History YMMV / Pinocchio

* OlderThanTheyThink: Disney in TheNewTens gets a lot of flak for including too many EvilAllAlong characters. Those people have probably forgotten that Stromboli, Disney's first EvilAllAlong character, is from a movie released in ''1940'' and based on a book with even more villains written and released in 1883.
* OneSceneWonder: Lampwick only appears in the Pleasure Island scene, but sports a memorable design and personality of a juvenile delinquent trying to act like a big shot gangster, plus Frankie Darro's absolutely terrifying performance as he realizes he's being turned into a donkey and desperately cries out for his mother.

* The story overall holds a rather dim view of how misbehaving children should be treated. The Blue Fairy tells Pinocchio "boys who won't be good might as well be wood" (particularly horrifying given what Pinocchio had just been told what happens to old marionettes), and other misbehaving children are transformed into donkeys and sold into slavery, without any hope of being rescued or redeemed. The message seems to be: behave, or horrible things will happen to you.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Even when taking into consideration the ValuesDissonance discussed below, and the fact that the MPAA used to be much more lenient about its film ratings in the 1960s and 70s, the fact remains that a movie which depicts underage drinking and smoking, gratuitous violence and swearing, an on-screen character death, a child being horrifically transformed into a donkey (a scene that was known to have been quite terrifying to watch for countless children in the 1940s, and to this very day), several other boys-turned-donkeys being brutally enslaved (and not being rescued by the end), Jiminy Cricket’s...ahem, ''fascination'' with the ladies, and multiple villains [[KarmaHoudini getting away with their crimes]], somehow received a ''G rating.'' Not only that, it ''still'' has that G rating, despite the fact that movies will receive a PG for even the slightest insinuation of kid-unfriendly themes nowadays.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Even when taking into consideration the ValuesDissonance discussed below, and the fact that the MPAA used to be much more lenient about its film ratings in the 1960s and 70s, the fact remains that a movie which depicts underage drinking and smoking, gratuitous violence and swearing, an on-screen character death, a child being horrifically transformed into a donkey (a scene that was known to have been quite terrifying to watch for countless children in the 1940s, and to this very day), several other boys-turned-donkeys being brutally enslaved (and not being rescued by the end), and Jiminy Cricket’s...ahem, ''fascination'' with the ladies, somehow received a ''G rating.'' Not only that, it ''still'' has that G rating, despite the fact that movies will receive a PG for even the slightest insinuation of kid-unfriendly themes nowadays.

** WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Even when taking into consideration the ValuesDissonance discussed below, and the fact that the MPAA used to be much more lenient about its film ratings in the 1960s and 70s, the fact remains that a movie which depicts underage drinking and smoking, gratuitous violence and swearing, an on-screen character death, a child being horrifically transformed into a donkey (a scene that was known to have been quite terrifying to watch for countless children in the 1940s, and to this very day), several other boys-turned-donkeys being brutally enslaved (and not being rescued by the end), and Jiminy Cricket’s...ahem, ''fascination'' with the ladies, somehow received a ''G rating.'' Not only that, it ''still'' has that G rating, despite the fact that movies will receive a PG for even the slightest insinuation of kid-unfriendly themes nowadays.

** WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Even when taking into consideration the ValuesDissonance discussed below, and the fact that the MPAA used to be much more lenient about its film ratings, the fact remains that a movie which depicts underage drinking and smoking, gratuitous violence and swearing, an on-screen character death, a child being horrifically transformed into a donkey (a scene that was known to have been quite terrifying to watch for countless children in the 1940s, and to this very day), several other boys-turned-donkeys being brutally enslaved (and not being rescued by the end), and Jiminy Cricket’s...ahem, ''fascination'' with the ladies, somehow received a ''G rating.'' Not only that, it ''still'' has that G rating, despite the fact that movies will receive a PG for even the slightest insinuation of kid-unfriendly themes.

** WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids?: Even when taking into consideration the ValuesDissonance discussed below, and the fact that the MPAA used to be much more lenient about its film ratings, the fact remains that a movie which depicts underage drinking and smoking, gratuitous violence and swearing, an on-screen character death, a child being horrifically transformed into a donkey (a scene that was known to have been quite terrifying to watch for countless children in the 1940s, and to this very day), several other boys-turned-donkeys being brutally enslaved (and not being rescued by the end), and Jiminy Cricket’s...ahem, ''fascination'' with the ladies, somehow received a ''G rating.'' Not only that, it ''still'' has that G rating, despite the fact that movies will receive a PG for even the slightest insinuation of kid-unfriendly themes.

