PINOCCHIO: A TRUE STORY (2021)

Summary:

Pinocchio: A True Story (originally released in Russian as Пиноккио. Правдивая история) is a 2021 animated fantasy-adventure film directed by Vasiliy Rovenskiy and written by Maksim Sveshnikov, Vadim Sveshnikov, and Vasiliy Rovenskiy. Produced by Licensing Brands and Cinema Fund Russia, the film is a humorous, action-packed subversion of Carlo Collodi’s classic 1883 Italian novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. The story follows a wooden puppet created by the kindly carpenter Geppetto and blessed by a benevolent fairy to speak and move like a human. Yearning to explore the wide world beyond his secluded home, Pinocchio escapes alongside his wisecracking, aristocratic talking horse, Tybalt, and joins a traveling circus. When he falls for the circus's star acrobat, Bella, Pinocchio discovers that the ringmaster is using the show as a front for grand home burglaries, forcing the young wooden hero onto a heroic quest to stop the crime spree, clear his name, and win the chance to become a real human boy. The film gained widespread global pop-culture fame following its 2022 US English release by Lionsgate, where Pauly Shore's distinct voice performance as Pinocchio became a massive viral internet meme. Keywords: Pinocchio A True Story 2021, Pauly Shore Pinocchio Voice, Jon Heder Tybalt, Vasiliy Rovenskiy Director, Animated Circus Adventure, Russian Animated Movie English Dub.

Plot:

The story of Pinocchio: A True Story opens in a tranquil, quaint European village where the lonely, master woodcarver Geppetto crafts a finely detailed wooden puppet named Pinocchio. Through the magical intervention of the benevolent blue-haired fairy, Lucilda, the wooden puppet is granted the miracle of life, possessing the ability to walk, speak, and feel emotions just like a human being. However, fearing that greedy opportunists or local villagers might exploit or harm a living wooden creature, Geppetto insists on keeping Pinocchio safely hidden inside his workshop. Though Pinocchio deeply appreciates Geppetto’s warmth and paternal care, he harbors an intense, youthful desire to venture outside, experience freedom, and explore the vast world beyond the confines of his quiet room.

Pinocchio’s desire for adventure becomes reality during a sudden commotion outside the workshop. Pinocchio and his best friend—an eccentric, highly articulate, and sarcastic talking horse named Tybalt—witness a runaway horse-drawn carriage speeding out of control toward a steep ravine. Reacting with remarkable agility, Pinocchio and Tybalt launch a daring rescue, successfully stopping the carriage and saving its passenger: a graceful, sweet-natured young acrobat named Bella. Bella explains that she is the star performer for a grand, traveling circus troupe managed by the pompous and charismatic ringmaster, Mangiafuoco. Smitten by Bella’s beauty and enchanted by the colorful allure of the circus, Pinocchio decides that this is his golden ticket to see the world. Tybalt, assuming the role of Pinocchio's fast-talking "talent agent," negotiates a contract with Mangiafuoco, who is eager to capitalize on a living wooden puppet as his new headline act.

Pinocchio quickly becomes the talk of the town, teaming up with Bella to perform breathtaking, high-flying acrobatic stunts that captivate massive audiences in every city they visit. As they spend time rehearsing and traveling together, Pinocchio falls deeply in love with Bella. However, when he awkwardly confesses his feelings to her, Bella gently rejects him, explaining that while she admires his courage and talents, she cannot bring herself to romantically love a creature made of wood. Heartbroken but resilient, Pinocchio learns from a sympathetic circus clown that the magical fairy Lucilda possesses the divine power to transform a wooden puppet into a real human boy. Reinvigorated by hope, Pinocchio and Tybalt plan a secret journey to locate Lucilda's hidden sanctuary, unaware that darker forces within the circus are already moving against them.

Unbeknownst to Bella and the performers, Mangiafuoco is far from a simple entertainment entrepreneur; he is the mastermind of a sophisticated, wide-reaching criminal syndicate. While audiences are packed inside the circus tent watching Pinocchio and Bella perform, Mangiafuoco's sneaky accomplices, Fox and Cat, quietly break into the vacant homes of the wealthy spectators, looting priceless jewelry and gold. The localized crime wave draws the attention of a relentless local police detective. Tracing the timeline of the burglaries directly to the arrival of the circus, the detective mistakenly identifies the mysterious wooden puppet as the elusive ringleader of the robbery ring, issuing a high-priority warrant for Pinocchio's arrest.

