‘Pinocchio‘ the much anticipated live-action remake of the 1940 animated film of the same name was released on Disney+ Hotstar on 8th September. Charmless, soulless, and sloppy, the movie has left both critics and audience equally unimpressed.
The movie received dismal responses, with an approval rating of 30% on Rotten Tomatoes and an equally low 40% audience score on the site. Calling the remake disappointing, many have accused Disney of trying to milk the legacy of the original films instead of greenlighting new stories. The Tom Hanks starrer has drawn criticism from the audience for its writing, plot, and deviations from the original.
The film has become one of those remakes that no one asked for yet got made, following the trail of Disney’s own ‘Mulan’, ‘Dumbo’, and ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to name a few. It is for the studios to decide whether to hide under the blanket of calling the audience racist and misogynistic for not liking the remake or asking themselves if the movie was just …well, BAD! Such underwhelming films end up destroying the legacy of the beloved originals.
There are reports of numerous reboots like that of Snow White, Peter Pan, Hercules, and Bambi in the works at Disney. These movies will either take the legacy of the originals forward or will end up being a stain on it. Does every classic animated film warrant a splendid-looking CGI-rich remake or is it best to just leave them as they are?
It’s time for introspection for Disney when people who’ve seen the movie opine they’d rather go back in the past and rewatch the original than have watched the new one at all.