** WhatDoYouMeanIt’sForKids?: Even when taking into consideration the ValuesDissonance discussed below, and the fact that the MPAA used to be much more lenient about its film ratings, the fact remains that a movie which depicts underage drinking and smoking, gratuitous violence and swearing, an on-screen character death, a child being horrifically transformed into a donkey (a scene that was known to have been quite terrifying to watch for countless children in the 1940s, and to this very day), several other boys-turned-donkeys being brutally enslaved (and not being rescued by the end), and Jiminy Cricket’s...ahem, ''fascination'' with the ladies, somehow received a ''G rating.'' Not only that, it ''still'' has that G rating, despite the fact that movies will receive a PG for even the slightest insinuation of kid-unfriendly themes.

** WhatDoYouMean,It’sForKids?: Even when taking into consideration the ValuesDissonance discussed below, and the fact that the MPAA used to be much more lenient about its film ratings, the fact remains that a movie which depicts underage drinking and smoking, gratuitous violence and swearing, an on-screen character death, a child being horrifically transformed into a donkey (a scene that was known to have been quite terrifying to watch for countless children in the 1940s, and to this very day), several other boys-turned-donkeys being brutally enslaved (and not being rescued by the end), and Jiminy Cricket’s...ahem, ''fascination'' with the ladies, somehow received a ''G rating.'' Not only that, it ''still'' has that G rating, despite the fact that movies will receive a PG for even the slightest insinuation of kid-unfriendly themes.

** WhatDoYouMean,ItsForKids?: Even when taking into consideration the ValuesDissonance discussed below, and the fact that the MPAA used to be much more lenient about its film ratings, the fact remains that a movie which depicts underage drinking and smoking, gratuitous violence and swearing, an on-screen character death, a child being horrifically transformed into a donkey (a scene that was known to have been quite terrifying to watch for countless children in the 1940s, and to this very day), several other boys-turned-donkeys being brutally enslaved (and not being rescued by the end), and Jiminy Cricket’s...ahem, ''fascination'' with the ladies, somehow received a ''G rating.'' Not only that, it ''still'' has that G rating, despite the fact that movies will receive a PG for even the slightest insinuation of kid-unfriendly themes.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: The film's animation was absolutely groundbreaking in 1940, and is still considered to be one of the most, if not ''the'' most, beautifully animated films ever made.

** The Coachman. Fans are split on whether or not he's one of the [[LoveToHate best]] or [[TheScrappy worst]] Disney villains. Some fans find him to be an enjoyable character, love him for how evil he is and how he subverts the DisneyVillainDeath trope. Other fans, on the other hand, hate him for being a {{Jerkass}} and how, despite turning innocent little boys into donkeys and making them suffer a FateWorseThanDeath, he doesn't receive any form of comeuppance for his actions. It doesn't help that his "They never come back... as BOYS!" quote and face has gained MemeticMutation.

* OlderThanTheyThink: Disney in TheNewTens gets a lot of flak for including too many EvilAllAlong characters. Those people have probably forgotten that Stromboli, Disney's first EvilAllAlong character, is from a movie released in ''1940''.

** The Coachman is a rather ambiguous character. While he could just be an unscrupulous man who [[ExploitedTrope seeks to profit from bizarre phenomena that could only occur in the world of a morality play]], he's also been interpreted as a supernatural KarmicTrickster, a red wearing EvilCounterpart to the Blue Fairy -- while she has children learn from their misdeeds and sends them towards redemption, he punishes them for their stupidity by transforming them into donkeys. A less common variant of this theory interprets him not merely as a malevolent fairy, but as being [[DevilInDisguise literally Satan]]. The fact that his NightmareFace involves contortions that a normal human face simply can't do is often taken to be evidence of this, although it could just as well be ordinary cartoon exaggeration that was turned UpToEleven for the sake of RuleOfScary, without really implying anything about the nature of the character.

* CommonKnowledge: The film is sometimes criticized for giving the message that all your problems will be solved simply "when you wish upon a star," when in fact the entire point is that Geppetto's wish for Pinocchio to be human isn't granted right away, and the newly alive puppet has to earn it by proving he's a good person. What's more is that Geppetto's wish is granted in the first place because he's already brought such happiness to others that he deserves for it to come true, according to the Blue Fairy.

* OnceAcceptableTargets: Honest John briefly mentions that Stromboli is a Gypsy, and he perfectly fits the RoguishRomani stereotype.
** Somehow justified to this day, considering the mention comes from ObviouslyEvil Honest John.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: We sadly don't get to see any of the four despicable villains (Coachman, Stromboli, Honest John, and Gideon) suffer any punishment. This is especially bad in the case of the Coachman, who's one of the [[CompleteMonster vilest villains Disney's ever concocted]]. In fact, the only "[[DesignatedVillain villain]]" who undergoes punishment is Lampwick, and not only is he merely a {{Jerkass}}, [[PetTheDog but one who's actually fairly nice to Pinocchio]], [[FateWorseThanDeath and his fate are so utterly horrific]] [[DisproportionateRetribution that the audience will find little satisfaction from it]].

