Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night
| Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Hal Sutherland |
| Produced by | Lou Scheimer |
| Written by | Robby London Barry O'Brien Dennis O'Flaherty Carlo Collodi (Novel) |
| Based on |
The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi |
| Starring |
Scott Grimes Tom Bosley Edward Asner Frank Welker Jonathan Harris James Earl Jones William Windom Don Knotts Rickie Lee Jones |
| Music by |
|
| Edited by | Rick Gehr Jeffrey C. Patch |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | New World Pictures |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
87 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Box office | $3,261,638 |
Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night is an American animated fantasy adventure film that was released on December 25, 1987 by New World Pictures. Created by Filmation, the movie underperformed at the box office, costing $10 million but making $3.2 million in its entire run.
A bumblebee named Lieutenant Grumblebee is woken from his sleep by the arrival of a large sinister looking ship. A man named Puppetino remarks that this is the ideal spot for the carnival. Stakes and ropes fly from the ship and a circus tent forms. Grumblebee hastily leaves the area.
A year after being made human by the Good Fairy, Pinocchio celebrates his first birthday with Mister Geppetto. The Good Fairy appears and teaches Pinocchio that love is his most powerful gift. She brings to life one of Pinocchio's own carvings, a wooden glow worm, to act as Pinocchio's conscience. Pinocchio, surprised, accidentally names it Gee Willikers. After the party Pinocchio offers to deliver a jewel box to the mayor for Geppetto. En route he encounters Scalawag and Igor, who trick him into trading the box for the "Pharaoh's Ruby". The ruby turns out to be a fake and Geppetto is furious. Pinocchio runs away, leaving Gee Willikers behind.
Pinocchio looks for work at the carnival and is entranced by a blonde marionette named Twinkle. Puppetino recognises Pinocchio and uses Twinkle to lure him into joining the carnival. Puppetino starts playing an organ grinder, causing Pinocchio to dance uncontrollably and slowly transform back into a puppet. Puppetino attaches strings to Pinocchio's hands and feet, completing the transformation, and hangs the now lifeless Pinocchio alongside Twinkle. The Good Fairy appears and awakens Pinocchio, explaining that he lost his freedom because he took it for granted. She reminds him of the importance of choice before restoring him to human form.
Pinocchio decides to retrieve the jewel box. Willikers objects, so Pinocchio sets him aside and travels alone. He finds Scalawag the Raccoon and Igor the Monkey, who inform him that the box is at the carnival, which has returned to the ship. The trio pursue the carnival ship by boat. Unbeknown to Pinocchio, they plan to hand him over to Puppetino in return for a reward, but after Pinocchio saves them from a giant barracuda, they change their minds and begin to genuinely bond with Pinocchio. As they travel, the carnival ship arrives, capturing the boat. Willikers, carried to the river by Grumblebee, latches onto Pinocchio's pocket as they drift into the ship.
...
Wikipedia