KnotMissPriceless
Why so much hype?
Pluskylang
Great Film overall
Beanbioca
As Good As It Gets
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.
mntwister
This is a great movie musical made for television. I don't understand how one guy on here says it was such an awful score, I think it's the best original musical score in years and this should be on the Broadway stage. Steven Schwartz is in top form with this one, a 10 star job on this music. Songs such as TOYS, SATISFACTION GUARANTEED and PLEASURE ISLAND are showstoppers, all of them. Two beautiful melodies fill MY EMPTY HEART and SINCE YOU TOOK MY HEART AWAY. The blue fairy also has an excellent melody used several times throughout. Drew and the rest of the cast are quite good, I was impressed at Drew's performance. No, it's not Emmy winning but this role was not meant to be heavily acted. My only complaint is how the end is a little rushed especially the whale sequence, that was the only part of the film that looked cheap to me, the 5 minutes of expelling from the whale.I recommend this to all families, it's rare to see this kind of entertainment as brand new, not a musical remake. I only wish Disney would wise up and put out a dvd, there never was one, it was scheduled and never released...Amazon says out of print but I have confirmed with Disney they have not and do not have any plans to issue it, can't imagine why. IGNORE THE LOW IMDB RATING....read the reviews, they say it all...not sure why it was such a low number.
aesgaard41
What's wrong with "Geppetto ?" I may be blindly faithful as a Drew Carey fan, but this is his best dramatic talent and first family film that I know of, but I think he does a great job. His singing may not be Madonna, but would you want your kids watching "The Drew Carey Show" with its humor on sex, drinking and abuse in the workplace. Julia Louise Dreyfuss also shines in this as a cross between Glinda the Good Witch and Tinkerbell. Rene Auberjonais plays an eccentric inventor blind to Drew's true wishes, and Brent Spiner plays the human version of the animals in the cartoon who kidnapped Pinocchio. Drew's buddy, Wayne Brady, makes a cameo, but a lot of gumption has to got to the young actor ( I forget his name ) who had to endure all that body make-up. He should have a fairly successful career ahead of him or at least a supporting role on Drew's TV show.I don't know about you, but this movie counts in my list of top children's movies along with "Mary Poppins," "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," and "The Wizard of Oz."
ets2000
The Disney Company has rediscovered the magic of the live action musical (a magic that seemingly vanished toward the end of the 60s); although, it might have considered the wide screen a better source for the release of "Geppetto."In simple terms, this is a motion picture-sized musical extravaganza for the small screen that depicts the tale of "Pinocchio" from the eyes of his "father" Geppetto. Starting with his "son's" creation, Geppetto quickly learns that children are not perfect; what he fails to understand is that such imperfections may be derived from the parent. Subsequently, when Pinocchio runs away with the evil gold-loving Stromboli and then to Pleasure Island, Geppetto requires lessons in parenthood and of the heart and inner soul. In hilarious fashion, the Blue Fairy assists Geppetto on his journey to eventually find both understanding and Pinocchio.Drew Carey is surprisingly strong in a title role that relies more on emotion than one-liners. Brent Spiner's Stromboli is evil personified, although in a comical light that should not leave the kiddies afraid to go to sleep in the dark. Julia Louis-Dreyfus initially appears over-animated as the Blue Fairy. We discover later how this plays into her role when she displays her magic powers to Carey in a series of hilarious dance sequences. Usher is ever-so-sly as the singing Ring Leader in Pleasure Island. Seth Adkins is the penultimate Pinocchio, reminiscent of the 1940s animated version. His extensive makeup leads one to believe that this talented boy is genuinely made of wood.The rest of the cast play their roles with abundant energy and warm-hearted feeling that transmits beyond the screen and directly into the hearts and minds of the audience. These feelings are intensified by Stephen Schwartz's highly enjoyable musical score and songs, with no less than two showstoppers: in "Toys" three tracks sung by the parents, children and Geppetto run simultaneously yet we clearly understand each one. "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sung by Rene Auberjonois and a chorus of golden-voiced youngsters adds exuberant, vibrant energy to an active and complex choreographed sequence; the townspeople and their "perfect" children create a visual delight with their routine.Equally incredible is the scenery in the Pleasure Island sequence, a colorful, attractive yet eerie amusement park of sorts where Pinocchio connects with the "bad" children of the world. Particularly funny are the run-ins that Stromboli has with the Pleasure Island children as he races against Geppetto to find and catch Pinocchio before he can suffer the fate of all Pleasure Island kids.Monstro fans, take heart. The giant whale makes a cameo appearance. Kids especially will laugh at Pinocchio's idea to hopefully save Geppetto and himself from that mighty stomach.Finally, the live action musical extravaganza has come back to the screen, albeit a smaller screen than for major musicals of the past. Before viewing "Geppetto," one may wish to watch the original Disney animated version of "Pinocchio" to become familiar with the story and characters. Consider that an optional homework assignment, not a necessity as this film can and will stand on its own for future generations of families.
