History WesternAnimation / PinocchioAndTheEmperorOfTheNight

* ToyTransmutation: The Emperor of the Night does that to kids as a DealWithTheDevil to strengthen himself and weaken the [[BigGood Blue Fairy]]. His main goal is to do that to Pinocchio himself, since turning back the only doll to ever BecomeARealBoy is bound to shift the balance in his favor a lot.

** Besides those two, we have [[strike:Jiminy Cricket]] Gee Willikers, a small insect named after an interjection who tries to keep Pinocchio on the straight and narrow; an evil puppet master Puppetino (Stromboli) who imprisons Pinocchio; and a painfully obvious expy of Lampwick in the [[strike:Pleasure Island]] Neon Cabaret scene. And like Monstro, the Emperor's ship swallows their boat whole and provides the backdrop for Pinocchio's final battle.

* JumpScare: The Emperor gives a particularly ''nasty'' one to the younger viewer, when his fingers transform into ''screeching demons'', emphasizing that his empire can suddenly switch without warning from a dream to a nightmare.

* BlatantLies: Pinocchio's explanation to the Good Fairy for how he came to be Puppetino's prisoner. Invoked later on when he deliberately tells lies in order to make his nose longer so he can use it to open a very high lock.

* HonestJohnsDealership: Scalawag and Igor's carnival shell game.

* {{Expy}}: It's ''painfully'' obvious that Scalawag and Igor are meant to be stand-ins for [[CunningLikeAFox Foulfellow]] and [[CatsAreMean Gideon]]. However, because [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute raccoons are cute, chubby, and cuddly]], and these two end up proving their inner heroism by swallowing their cowardice, doing a HeelFaceTurn, and helping Pinocchio out in the end--if only by getting him to the empire and then [[YouAreNotAlone standing by him when it counted]].
** Besides those two, we have [[strike:Jiminy Cricket]] Gee Willikers, a small insect named after an interjection who tries to keep Pinocchio on the straight and narrow, and a painfully obvious expy of Lampwick in the [[strike:Pleasure Island]] Neon Cabaret scene. And like Monstro, the Emperor's ship swallows their boat whole and provides the backdrop for Pinocchio's final battle.

That night, a guilt-ridden Pinocchio [[TheRunaway runs away from home]] to join the [[CircusOfFear mysterious carnival]] that sprung up overnight. It's run by a [[MostDefinitelyNotAVillain totally upright, trustworthy, not-creepy-in-the-least]] puppetmaster (named Puppetino) who tempts Pinocchio into a dance with Twinkle, [[OverlyNarrowSuperlative "The Most Beautiful Puppet In The World"]]... if he shows him what he can do first. What follows can only be described as an exercise in creepy, as Pinocchio is forced to dance as he watches himself turn back into a puppet.

** Also, let's be honest with ourselves here: "Emperor of the Night" is a fancy way of saying "Satan" without parents losing their shit -- because, clearly, [[WildMassGuessing by any logical criteria]], the Emperor is Satan.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Puppetino's fate. [[WildMassGuessing What isn't clear]] is whether this is just the Emperor inflicting a particularly delicious and ironic punishment, or if he was restoring him [[PuppetPermutation to what he used to be]].
* [[LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy Lions And Tigers And Humans -- Oh, My!]]

* AdultFear:
** Listen to the scene where Puppetino turns Pinocchio back into a puppet with your eyes closed.
** A more subtle form, but listen very closely to the song "Do What Makes You Happy", which sings about the joys or abandoning home to pursue the life of a rule-snubbing vagabond. How many kids and teenagers have ran away from loving homes just for a taste of freedom? And how many have later come to regret it? "No one to scold you/No one to hold you"...
** A parent gets up the morning after an argument with their child to find that the child has run away from home.

