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Cast

Directed by Daniel Robichaud
Written by Claude Scasso adapted from Peter Svatek

Articles

Animation on a shoestring
July 18, 2005
Richard Arless Jr, The Montreal Gazette
    Former Montrealer Daniel Robichaud was handed an impossible task: direct a full-length animated feature at a fraction of the usual cost in one year. The result was an award-winner PK3: Pinocchio 3000 director Daniel Robichaud at the Montreal studio CineGroupe, where 150 local artists created most of the film's digital animation. To say Daniel Robichaud faced a big challenge making P3K: Pinocchio 3000 is a major-league understatement.
    He who now lives and works in the special-effects biz in Los Angeles, was given what many directors might consider a pretty close to impossible mission. His producers asked him to direct an ambitious digital-animation flick for $15 million, a paltry sum considering the average DreamWorks or Pixar animated production costs in the neighborhood of $100 million U.S.
    Tougher still, Robichaud had only a year to produce Pinocchio 3000. By way of comparison, the major U.S. studio animation films like The Incredibles and Madagascar can take three or four years to create.
    "It was difficult," Robichaud said last week in an interview in the basement production facilities of producer CineGroupe, just 'round the corner from the Radio-Canada tower. "It was a huge challenge and it wasn't even just because of the money. It was also the time. So we had to manage our resources very carefully. We identified certain key scenes where we invested a lot of time because we knew we had to have some eye-candy. But we couldn't go crazy in terms of complex effects. Still, we wanted to create beautiful quality and we wanted it to have a style of its own."
    Given the time and budgetary constraints, Pinocchio 3000 - which opens here in French and English on Friday, July 29 - looks astonishing. Audiences used to the high-tech gloss of films like Shrek and Finding Nemo will not be disappointed by the visuals in this CineGroupe production.
    A Canadian/Spanish/French co-production, the film is a futuristic re-telling of the classic children's fable featuring the voices of Malcolm McDowell, Howie Mandel and Whoopi Goldberg. The French version features the voices of a slew of local vedettes, including Raymond Bouchard, Mario Jean and Sonia Vachon.
    In this sci-fi version, inventor Gepetto has created the son he's dreamed for years of having, with the space-age twist that Pinocchio is a robotic child. The requisite 'toon bad-guy is Mayor Scamboli, a thuggish type who hates kids and green spaces, and dreams up an amusement park, Scamboland, to trap all of the town's youngsters.
    Pinocchio initially hooks up with the mayor, but the android kid with the nose that grows whenever he tells a lie soon sees the errors of his ways, and begins to battle Scamboli. Pinocchio 3000 is an example of 3-D digital animation, a state-of-the-art technique that involves the use of 3-D animated characters in the production process. (But it is not a 3-D film like, say, Spy Kids 3, where audience members have to wear special glasses to watch it.)
    Robichaud is particularly proud of the human characters, given that even the big Hollywood animation studios usually avoid using humans as their main characters because it's much easier for digital animators to create toys and animals than it is to craft realistic people on the big-screen. "One thing we pay special attention to is the faces, because that's where you'll see all the emotions, and that's how the audience identifies with the characters," said Robichaud, whose day job is running the animation department at post-production studio Riot Pictures in Santa Monica, Calif. Since moving to L.A. 10 years ago, Robichaud has worked on special effects for a number of Hollywood blockbusters, notably Titanic, The Fifth Element, and Apollo 13. The visual and script development for Pinocchio 3000 was done in France and the post-production was in Spain.
    But almost all of the digital animation was done here at CineGroupe's studios with a team of 150 local artists. Pinocchio 3000 has already been sold all over the world and has won a number of prizes internationally, including a Goya (the Spanish equivalent of an Academy Award) for best animated feature.
    Robichaud hopes the success of Pinocchio 3000 will make producers realize it is possible to make quality animated flicks without gigantic Pixar/DreamWorks-like budgets.
"This film is not going to go unnoticed," he said. "This film shows that you can create decent quality on a fraction of the budget of a Hollywood film. I'm very proud of it."

