Pinocchio

Pinocchio is the titular protagonist of the 2022 live-action remake of Pinocchio. Like the original character, he is a wooden puppet created by the kindly woodcarver Geppetto. As per Geppetto's wish to have a son, Pinocchio was brought to life by the Blue Fairy. With Jiminy Cricket as his conscience, Pinocchio must prove himself brave, truthful, and unselfish, in order to become a real boy.

He is based on both the character from the original story by Carlo Collodi and the character of the same name from the 1940 animated film.

Role in the film[]

Pinocchio is introduced at the beginning of the film as an inanimate puppet done by his master Geppetto. As he finishes working on his puppet, he asks the Blue Fairy to bring his puppet to life so that his wish can come true and so that he can become a real boy. Soon as Pinocchio is brought to life by the Blue Fairy, he asks her to know about how he can become a real boy which the Blue Fairy tells him that while his father Geppetto has done his part and the Blue Fairy herself has done hers, she convinces Pinocchio to do his own part and for him to do his part, he must prove himself brave, truthful, and unselfish so that he will become a real boy with Jiminy Cricket serving as his conscience so that he can help him learn of what is right and what is wrong. She then explains to him that the most important part of being a real boy is about what is inside his heart as she leaves Geppetto's workshop singing the musical number "When You Wish Upon a Star". Geppetto then approaches Pinocchio who realizes that he is brought to life which he explains to him that the Blue Fairy granted his father's wish onto him. Seeing that he can talk and move like a real boy, Geppetto feels overjoyed that his puppet is a real by and upon staring at his son, he happily dances with Pinocchio by singing the musical number "Pinocchio, Pinocchio". After celebrating, Geppetto returns to bed just as Pinocchio sleeps with him so that he can get ready for school the next day.

The next day, Pinocchio explores the world around him while his father Geppetto shows him his new school classmates led by his teacher Signora Vitelli just as Pinocchio tries to follow him, but before he can go to school, Geppetto gives him a lesson book as well as an apple for his teacher just as he tells him to be very careful around the very busy town, convincing him that his workshop is two streets down the fountain, just as Pinocchio accepts his father's advice as he goes all the way to school. On his way to school, he encounters a fox and a cat named Honest John and Gideon who notice a wooden puppet boy without strings and as he is on his way, the duo approach him to know what he is doing today to which Pinocchio tells them that he can learn when he goes to school to make his father proud, but instead of taking him to school, Honest John offers him to know if he could be famous by performing in Stromboli's puppet theater to make his father proud. Pinocchio accepts his offer, causing him to join with the duo while Jiminy Cricket, who is carried by Sofia the Seagull, sees Pinocchio walking alongside the duo where Sofia deploys Jiminy to the spot where Pinocchio, Honest John, and Gideon are walking and upon landing on Honest John's hat, Gideon suddenly hits him instead of Jiminy. Pinocchio tells Jiminy that instead of going to school, he is going to perform at Stromboli's puppet theater to make him famous to which Jiminy warns him about the dangers of temptation - especially when it comes to Honest John despite his name since Honest John was a "liar" like most people called that in the film. While discussing, Jiminy asks him that if he were him, he would trust the Blue Fairy rather than Honest John so that he can go to school.

Soon as Pinocchio approaches school, he attempts to attend class only for him to be kicked out by the headmaster who only allows real children, not living puppets while Honest John and Gideon approach him in front of the school, which Honest John explains to him that he is an unusual puppet, telling him that school is for real children and instead of going to school, Pinocchio continues following the duo on their way to Stromboli's puppet theater, much to Jiminy's warning while being stuck in a jar which Honest John placed on him meaning Pinocchio likely forgot the warnings. Later that night, Pinocchio is taken to Stromboli's puppet theater where Stromboli himself presents the audience the most unusual puppet, Pinocchio, describing him as a unique puppet where Pinocchio meets Fabiana who is helping put the strings on Pinocchio to help him be famous where she explains to him that strings are part of the show. Fabiana introduces Pinocchio to a ballerina puppet named Sabina whom he thinks she could be friends with him where Fabiana and Pinocchio are readying themselves to perform on stage. During the show, Pinocchio performs "I've Got No Strings" while Sabina watches him which Pinocchio stumbles on a piece of wood where he gets his nose stuck on it. Fabiana, who is puppeteering Sabina, helps Pinocchio get the plank off his nose just as the show then resumes. Pinocchio continues singing the musical number "I've Got No Strings" in front of the audience and after performing his part, various French puppets controlled by various puppeteers dance in front of Pinocchio and after their part, Fabiana controlling Sabina dances next to Pinocchio with a castle background behind them where Sabina pirouettes in front of the audience where Pinocchio dances with Sabina and after Sabina, various Cossack puppets dance in front of Pinocchio just as Pinocchio dances along with the Cossack puppets and after performance, the audience cheers for Pinocchio's performance where they throw coins at Stromboli.

