of all of the Disney films. I am not sure that is it really the 70th Anniversary of the film as it is my understanding that the film was released to theaters by RKO Radio Pictures on February 7, 1940, making the 70th Anniversary 2010. But why quibble? I am more than happy to have this film released on Blu-ray now rather than next year.
Pinocchio was released by Disney after Snow While and became an instant classic. My kids have always loved this film as have yours truly. Based loosely on a story Pinocchio Tale of a Puppett by the Italian author Carol Callodi that appeared in 1883, the film features a puppet maker, Geppetto, who makes the puppet Pinocchio and who wishes upon a star that he become a real boy. In comes the Blue (or is it Blu?) Fairy who brings him to life and tells Pinocchio that if he is good and does all the right things, that she will make him a real boy. She appoints a fast talking and wisecracking cricket, Jiminy Cricket, as his conscious.
However, given that Pinocchio is gullible, he quickly finds his way into bad company and narrowly escapes being turned into a Donkey along with a bunch of rowdy and misbehaving boys. When he returns to Geppetto’s home, he finds that Geppetto is missing. The Blue Fairy delivers a message to Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket that Geppetto has been swallowed by a whale while looking for Pinocchio and is living at the bottom of the sea. Pinocchio and Jiminy then set out to rescue Geppetto. The rest they say, is history. I really can’t imagine anyone not loving this film and it is a must for any film collection. Highly recommended.
Video
Pinocchio is encoded with AVC and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1:33:1 within a 16 x 9 window. Accordingly, the film is presented with black sidebars. For those of you who detest black side bars for reasons of either aesthetics or fear of burn in or image retention on your displays, the film comes equipped with what Disney calls Cine-Explore which gives you the option of replacing the black bars with newly painted ever changing panels that fill your screen with colorful panels. These panels are designed, I presume, to prevent burn in. Regardless, they also sure look nice. As for the film itself, the only term that comes to mind is staggering.
I have this film on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD and the improvement in overall picture quality on this release is nothing short of staggering. The film has been completely restored to the point that I can’t imagine the original print released to theaters in 1940 looking any better. This release features bright and bold colors that are beautiful. Blacks are inky black as well with crisp outlines to each beautifully drawn character. Background details and textures are rendered with impeccable clarity and resolution.
This release contains about as detailed a hand drawn image as one could possible expect or want. It is an amazing restoration by the folks at Disney. It is so good that I could find nothing at all to complain about, not even one minor quibble and as far as I could tell, it is essentially, a perfect restoration and encode. What more could you possibly want? It really leaves one salivating over the future releases of such classics as Snow White and one of my all time favorites, The Jungle Book. I , for one, can’t wait.
Audio 
Pinocchio comes equipped with the original mono track presented in Dolby Digital and a newly remixed and remastered 7.1 track encoded with DTS HD Master Audio. I viewed the film using the DTS HD Master Audio track. For those of you who want to experience the original audio presentation of the film, Disney has provided it for you and should be commended for providing this option. Given that the original sound elements were in mono and further given the limits of audio recording technology back in the late 1930′s when this film was created, the DTS HD Master Audio track sounds much better than you would expect.
While the film is mixed into a 7.1 channel configuration, the audio mix is front heavy, with most of the sound coming from the front three channels. The rear channels are used where appropriate for sound effects and some minor ambiance but nothing more. Don’t expect an immersive sound experience as one is not provided. What is provided is a sound design of fidelity above and beyond what I thought possible. The sound is full, smooth and open with better than expected bass response. The thin and flat sound that one expects from audio recordings of this vintage is not present, sounding more like a modern recording.
The dialogue track is clear and distinct and always audible. Quite simply, while the sound doesn’t come close to matching a modern sound design, it is much better than expected. It is quite apparent that the folks at Disney took as much care with remastering the audio on this release as they did with the video.
Special Features 
As one would expect from such a major and historic release, Disney has packed this release with as many extras as one could imagine, many of which created specifically for this release. For me, the one extra that is worthy of a 4 star rating in and of itself, is a DVD copy of the film. One can now enjoy the Blu-Ray at home and take the DVD on the road to play in the car for the kids, on your laptop or a portable DVD player. Even if you don’t have a Blu-ray player, you can purchase this release now and enjoy the film on your DVD player and up grade to the Blu-ray viewing experience when the budget permits. I wish that all Blu-ray releases were so equipped.
The release is also BD-Live enabled with features such as Movie Chat, Movie Mail, Movie Challenge and Disney Movie Rewards live. Disc one of this release, which contains the film itself, contains several extras, including Pinocchio’s Matter of Facts which contains facts about the film as well as a song selection feature where the lyrics for each song appear on screen allowing you to sing along with each song in the film. Disc one also includes an audio commentary with film historians Leonard Maltin, Eric Goldberg abd J.B. Kaufman.
However, it is the features on Disc Two that really shine. Disc Two contains several features, all of which are presented in high definition, which detail the history behind the film. The video quality on these features is incredible, looking better than any extra I have yet seen on any Blu-ray release. The folks at Disney pulled out all the stops on this release to be sure. Included is the feature No Strings Attached: The Making of Pinocchio, which details the history of the Pinocchio character and the making of the film. Also presented are two deleted scenes, The Story of the Grandfather Tree ad In the Belly of the Whale created from the original story board drawings. Also presented is an alternate ending to the film, also created from the original storyboard drawings.
Another interesting feature is The Sweat Box, which concerns the small projection room at Disney studios where Walt Disney would critique story reels and rough animations and dailies. Also included is a Live action reference footage, art galleries, deleted songs and puzzles. While it will take you awhile to get through all of these features, it is well worth the effort if you have any interest in film animation as they are replete with a ton of interesting stuff. I know I enjoyed going through each and every extra.
Final Thoughts 
The release of Pinocchio on Blu-ray was eagerly awaited by film buffs and Disney really delivers the goods. This release contains a beautifully restored version of the film with pristine video quality and better than expected audio. I give this release my highest recommendation. If you are a fan of the film or of animation in general, this release is a must buy.