P3K: Pinocchio 3000 
Variety by Jonathan Holland 10/4/04

    An attractive development on the age-old Pinocchio theme, "P3K: Pinocchio 3000" shifts the story 1,000 years into the future to create a visually exciting, politically correct and technically outstanding 3-D digital entertainment which lacks one vital ingredient: soul. A worthy pro-ecological agenda and stunning visuals cannot compensate for the fact characterization and plot are slight, and final impression is of a project in thrall to the same ultra-technological hijinks its storyline purports to criticize. Early sales have been slow, but pic deserves further exposure, if only as an exercise in eye-popping visual style.
    Inventor Gepetto creates the son he always wanted: a big-eyed, cute little android called Pinocchio who can feel emotions because of a special microchip Gepetto puts inside him. Meanwhile, technology-loving, child-hating Mayor Scamboli (looking in several frames uncomfortably like a malignant Shrek) runs his steel and glass, no-flowers metropolis with an iron hand. Under pressure from his rebellious daughter Marlene to give the city's kids a place to play, Scamboli creates an amusement park - Scamboland - but Gepetto suspects foul play by the mayor and throws a switch to upset its opening.
    Scamboli charms the innocent Pinocchio into helping him put into practice his master plan to turn all the kids in the city into robots. But when Gepetto is captured, Pinocchio sees the truth.
    Visually, pic is never less than vibrant, with the panoramic views of the vast, impersonal metropolis, busy with a thousand eye-catching details. One scene, which Marlene and Pinocchio face off to see which of them has the biggest imagination, likewise generates some startling imagery. Intense colors (for life) and neutral tones (technology) are played off to good effect throughout.

DVD

Contains these bonus features

Full screen, English & Spanish 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Digital Audio, interactive menus

Making of
Malcolm is shown saying "Oh, no. Scamboli never loses" in the studio. Then he is interviewed and says, "What is the character I play? He's a scumbag an absolute piece of…he's driven, he has a concept, but he's definitely an urban gentleman, rather than a country gentleman. The first duty is to entertain especially with something like this an animated feature. They want to go for fun, they want to come away and say that's great. It's important to remember that and in this script I think they managed to do that, it's a moral tale too, but foremost it's entertainment."
Total 3:17

The World of Right and Wrong DVD Game
There are questions with two choices. It's really simple right and wrong answers like 'should Pinocchio cheat or tell the teacher.' Then at the end it says well done he's on his way to becoming a real boy.

Trailers - all lumped together.

News

10/7/04

    If Geppetto were a computer nerd working in the year 3000, you can bet that he wouldn't build an ordinary wooden puppet.
    Indeed, in "P3K: Pinocchio 3000," by Daniel Robichaud, Pinocchio is a robot. Having its United States premiere tomorrow night in "Animation-O-Rama," the first children's international animation festival at Peter Norton Symphony Space, "P3K" isn't the only futuristic movie scheduled. "Princes and Princesses" by the French filmmaker Michel Ocelot, on Sunday, takes viewers from ancient Egypt to 3000. And "Catnapped," to be shown tomorrow and Sunday, is Japanese anime set in a world in which the sun turns people into cats and dogs into monsters.
    Laurie Cearley, the festival's curator, wasn't seeking science fiction, but she was looking for rarity and inventiveness. "This is a way for kids to see things they wouldn't see anywhere else, and that may not even be available on DVD or video," she said.
    "P3K," for example, features the voices of recognizable stars - Whoopi Goldberg, Malcolm McDowell and Howie Mandel - but is a Canadian, French and Spanish co-production with no big studio behind it.
    The festival, which continues next weekend ("P3K" will be shown again), also includes international shorts and classics ranging from Betty Boop films to the 1951 "Alice in Wonderland." In a sense these are rarities, too, Ms. Cearley said, "because you would not ordinarily see them on the big screen."
    "Animation-O-Rama," tomorrow, Sunday, and Oct. 16 and 17 at Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400 or symphonyspace.org. Tickets: $10; 65+, $8; members, $6.