As Pinocchio and Tybalt travel through the dense forest toward Lucilda's realm, they are ambushed by Fox and Cat, who attempt to rob them and silence Pinocchio. After a series of comedic chase sequences, Pinocchio and Tybalt manage to outsmart the bumbling henchmen, but their victory is short-lived when the investigating detective corners Pinocchio and places him under arrest. While locked away, Pinocchio realizes the full extent of Mangiafuoco's scheme: the ringmaster has been using Pinocchio's popularity as the perfect distraction for his global burglary operations, and Bella herself is completely oblivious to the fact that her employer is a ruthless criminal using her home as a sanctuary for stolen goods.

Realizing that Bella is in grave danger of being implicated as an accomplice, Tybalt executes a clever jailbreak, freeing Pinocchio from his cell. The duo races back to the circus grounds to warn Bella before the next major show. However, upon his arrival, Pinocchio is ambushed and captured by Mangiafuoco, who locks him in an iron cage, threatening to burn him into firewood unless he agrees to perform in a grand, final farewell show. Working covertly from inside his cage, Pinocchio manages to communicate the truth to Bella and Geppetto, who has tracked his adopted son to the circus grounds. Together, the group devises a clever, high-stakes trap to expose Mangiafuoco in front of the entire town and the authorities.

The climax of the film takes place during the packed evening performance inside the grand circus tent. As Mangiafuoco takes the center ring to present his star attraction, Pinocchio, Bella, Tybalt, and Geppetto turn the performance into a live, theatrical exposure of the ringmaster's crimes. Using their acrobatic skills, they drop the stolen loot directly onto the stage floor in front of the audience and the police detective. A chaotic, action-packed showdown ensues as Mangiafuoco and his henchmen try to fight their way out, but Pinocchio uses his raw physical strength, wooden durability, and Tybalt's tactical kicks to defeat the villains and hand them over to the law.

With Mangiafuoco arrested and his name fully cleared, Pinocchio is celebrated by the town as a true hero. Moved by his selfless bravery, unyielding honesty, and willingness to risk his life to protect the people he loves, Fairy Lucilda manifests before the gathered crowd. Recognizing that Pinocchio has proven the true nobility of his heart, she fulfills his ultimate wish, transforming the wooden puppet into a living, breathing human boy. The film concludes on a joyful, heartwarming note as Pinocchio, now a real human, celebrates his newfound life alongside his loving father Geppetto, his loyal friend Tybalt, and Bella, ready to embark on a lifetime of genuine adventures together.

Cast:

• Pauly Shore as Pinocchio (US English Redub voice; Filipp Lebedev in Russian / Jordan Worsley in International English)

• Jon Heder as Tybalt (The sarcastic talking horse; Diomid Vinogradov in Russian / Daniel Medvedev in International English)

• Tom Kenny as Geppetto (Pinocchio's loving creator; Anton Eldarov in Russian / Jonathan Salway in International English)

• Liza Klimova as Bella (The star acrobat and Pinocchio's love interest; Eliza Martirosova in Russian)

• David Grout as Brioni / Mangiafuoco (The greedy circus ringmaster)

• Kate Bristol as Fairy Lucilda (The blue-haired fairy)

• Bernard Jacobsen as The Detective

• Stephen Ochsner as Fox (Mangiafuoco's accomplice)

• Andrew Winn as Cat (Mangiafuoco's accomplice)

• Aleksandr Gavrilin

• Dmitriy Iosifov

• Aleksey Voytyuk

• Irina Kireyeva

• Vitaliy Loyko

Crew:

• Director: Vasiliy Rovenskiy

• Writers: Maksim Sveshnikov, Vadim Sveshnikov, Vasiliy Rovenskiy (Based on The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi)

• Producers: Roman Borisevich, Vasily Rovenskiy, Maxim Rogalskiy

• Production Companies: Licensing Brands LLC, Cinema Fund Russia

• Music Composer: Anton Gryzlov

• Editor: Eduard Nuritdinov

• Layout Supervisors: Azat Gazizov, Evgeniy Palchikov

• US Dub Production: Lionsgate Home Entertainment / Grindstone Entertainment Group

Release Info:

• Original Theatrical Release Date: December 23, 2021 (UAE), February 17, 2022 (Russia)

• US Direct-to-DVD / Digital Release: March 22, 2022 (Lionsgate)

• Original Language: Russian (Simultaneously dubbed in English)

• Genre: Animated / Fantasy / Adventure / Family Comedy

• Running Time: 94 Minutes (1 Hour 34 Minutes)

• Censor Certification: PG (United States)

• Distribution: Sony Pictures Releasing CIS (Russia) / Lionsgate (United States)