If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

First of all, this is a TV production lasting three hours. It would normally be broadcast in three or more installments, so I won't call it overly long. The film makers have used the time to produce a somewhat complete rendering of the original novel, be it with unfortunate diversions with the intention to make it more palatable to children.It is these inconsistencies created within the story that undo much of the strength of the tale. The other major flaw of this film is the unbalanced cast. Bob Hoskins delivers an excellent, believable performance as Gepetto, some of the supporting cast do a fine job too. However, their good work is undone by the protagonist. Pinocchio the marionette has more believable expression than Pinocchio the boy, who gives a new meaning to the term "wooden". In addition, the insipid, annoying mannerisms of the "invisible" cricket make one wish that she had been invisible indeed. Mitigating elements, like palatable sound effects and the beauty of the Tuscany landscape cannot save the film from the detrimental effect of the silly changes to the plot and the uneven acting performance of the cast.