2/4/03

"Whoopi Goldberg, Malcolm McDowell and Howie Mandel have been added to the vocal cast of CineGroupe's P3K, Pinocchio 3000. Canada's first full-length 3-D animated feature, P3K is slated for a 2004 release. McDowell will voice Mayor Scamboli, the technocratic megalomaniacal leader of Scamboville; Mandel voices Gepetto's trusted cyborg penguin assistant, Spencer; and Whoopi voices good fairy Cyberina." - Variety

Notes

• This is a CG animated film made by Cinegroupe.

• Runtime: 80 min

• Made in Canada, France & Spain.

• It was finished in 2002, but the premiere was in NYC on 10/9/04.

• French title is Pinocchio le robot

• Won a 2005 Goya Best Animation Film

Pictures

Malcolm in the recording studio
Malcolm being interviewed
Scamboli Composite

Pinocchio
R2 DVD Cover

Press Release

Canada's first full-length 3D animated feature film P3K, Pinocchio 3000, is currently in production in Montréal, and has recently added Malcolm McDowell, Howie Mandel and Whoopi Goldberg to its cast of voices. McDowell plays Mayor Scamboli, a technocratic megalomaniac who rules the megapolis of Scamboville with an iron fist. Mandel plays Spencer, Gepetto’s trusted cyborg-penguin assistant who helps him create Pinocchio, a very special robot equipped with a one-of-a-kind P3K processor that endows him with the lively imagination of a youngster. Goldberg plays Cyberina, the good fairy who guides Pinocchio on his quest to become a real boy. Sonja Ball (Mega Babies, Sagwa) plays Pinocchio and Howard Ryshpan plays Gepetto. P3K, Pinocchio 3000 is a futuristic spin on Collodi’s classic tale of Pinocchio, whose greatest wish is to become a real boy. Adapted by Peter Svatek (Night Kight, Sirens), from Claude Scasso’s (Marsupilami, Walter Melon, Princess Sissi) award-winning script, P3K, Pinocchio 3000  will be directed by first-time helmer Daniel Robichaud, who has worked as a CG artist on films such as Apollo 13, Titanic and The Fifth Element. The film is a co-production of CinéGroupe, AnimaKids of France and Castelao of Spain and is slated for a 2004 release. CinéGroupe will be previewing the film at the 23rd annual American Film Market, February 19-26, 2003 in Santa Monica, California. P3K, Pinocchio 3000 will be distributed by CinéGroupe worldwide excluding Canada, where it will be distributed by Christal Films; England, where it will be distributed by Carlton Visuals; and Spain and Latin America, where it will be distributed by Filmax. CinéGroupe is a partner of Lions Gate Entertainment and is also currently in production on Tripping the Rift, a 3D animation series for the Sci-Fi Channel.

Quotes

"That three such renowned and well-loved performers have come aboard for this exciting project is testimony that "P3K Pinocchio 3000" has truly captured the heart and the imagination of the filmmaking community." Jacques Pettigrew, president of CineGroupe.

"XSI's (3D animation software) key particularity is that it is the only non-linear software with which you can complete every step in the production of an animated project. And because it is non-linear, it allows you to make significant changes and corrections without having to start over from scratch". Brett Lush, Customer Relationship Manager at Montréal-based Softimage

"Essentially, the story reflects a marriage between cold technology and human warmth. Its message is to show the importance of human emotions over machinery." Marie-Christine Dufour, Executive VP of CinéGroupe.

Summary - Official

In the year 3000, Gepetto creates Pinocchio, a very special robot equipped with a one-of-a-kind P3K processor that endows him with the lively imagination of a youngster. Cyberina, the good fairy, guides Pinocchio on his quest to become a real boy.

