At the time of new live action versions, Disney is reinventing Pinocchio, his great animation classic, with a breath of modernity. A live action film directed by Robert Zemeckis and worn by Tom Hanks, which remains faithful to the 1940 feature film while bringing new elements. Among them, winks and funny little references that you may not have noticed. Focus.
Don’t just see it as a reference to Pixar, but a nod to Tom Hanksthe interpreter of Geppetto in the Pinocchio by Zemeckis. And for good reason, the 66-year-old American actor is famous in the world of animation for having lent his voice to the emblematic cowboy of Toy Story. No wonder, then, that the director chose to pay tribute to the actor with whom he worked several times during his career.
In the same way, the filmmaker here winks at his own successes with this brief appearance of Jessica and Roger Rabbit kissing in this cuckoo clock. The film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? released in 1988 was indeed directed by Robert Zemeckis and is therefore one of his greatest achievements in animation. The opportunity was therefore perfect to remind the spectators!
Among the funniest clocks in Geppetto’s shop is that of The Sleeping Beauty. We then discover Maleficent on the forecourt of the castle, before seeing Aurora prick her finger with a distaff in the dungeon. The princess then falls backwards and all the cuckoo clocks stop singing… thus leaving a dead silence. Something to surprise viewers, who did not necessarily expect to find this kind of dark humor in the easter eggs hidden in the film.
This time, it’s not about a particular film, but rather an iconic character from the enchanted universe. Like many of his fictitious comrades from the Disney animation studios, Donald has come to join the wacky clocks of Geppetto and this, accompanied by a hungry crocodile who tries in vain to bite his buttocks. Perfect for getting noticed and stealing the show from Mickey!
Again, this cuckoo had enough to make Disney fans smile and more particularly the Lion King. The spectators were thus able to have fun in front of this cuckoo clock dedicated to the essential scene of the birth of Simba, where Rafiki presents the heir of Mufasa to the inhabitants of the Land of Lions by lifting him above his head. An image undoubtedly anchored in the memory of the spectators, which inevitably hit home during the cuckoo clock.
Among the other direct references to the great Disney animation classics, there is also a nod to Dumbo. The baby elephant thus comes out like a whirlwind and trumpet from its wooden capital, trumpeting with joy. This little cuckoo clock is therefore one of the cutest and goes perfectly with the fantastic atmosphere of Pinocchio.
Another unexpected and particularly brutal cuckoo is that of Snow White, where we see the young woman biting into the apple given by the witch before falling steeply into her glass coffin. It’s impossible not to smile at this creaky scene, which reimagines this iconic moment from Disney’s first animated feature for clockwork purposes.