* ValuesDissonance:
** One of Geppetto's clocks features a child being spanked for breaking a bottle. Even in 1940, this was a controversial form of discipline.
** The story overall holds a rather dim view of how misbehaving children should be treated. Aside from the above-mentioned spanking, the Blue Fairy tells Pinocchio "boys who won't be good might as well be wood" (particularly horrifying given what Pinocchio had just been told what happens to old marionettes), and other misbehaving children are transformed into donkeys and sold into slavery, without any hope of being rescued. The message seems to be: behave, or horrible things will happen to you.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Averted. In the 1951 German dub, Lampwick was voiced by Creator/HorstBuchholz, who was not yet famous. Sadly, the 1951 German dub is lost.

* UncannyValley:
** Pinocchio's human form, if you're used to seeing him as a puppet. This is largely due to his eyes being noticeably smaller as a human than as a puppet.
** To some extent, Pinocchio's first appearance, when he has no mouth and looks decidedly doll like, as compared to how most people remember him. This is not helped by the camera angles used, which makes him look unseeingly huge.
** It's very clear that the Blue Fairy was rotoscoped and looked more humanoid than the other characters, a somewhat down step from Snow White.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: This film has shaped the way Pinocchio is seen in popular culture, especially his Bavarian/Tyrolian-like outfit (he looked more Italian in the Enrico Mazzanti [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Mazzanti#/media/File:Pinocchio.jpg illustrations]] of the first editions of the original novel). Many adaptations of the book ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'' have incorporated concepts from the Disney film, even if they are otherwise faithful to the book.

* MemeticMutation:
** The Coachman's nightmare face, to a degree.
--->"They never come back... as BOYS!!!"
** Mama...Mamaaaaa-HEEHAWHEEHAWHEEHAW!!!
** Associating a person lying with [[PinocchioNose his/her nose growing]].
** [[FountainOfMemes Almost everything]] [[LargeHam Stromboli]] does.
*** "[[BigShutUp QUIET! SHUT UP!]] Before I knock-a you silly!"
*** Him and his big, fat ass.
---->"Constantinopalee!"
** [[DarkReprise The use of a slow, nightmarish version of "I've Got No Strings"]] in the trailer for ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' naturally got the movie quite a bump in attention, with even comments on videos of the original song being flooded with Marvel talk.
** From a mural in a Pinocchio themed restaurant at the Ride/DisneyThemeParks, "[[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/5c/e6/27/5ce627188a4e3ede6f5f4bcb439b9808.jpg Figaro is a cat]]".

* CompleteMonster: [[VileVillainSaccharineShow The Coachman]] runs PleasureIsland, a too-good-to-be-true amusement park for troublesome children. Presenting a guise as a [[FauxAffablyEvil kindly old man]], he laces the cigars and beer of the children with a substance that [[BalefulPolymorph transforms the children into donkeys]] whenever they act like jerks. The Coachman then sells them as normal animals into harsh working environments and keeps the boys who can still talk within a pen with no indication of their fates afterwards. Even Honest John and Gideon, a pair of con artists, are [[EvenEvilHasStandards visibly terrified by him and his actions]].

** Geppetto. He first desperately looks for his kid, then he get swallowed along Figaro and Cleo in the belly of a whale where he risks to die starving. Then [[spoiler: Pinocchio [[AdultFear dies saving his life]] leading Geppetto to mourn his son's loss until the Blue Fairy revives him as a real boy.]]

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: This film has shaped the way Pinocchio is seen in popular culture, especially his Bavarian/Tyrolian-like outfit (he looked more Italian in the Enrico Mazzanti [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Mazzanti#/media/File:Pinocchio.jpg illustrations]] of the fist editions of the original novel). Many adaptations of the book ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'' have incorporated concepts from the Disney film, even if they are otherwise faithful to the book.

* HarsherInHindsight: The Coachman scene, the fact that boys get taken to an island called “Pleasure Island” and the fact that they’ll “never come back as boys” becomes a LOT WORSE nowadays, considering similarites to Jeffrey Epstien.

* AudienceColoringAdaptation: This film has shaped the way Pinocchio is seen in popular culture. Many adaptations of the book ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfPinocchio'' have incorporated concepts from the Disney film, even if they are otherwise faithful to the book.

* {{Adorkable}}: Pinocchio. In contrast to his meaner and more brattier counterpart in the book, this Pinocchio is so endearing because of cheerful, naive and innocent he is. His excitement about the world around him is comparable to a teenager on his first day of high school.

* TearDryer: Pinocchio is though to have drowned and Geppetto, Jiminy, Figaro and Cleo are all grieving over him. Then the Blue Fairy makes him a real boy.

* TearDryer: Pinocchio is though to have drowned and Geppetto, Jimminy, Figaro and Cleo are all grieving over him. Then the Blue Fairy makes him a real boy.

* Adorkable: Pinocchio. In contrast to his meaner and more brattier counterpart in the book, this Pinocchio is so endearing because of cheerful, naive and innocent he is. His excitement about the world around him is comparable to a teenager on his first day of high school.