My Summary

    The story starts in a lab of computers with an old man, Gepetto, going through blueprints and putting parts together on a robot. He tests hand functions, welds things, adds a face plate and a computer. He's finishes and says "My son." The next day we see he lives in a small house surrounded by a massive sprawling metropolis with air cars flying all over.
Cynthia is walking with her brother Zach to school and spots a flower on a wall. Then a machine comes to cover the old brick wall with metal panels. Zach jumps over and the police come over to stop him. He puts a brick in the wall that sticks out and causes the machine to break down. Another flower saved from Scamboli he declares.
    Then we see Scamboli is watching over them. The future metropolis is all thanks to him. No trees or grass, all steel and buildings. He has two assistants he tells, 'Children don't appreciate him.' What bothers him most about children is their whiny little voices. Then his daughter Marlene comes bounding in. She wants him to be nice and has a program for his robot assistants. She puts it the yellow one and he starts flipping out and dancing. He says she is ruining his robots. She says there is nothing fun for kids here. He says he built walkways and all buildings over 30 floors have a distressing zone. She says that's not fun, it's not for kids. He says he will build a place where he can round up all kids. She is excited, but he has more sinister plans.
    Later he goes out and announces his new plans for the grand opening of Scamboland. He invites all children to attend, they'll never get over it. Spencer the penguin is watching it on TV and is scared.
Gepetto is working and asks for Spencer. The house tells him he's in the freezer, so he goes over and pulls him out. He says the boy is ready. He drinks tea and drops the cup, but the house catches it before it can break. He wants to power up the boy and starts the process.
    Meanwhile the kids are arriving at Scamboland. Zach won't believe it until he sees it. There is a rollercoaster and rides. Then the Mayor arrives with his daughter and robots. They have hover platforms and fall off. The yellow one promises to catch the other one until the band starts and he's distracted and misses him. Then Mayor appears as a massive hologram to speak to the kids. He will offer them rides that they have never dreamed of. Meanwhile Gepetto is applying full power and is interrupted by Scamboli's broadcast. He needs more power, but the mayor's park is taking it from him. Marlene goes to cut the ribbon, but the bots have lost the scissors so she takes a piece form the pointy one. Gepetto decides to plug into the cities main power supply as Marlene cuts the ribbon and the lights come on across the park on all the rides. Gepetto siphons the power and all the lights go out on the park and the kids start to leave and the mayor's hologram goes away, so the kids all laugh at him. Meanwhile all power is being diverted to Gepetto's place. It lifts him and Spencer in the air and tosses them. Then the chamber opens up and Pinocchio steps out. He checks himself out and says dad and uncle Spencer. Then the house welcomes him home. He spins around and falls into the control seat and asks what it is. Dad says later, for now he has all the time in the world to play and he'll make things for him. Spencer says when he gets married he'll be the wedding photographer. Dad says that will never happen since he'll never grow up and is not going to get old. Then lights start to shine all around and the local fairy Cyberina materializes. She came to see Pincchio then sees how she looks and wants to change her hair and does. He says he can do tricks too. Dad says he can go to school with the other boys. She says he isn't a really boy, but dad loves him. Pincchio says he loves him too. She says that's tough to learn, she can make him a real boy, that's what dad really wants. But first he has to learn the difference between right and wrong. He wants to load the program, he can learn fast. She says it doesn't work that way and shows him his nose will grow when he makes a mistake. They make a deal and she disappears promising to return when he learns. Gepetto says tomorrow he will go to school, but for now he must sleep.
    The next day mayor is flying over the park and says, "they think they can mock him, it's just a minor power blackout." He wants the assistants Cabbie and Roto to go out and round up all the kids and bring them to the park now.
    Meanwhile Gepetto gets Pinocchio ready for school. Spencer says to chew his food, but he doesn't have to eat. Spencer takes a picture with his eye and Gepetto sends him on his way with Spencer to guide him. Pinocchio is so overwhelmed by everything, there is so much to see and do. Air cars fly by, but he's not paying attention and walks on a pile of girders. He is carried all around unaware and brought back to where he started. Spencer tells him never to stop on a flashing light. He commits it to memory. Then he doesn't understand why the cars going the other way have to stop. Then the mayor makes another broadcast that Scamboland is wide open. Pinocchio wants to learn what is right. Spencer tells him whatever the mayor says is wrong. The assistants are handing out free tickets to Scamboland and no kids want them, except for Pinocchio. The other kids turn on him, but when they hear about Gepetto they want him to come with him. Pinocchio thinks they are funny. They fall over each other to stop him, but Spencer sends him along and runs for it. Cynthia has a present from Gepetto. It's a funbrella, she opens it up, it makes light and all the blues go away. Marlene arrives and asks what a bot is doing there. He says he's a kid like them and his nose grows. It makes the kids laugh and when he spins around it knocks the assistants over. Zach says who needs Scamboland with Pinocchio around. Marlene says he's just another dumb robot and he says he has an imagination module, the best there is. Marlene says only humans have emotions. He says he can prove it. She challenges him and the bots don't want him to let them down even though he promised to go to school.
