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Pinocchio poster

Movies that feel likePinocchio (1940)

When the gentle woodcarver Geppetto builds a marionette to be his substitute son, a benevolent fairy brings the toy to life. The puppet, named Pinocchio, is not yet a human boy. He must earn the right to be real by proving that he is brave, truthful, and unselfish.

If you loved Pinocchio, the closest films we have are Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938), Dumbo (1941) and Peter Pan (1953). All three share Pinocchio's whimsical and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Secret of Kells (2009).

πŸ… 100% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.5 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Hamilton Luskewhimsicalwarmcozydreamlikegritty
10 of 12 streaming nowHBO Max Β· Disney Plus Β· FlixFling

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If Pinocchio hit the spot, these will too

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs poster
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1938 Β· dir. David Hand
β˜… 7.6fantasy Β· animation Β· familyDisney+

Common ground: magic

The difference: Easier on the grit than Pinocchio

A beautiful girl, Snow White, takes refuge in the forest in the house of seven dwarfs to hide from her stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is jealous because she wants to be known as "the fairest in the land," and Snow White's beauty surpasses her own.

Dumbo poster
Dumbo
1941 Β· dir. Ben Sharpsteen
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.2animation Β· familyDisney+

Whimsical and warm in the same breath

Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.

Peter Pan poster
Peter Pan
1953 Β· dir. Clyde Geronimi
πŸ… 79%β˜… 7.3animation Β· family Β· adventureDisney+

Both keep coming back to the same thing: fairy

The difference: Leans harder into adventure than Pinocchio does

Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.

The Sword in the Stone poster
The Sword in the Stone
1963 Β· dir. Wolfgang Reitherman
πŸ… 65%β˜… 7.1animation Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

Both are built on the same subject: magic

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.

Fun and Fancy Free poster
Fun and Fancy Free
1947 Β· dir. Hamilton Luske
πŸ… 73%β˜… 6.3animation Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

The same hand behind both of them: Hamilton Luske

The difference: Sits closer to comedy than Pinocchio does

Jiminy Cricket hosts two Disney animated shorts: Bongo about a circus bear escaping to the wild, and Mickey and the Beanstalk, a take on the famous fairy tale.

Alice in Wonderland poster
Alice in Wonderland
1951 Β· dir. Clyde Geronimi
πŸ… 82%β˜… 7.3animation Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

Both land comfort and dream logic at once

On a golden afternoon, wildly curious young Alice tumbles into the burrow and enters the merry, madcap world of Wonderland full of whimsical escapades.

Song of the South poster
Song of the South
1946 Β· dir. Harve Foster
πŸ… 50%β˜… 6.9family Β· animation

The same preoccupation in both: fox

Uncle Remus draws upon his tales of Br'er Rabbit to help little Johnny deal with his confusion over his parents' separation as well as his new life on the plantation.

Cinderella poster
Cinderella
1950 Β· dir. Clyde Geronimi
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.3family Β· fantasy Β· animationDisney+

One thread runs through both: fairy

Cinderella has faith her dreams of a better life will come true. With help from her loyal mice friends and a wave of her Fairy Godmother's wand, Cinderella's rags are magically turned into a glorious gown and off she goes to the Royal Ball. But when the clock strikes midnight, the spell is broken, leaving a single glass slipper... the only key to the ultimate fairy-tale ending!

Sleeping Beauty poster
Sleeping Beauty
1959 Β· dir. Clyde Geronimi
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.2fantasy Β· animation Β· romanceDisney+

Whimsical animation, and it commits to that

Cursed to die by the evil fairy Maleficent when she was a baby, Princess Aurora is sent into hiding under protection from three good fairies. As she grows up far away, Maleficent becomes increasingly determined to seal the princess's fate.

Fantasia poster
Fantasia
1940 Β· dir. Bill Roberts
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.7animation Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

Family with a pulse of warmth, in both cases

Walt Disney's timeless masterpiece is an extravaganza of sight and sound! See the music come to life, hear the pictures burst into song and experience the excitement that is Fantasia over and over again.

The Secret of Kells poster
The Secret of Kells
2009 Β· dir. Tomm Moore
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.5animation Β· family Β· fantasy

Both lean on comfort more than on fantasy

The difference: 69 years apart, and the 2000s show

Adventure awaits 12 year old Brendan who must fight Vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells. In order to finish Brother Aiden's book, Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a secret quest that will take him beyond the abbey walls and into the enchanted forest where dangerous mythical creatures hide. Will Brendan succeed in his quest?

Ponyo poster
Ponyo
2008 Β· dir. Hayao Miyazaki
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.6animation Β· fantasy Β· familyMax

Dreamlike animation in both cases

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.

In the mood for more whimsical?

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The best-reviewed films that share Pinocchio’s defining feeling.