Later at Stromboli's caravan, he then realizes that Stromboli's puppet theater is a touring show while he hears Fabiana, the puppeteer who used Sabina, the ballerina puppet during performance, and upon observing Fabiana dancing and singing the musical number "I Will Always Dance" with Sabina encouraging him to dance with her, Pinocchio then dances with her whom he thinks she is trying to fall in love with her only to find out that Stromboli is preventing Pinocchio from performing on stage for free, also telling Fabiana to pack up for the next area where the puppet theater will perform. Stromboli then locks Pinocchio in his cage, telling him that this cage will be his permanent home where he will find him, much to Pinocchio's worry. Fabiana, who is Sabina's puppeteer, sneaks into the area where Pinocchio is caged at, giving an alert to Pinocchio about Stromboli being a cruel man, planning to find a way to get Pinocchio out of his cage, which Pinocchio refuses to accept Fabiana's trust. Fabiana then decides to cheer up Pinocchio with Sabina, her ballerina puppet where Sabina tells him that he liked that way he danced, introducing herself to him. Pinocchio engages in a conversation with Sabina who tells him that he is a marvelous dancer just as Pinocchio tells Sabina that his father Geppetto would be happy if he returned upon telling him that he became famous, which Pinocchio then understands Fabiana's kindness, telling her that he trusts her and Sabina. Seeing a key hanging onto the wall, Sabina devises a plan to Pinocchio to retrieve the key, escape from Stromboli and retrieve the money he stole from Fabiana in a plan for Fabiana to start her own show, only for Stromboli to interrupt, which causes Fabiana and her puppet Sabina to retreat. Seeing only Pinocchio in his cage, Stromboli approaches him and tells him to get ready for the show tomorrow at the next place where his puppet show will perform at so Stromboli can earn more money, much to Pinocchio's sadness and Stromboli's greed just before he exits.

Just as Stromboli's caravan passes by Jiminy Cricket who is trapped in a jar and after the jar where Jiminy is stuck gets flipped over, he then enters Stromboli's caravan and sees Pinocchio in his cage. As Jiminy meets Pinocchio in his cage, he tells Pinocchio that how he ended up in the cage when he wanted to be a famous actor, which Pinocchio denies that he never wanted to be famous, unaware of his nose growing when he lies. As Pinocchio continues to tell more lies to Jiminy, his nose continues to grow where Jiminy warns him that a lie can really change his life, just as Jiminy tells him to stop lying to him. As Jiminy sees the key to Pinocchio's cage, Jiminy is unable to reach the key due to Pinocchio's nose length a bit far from the key and as Pinocchio continues to tell one more lie just to reach the key, which Jiminy retrieves the key. He then asks Pinocchio if the lie was real or not, which Pinocchio tells his conscience that he had to reach the key as he apologizes to him, causing Pinocchio's nose size to decrease a bit. Jiminy then tells Pinocchio that what the Blue Fairy said to him is that being real is in his heart just as Pinocchio continues to give Jiminy another apology, causing Pinocchio's nose to become completely become short which Pinocchio helps Jiminy open the lock, causing Pinocchio to escape his cage with Jiminy.

On their way back home, Pinocchio and Jiminy approach the streets, only for Pinocchio to be captured by the Coachman on his carriage of donkeys leading a group of children to a place called Pleasure Island where Pinocchio encounters one such naughty boy named "Lampwick". The Coachman then brings Pinocchio, Lampwick, and the other children to Pleasure Island as Pinocchio is unaware of him luring him to a trap with the place being a negative influence to him. Soon as Pinocchio is taken to Pleasure Island, he discovers many activities children do inside the amusement park - mostly bad habits children do, much to Pinocchio's worry that this can give him a negative influence upon experiencing the bad habits done by the children.

After exploring Pleasure Island, Lampwick, who is playing billiards at a bar, talks with Pinocchio who replies to him where the children are at, which the two are unaware that the children are being turned into donkeys. As Pinocchio offers to play billiards with Lampwick. However, Lampwick tells him why he never smashed any of the clocks they saw earlier at Pleasure Island, which Pinocchio replies that he wants to be a good boy, not a naughty boy though the temptations would later cause him to do things he knew were wrong like smoking and drinking. Just as Jiminy enters the bar, he attempts to warn Pinocchio about the dangers of Pleasure Island only for Lampwick to knock him down a grate leading him the area of children who were turned into donkeys are being sold by the Coachman to the salt mines. As Pinocchio becomes furious of Lampwick whom he thinks he is deceiving him into that situation, he then realizes two donkey ears growing on Lampwick, noticing that Pleasure Island is being used as a curse, followed by a donkey tail growing on Lampwick who later completely transforms into a donkey, just as Lampwick starts acting frantically in the bar.