    He gets in the car with Marlene and goes to Scamboland. They are to play the imagination game in a large white room. She says to bow to the audience. He says what audience? He's supposed to imagine it. Then Cyberina appears and announces to the crowd that the game is to begin and Marlene is the reigning champion. He doesn't know how to play though. Instead of doing it, you imagine it. She makes a flower appear on her head, he makes a spring. She makes cogs appear all over the floor. He makes the spring bounce on all of them. She makes a giant beanstalk appear and slides down it. He makes a spaceship and flies around the galaxy. She blows him away with stars and turns into a mermaid. He pulls the plug on the ocean and everything goes down it, including him. She has butterfly wings to stay up, he makes a spinner helmet and they fly around together. Then they come back to the start to be judged. Cyberina asks the audience what they think. They both admit each other did well. Then she is awarded the winner and Pinocchio gets mad, says he's better and takes the medal. Then his nose grows. She says to keep the medal and leaves. Cabbie and Roto think Pinocchio won and are happy. Cyberina tells him he has accept the fact he didn't win. He says he had more ideas and they were better, he doesn't want to be a bot, he wants to be a boy and leaves. Then he has to admit that he lost to the bots. They say he needs to meet the boss - the mayor. He's upset, he's not supposed to talk to him, he's bad. They say he's not bad, he's good. He says it's like the traffic light, it depends.
    So they go to see the mayor. He asks if he's the famous Pinocchio and what's with the medal he won. He says he doesn't deserve it, Marlene won. Then he can't believe that Marlene is the mayor's daughter. Scamboli likes him and says of course she wins. Pinocchio asks what does a mayor do. He watches over the whole city and shows him holograms of the entire city, then Pinocchio and the bots. Then he asks to see his house. He does and Gepetto is all sad, he thinks something bad happened to Pinocchio. He knows why, he is supposed to be in school. The mayor says nonsense, he can go to Scamboland. He's got the tickets and bots are man's best friend. He wishes all kids were like Pinocchio. Pinocchio wishes they were all bots. This give the mayor an idea. He wants Pinocchio to be the face of Scamboland. He's not sure.
    But soon after Pinocchio is the face of Scamboland and is doing the ads for the park. Now all the kids want to go and Pinocchio welcomes them there and comes out and does a big dance routine. Gepetto is there and is happy, but Marlene isn't. The bot assistants think they'll be stars as Pinocchio sings a Backstreet Boys type song. Then mayor comes over and wants to talk to Gepetto, then takes him away. At the end of the song even Marlene cheers him. Pinocchio says the best ride is Whales of Change. Then we see the Mayor has Gepetto strapped to a chair. He says Pinocchio is great and will be a big help to him.
    The kids line up for the whale ride which is like a two person rollercoaster that whips them up and all around on a track, then it goes underground and passes them through a beam where they turn into robots. The mayor asks how Gepetto likes his little Scambobots, beautiful aren't they? He owes it all to Gepetto and his brilliant designs, but his usefulness is nearly over to him. He has a few minutes to live. He then says he can make an exception for him, he can be a robot too - the perfect dad.
    Then everyone is done except for Marlene. She's mad at Pinocchio, but he pulls the medal out of his arm and gives it to her. He says it's meant for her. She says that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her. She then goes on the whale ride with him. The mayor flips out and has it shut down before they can go too far. Pinocchio asks what's wrong Uncle Scamboli. He tells him never to call him that again, the ride is not for Marlene and she is not to hang out with Pinocchio anymore. She tells him Pinocchio is her friend. He says he isn't, he's a failed robot like all others. She says he's not a failure and is her friend, she'll hang out with who she wants and leaves with Pinocchio.
She takes him to her special garden where she goes when she's sad. He's impressed she stood up to her dad. She says it's hard to be the mayor's daughter and wonders if he loves her as much as his dumb bots Cabbie and Roto. He wishes his dad could've seen his show and admits the bots are dumb. She says she lies down and all her problems go away. She lies down and goes to sleep. He wants a friend like her and kisses her goodnight. She wakes up and Pinocchio is gone.
