Disney has released it’s latest live-action film ‘Pinocchio’ on Disney+ for Disney Plus Day and the reviews are not great. The film is currently sitting at a 32% Critical Score and a 48% Audience Score. (As I’m writing this, critical score dropped to 31% and audience scores dropped to 46%.)

The newly released live-action redux has not gone the way Disney had hoped. Maybe we are just getting to a point where the lazy live-action “reimaginings” aren’t resonating with audiences anymore?

Disney’s new Pinocchio synopsis reads:

“Robert Zemeckis directs this live action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his “conscience”; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is “Honest” John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman. Also in the cast are Kyanne Lamaya as Fabiana and Jaquita Ta’Le as her marionette Sabina, Giuseppe Battiston as Stromboli and Lewin Lloyd as Lampwick.”

The character does look and sound like Pinocchio, but audiences seem to agree that is not enough.

Here are some of the critical reviews:

“The reimagining goes awry in the opening number — not “When You Wish Upon a Star,” the Oscar-winner that ascended to become the company’s signature tune, but a new ballad, “When He Was Here With Me,” sung by Geppetto about his freshly concocted dead son.” – Amy Nicholson, New York Times

“An exercise in mimicry that could have been everything it wanted to, but has settled for an unbearable laziness. [Full review in Spanish]” – Randy Meeks, Espinof

“A top-to-bottom embarrassment with no good reason to exist.“- Josh Spiegel, Polygon

“A massive misfire. The animation is ugly and disturbing, with plastic looking characters and equally ghastly voice performances. Gordon-Levitt is terrible as Jiminy Cricket, giving a whiny, strained turn as one of the story’s most cherished characters.” – Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots

“Like the titular puppet at its center, Pinocchio lingers in an existential purgatory.“- Christy Lemire, RobertEbert.com

“A wooden live-action remake.” – Matt Singer, ScreenCrush

“A joyless exercise in obligatory adaptation. If this is Hollywood’s idea of a live-action Pinocchio, they all owe Roberto Benigni an apology“- Fred Topel, United Press International

The audience reaction is a bit better, but still not great:

“Was it a good film? No. Was it a bad film? Also No. But it had a little bit of heart in it.” – Ben the Half Blood P

“It has a good and moving story. The problem is that the remake is worse than the original from 1940. As most of these films have a life lesson, and I thought the relationship between Gepetto and Pinocchio was beautiful. To compensate, the look of this film is splendid!”– pirulito b

“Disney just phoned this one in. Tom Hanks is not even trying. Characters are over even for a live action remake of Pinocchio if you can believe that. Just horrible in every way.“- APC

“Unfortunately another unnecessary reissue of a classic that should not be touched. Full of conveniences and “original” characters that do not add anything new or interesting to the story. And even worse, a totally wasted Tom Hanks.“- Denis G.R

“Overall, Pinnochio does have some decent scenes that was able to achieve what the animated version had done. But then, there are areas that felt kind of rushed and could had done with a bit more flesh and soul.” – Derek L

“This movie from a casual viewer tells the tale of pinocchio very well, although it adds nothing to the old variant except for unnecessary changes. The only upside to this film is the exceptional CGI.” – Jack M

How long until we hear about review bombing? Or will that not happen since critics hated it first?

I think people are just over live-action remakes of classic animated films. Maybe Disney should go back to innovating instead of appropriating.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!