After Lampwick completely transformed into a donkey, Pinocchio starts growing donkey ears and a donkey tail as he attempts to call Jiminy Cricket for help. Jiminy arrives at the bar and warns Pinocchio, telling him that the place where he is at is the place where all the naughty children are turning into donkeys. As the Coachman enters, he commands his shadow henchmen to capture Pinocchio where he escapes with Jiminy Cricket to get out of Pleasure Island to avoid getting turned into a donkey. With the help of Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio manages to escape Pleasure Island before he turns into a donkey into the sea while evading the Coachman and two of his shadowy followers just as Pinocchio swims out of the sea while avoiding the giant sea monster, Monstro.

The next day, Pinocchio enters Geppetto's workshop to tell him that he is home only for Sofia to find out that Geppetto sold his clocks to get money for a boat to sail out to sea to look for Pinocchio, leading Pinocchio, Jiminy, and Sofia to find Geppetto and bring him back home. As Pinocchio arrives at the beach, he doesn't see a sign of Geppetto while Jiminy tries to look for him. Hiding under the docks, a figure approaches Pinocchio whom he thinks it is the Coachman passing by only to find out that the figure walking above him is none other than Fabiana and her ballerina puppet Sabina. Sabina tells Pinocchio that she and Fabiana are members of the New Marionette Family Theater ever since Stromboli was arrested by the Carabinieri for his cruel treatment to Fabiana, resulting in Stromboli to be in prison. She then recaps to Pinocchio giving him the opportunity in joining the show, which Pinocchio tells Sabina that he must rescue his father, causing the donkey ears and tail to disappear when Pinocchio starts to prove himself brave, truthful, and unselfish so that he can become a real boy. Just before Pinocchio leaves, he hugs Sabina telling him that he might join the show next year just before Fabiana and her ballerina puppet Sabina leave. Jiminy then discusses with Pinocchio that according to Sofia, Geppetto left about two hours ago and headed south which Sofia offers to help him and Jiminy by using a rope to help Pinocchio find Geppetto.

On the ocean, Pinocchio and Jiminy see a small boat from a distance where Geppetto would be at just as Pinocchio sees him on his boat with his pet cat Figaro and his pet goldfish Cleo on the boat. Pinocchio recaps the adventures he had in the past day just as Geppetto is excited to have Pinocchio to come back home only for Monstro, to swallow Pinocchio and Geppetto just as Sofia retreats from the sea monster. As Pinocchio finds himself inside Monstro, he encounters his father and reunites with him after not seeing Pinocchio for a long time, alongside Figaro and Cleo. Pinocchio then plans to find a way to open Monstro's mouth so he can escape from the sea monster just as Pinocchio starts a fire inside Monstro with Geppetto adding oil from the bucket to make the fire inside the mouth on the shipwreck large so that Monstro can wake up.

As Monstro starts opening his mouth, Pinocchio and Geppetto plan to escape with Figaro and Cleo with them on Geppetto's boat, alongside Jiminy who got inside Monstro who later sneezes them out due to the fire Pinocchio caused in a plan to escape from him. As Geppetto's boat gets out of Monstro, it gets smashed in half Pinocchio gets Geppetto out to safety. Pinocchio, Jiminy, Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo escape from Monstro who chases them across the ocean seeing a cove from a distance in a plan to escape from Monstro. Pinocchio escapes with them, causing Monstro to slam his head onto a wall. Having escaped Monstro, Pinocchio approaches his father who is badly injured and cries believing that he is dead, alongside Figaro and Cleo who mourn him; as Pinocchio sadly sings "When You Wish Upon a Star" as a magical tear from Pinocchio drops onto Geppetto, just as he is brought back to life.

Pinocchio, Figaro, and Cleo rejoice in seeing Geppetto alive. As Geppetto regains consciousness, he thanks Pinocchio for saving him and praises him for being brave, truthful, and unselfish. Pinocchio feels disheartened by the fact that he is not a real boy, but Geppetto assures him that he is as real as a human and he will always love him. After a short happy reunion, they follow the light in a tunnel to return home with Figaro and Cleo. Knowing Pinocchio now has his own conscience, Jiminy departs. As the four leave, Jiminy narrates of how Pinocchio proved himself brave, truthful, and unselfish. Pinocchio slowly transforms into a real boy as the movie ends.