    She finds the kids turned into bots are making the forest into metal and can't believe Pinocchio allowed this. It's the last forest in the town. He says he likes metal, it doesn't tickle. She throws the medal at him and wants nothing to do with him. Cabbie and Roto are there, but aren't supposed to talk to him anymore. Pinocchio asks what about them opening the park today. Roto says he doesn't get it and plays back his voice explaining all the kids are now bots. Pinocchio is horrified. He steals their cab and takes off. He runs a traffic light and the police bot follows. He then suddenly stops at the next light and the police bot crashes into a sign of Scamboli talking. Pinocchio says some drivers.
    Pinocchio lands at home and Gepetto is gone. He asks Spencer where he is. He explains Gepetto was supposed to be with him. He went to rescue him from Scamboli. Now he knows he screwed up. Then the cop arrives to arrest Pinocchio. Spencer tries to hide him and the house lets him in, then whacks him with a coffee pot allowing him to escape.
Scamboli is mad and says only Gepetto could've invented something so annoying. He sends Cabbie and Roto to get him then Marlene comes in and says he used Pinocchio to soften her up. He sends the bots away, but she tells them to come in. She's mad that he took away all the green. He says it's easier to maintain and she was just going through a green faze. He made all the children into bots to be her friends. She sends the bots away, he calls them back. He admits having failed his daughter. She asks him to do something nice for once. He says he tried. She wants the kids back, but he doesn't and leaves, locking her in.
    Pinocchio goes to the park to look for his dad and finds the bot army waiting, but they are not responding. Then Scamboli arrives activating the bot army to get Pinocchio. Then he changes his mind and says the Gepetto bot can do it. Then a large bot comes out of his ship. Spencer takes the mayor's picture and makes him dorp the remote. He tries to activate it, but the bots give chase. They run for it and lose the remote. They hide in the Tunnel of Danger and Roto shoots spikes at them and misses. Gepetto steps on the remote stopping all the bots in place. Scamboli is happy they went in there. They get on a car and Spencer tells him to be careful, Scamboli invented it. Then Scamboli appears and says that's right. The object of the game is that he will create obstacles and they have to avoid them or be turned to scrap. He sends them on their way, then activates controls to unleash laser fire on them. They are about to crash when the obstacle is shot down. Marlene appears in the next chair saying the game was meant to be played by two. She then assists Pinocchio in escaping by manning the guns to blast objects. Cabbie is happy for Pinocchio and Roto says they are supposed to root for the boss and puts on Scamboli ears. Marlene says 2 more and they win. Scamboli says she is forgetting who designed the game and cheats by shutting her pod down. They are now the obstacles as the tables turn on them and it looks bleak. Pinocchio remembers what Cyberina said to him and he uses the medal to reflect the shots back on them and he wins. Now Roto is on Pinocchio's side too. Marlene says he won, now her dad has to change the kids back. Scambol says never. He goes outside and all the bots are sitting there. Cabbie gives the remote to Gepetto and Scamboli wants it. He tells him what he did and Scamboli fires them. Then Gepetto uses the remote to sick the bots on Scamboli. Pinocchio appears on the top of the ride and Marlene drives up to rescue them. They jump in and Scamboli flies away and the police tell him to pull over, but he refuses. Then the police ram him and he crashes.
    Marlene lands and Pinocchio talks to Gepetto. Marlene can't believe that's his dad. Gepetto communicates to Pinocchio in robot language. He says it's a great ride and hands him the remote. Gepetto goes into the main control room and Pinocchio and friends line up all the bot kids to go back on the whale ride. Gepetto works the machine to reverse it so the bots can be turned back into people. They gear up the ride in reverse and they all start changing back and cheer Pinocchio and Gepetto. Gepetto comes out and he's the last to go on the ride. Halfway through the transformation Scamboli pushes the emergency stop button. Pinocchio realizes something is wrong and runs into the ride. He finds Gepetto and asks if he can hear him. The mayor says he can hear him, but not for much longer. Pinocchio runs into the mayor and says to leave him alone knocking him down. Scamboli gets up and says you can't stop me mini bot. Pinocchio decides to start lying and his nose grows and grows. He says how great Scamboli is, how handsome, strong and smart. His nose grows long enough to push the button and send Scamboli away. Pinocchio then cries that it's all his fault what happened to his dad. He cries and Cyberina appears. She says he's been lying, but he only did to save his dad. Then his nose goes down. She asks if he learned anything. He doesn't know, he thinks he screwed everything up. She says he learned a lot and his dad would be proud. Remember her promise? She puts him in the car with her dad.
    Outside Roto says he likes not taking orders. Cabbie says who will they take orders from now? He says no one. Cabbie will take orders from him now.
    Then Pinocchio comes out a real boy and Gepetto is back too. They hug and then the next car comes out. The mayor is now a robot. Gepetto says to leave him like that a few days, it won't hurt him and they all cheer. Then Cyberina appears for an Imagination game rematch. She asks for Cynthia's umbrella, opens it op and it causes light and color to rain down on everything. She flies through the city with it and it causes flowers to grow wildly replacing all the metal. Spencer then takes a picture of Pin, Gepetto and Marlene. The End.

My Review

    When I see the title of a movie like this one the first thing I think of is "why?" Then I think they are out of ideas again. You know they are in trouble when they put a sticker on the DVD box reading "All New Movie!" Otherwise people would just pass it by.  It's one of Malcolm's films I put off seeing for a while because I knew it just couldn't be good. I watched the movie Robots and while the story was basic, predictable kiddie fare, there were tons of inside jokes for adults. So much so that it kept the film fun all the way through even though I knew what the story was going to be 15 minutes before it happened. After that I thought it was time to watch P3K (what an annoying abbreviation that is a la Y2K). Even more bizarre is this film was made before Robots, actually done in 2002 (it sat around for years), but  I saw a Canadian release of the Pinocchio DVD titled Robots 2 which is not only a lie it is a cruel way to try to make money on the film that has nothing to do with the other.
Alone this film would've been disappointing enough, but after watching Robots, which showed the perfect balance between making kids and adults could enjoy equally on different levels this film is an abomination.
    The only good thing I can say about it is that the animation is way above par for a film not made by a mainstream studio. It's shockingly good looking, but it's not the best I've seen and this doesn't save it from being a miserable failure. Surprisingly Malcolm's character isn't given any good lines or inside jokes so he can't save the film. He can't even save his character. The only bone we get is he is shown in the pitifully small making of featurette on the DVD. He seemed genuinely excited by the script, but they don't say when it was recorded. It would be interesting to know if it was years earlier to get an idea if they massacred it along the way.
    If you know the story of Pinocchio and are a fan of that film or story then you really don't need to see this one. It's basically the same thing, instead of being made of wood, he's made of metal. He wants to be a real boy, his nose grows when he lies, etc.
    Worst of all when I'm watching and doing my summary write up I know it's so bad that it's just a waste of time to even update this page any more. Why write a summary and a review for a movie few people will ever see and no one cares about? No one will ever write to me about the film and few people will ever read what I write about it and I can't really blame them. How many times can I say something sucks anyway? It's just going through the motions to complete the page. I mean some of Malcolm's best films like Stroke of Genius no one ever talks about so what can you do? I give it one point for working hard on the animation. The film was done years before it was released, but by waiting so long it was crushed by Robots, never to be taken seriously. I would like to show it to a child and see if they can even make it thorough the film without getting bored.

Rating: 1/10

This page © 2003-08 Alex D. Thrawn for www.MalcolmMcDowell.net