* {{Expy}}: It's ''painfully'' obvious that Scalawag and Igor are meant to be stand-ins for [[CunningLikeAFox Foulfellow]] and [[CatsAreMean Gideon]]. However, because [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute raccoons are cute, chubby, and cuddly]], and EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys, these two end up proving their inner heroism by swallowing their cowardice, doing a HeelFaceTurn, and helping Pinocchio out in the end--if only by getting him to the empire and then [[YouAreNotAlone standing by him when it counted]].

* [[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys Everything's Better With Monkeys]]: Igor.

* AwardBaitSong: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di1GRO1aQ9Q "Love Is a Light (Inside Your Heart)".]]

* AnimationBump: While the animation is noticeably above the usual effort put forth by Filmation, there's instances where the animation is far more fluid and expressive than others, such as the musical numbers and and the Emperor's death.

The film was a commercial failure -- it cost $8 to $10 million to make, but only earned $3.3 million domestically. However, it retains a small but loyal cult following; fans of the movie will point out many differences between the two films, one of which is this film's Aesop about the power of choice, and the theme of temptation as a form of captivity. They'll also cite the DarkerAndEdgier nature of the opposition; in particular, Puppetino's transformation of Pinocchio and the appearance of the eponymous Emperor of the Night are unique, impressive, and terrifying to this day.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pinocchio_and_the_emperor_of_the_night.png]]
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pinocchio_night_2772.jpg]]

** Listen to the scene where Puppetino turns Pinocchio back into a puppet with your eyes closed - UpToEleven.

** Listen to the scene where Puppetino turns Pinnochio back into a puppet with your eyes closed - UpToEleven.

* BigWhat: "You did '''''what?!'''''" from Geppetto when Pinnochio tells him he traded away the jewel box for a ruby that turned out to be fake.

* ContrivedCoincidence. When Igor and Sallawag shoot themselves out of the cannon to escape the angry mob, they just happen to crash into Pinocchio. The plot ensues.
* CreepyChild: The kid in the cowboy hat that encourages Pinocchio to drink what's implied to be alchohol. [[spoiler:He turns out to be one of the Emperor's disguised forms.]]

* EvilPuppeteer: Puppetino fits this role to a T. He has the power to turn Pinocchio back into a puppet, and has already done that with Twinkle before him. Which [[FridgeHorror makes you wonder]] if his other puppets are also children and people he transformed.

* HeelFaceTurn: Scalawag and Igor, though they were fairly [[LovableRogue Lovable Rogues]] in the first place.

* MoodWhiplash: It happens ''several times'' in this film - a charming moment plays out with a upbeat song, only to be followed by a scene of [[{{NightmareFuel}} Nightmare Fuel]].

* ThatRemindsMeOfASong: The set-up for the AwardBaitSong listed above probably qualifies as this, particularly since it existed solely to show off the talents of Rickie Lee Jones. [[SubvertedTrope However]], the song in question is crucial to the {{Aesop}} as well as the climax of the film, and while never mentioned explicitly again an instrumental version of it does play as part of the soundtrack during said climax. {{Anvilicious}}, perhaps, but still effective.

* EvilPuppetteer: Puppettino fits this role to a T. He has the power to turn Pinocchio back into a puppet, and has already done that with Twinkle before him. Which [[FridgeHorror makes you wonder]] if his other puppets are also children and people he transformed.

Reviewed [[http://madnessmonster.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/pinocchio-emperor-review/ here]]. See also two sister Filmation productions: ''WesternAnimation/JourneyBackToOz'', a sequel to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', and ''WesternAnimation/HappilyEverAfter'', a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' produced at the same time as this film (and which Disney had more success in driving into obscurity).

One year after becoming a real boy, Geppetto feels Pinocchio's ready to take on some responsibility, and so entrusts him with a delivery job: take a [[MacGuffin hand-crafted jewel box]] to the Mayor. Unfortunately, he instead trades the box away to a pair of con artists he meets on the road, in exchange for a [[DistractedByTheShiny big, shiny]] -- [[GenreBlind and fake]] -- [[DistractedByTheShiny ruby.]] Geppetto, when he finds out, [[BigWhat is somewhat less than pleased.]]

* GrotesqueGallery

Reviewed [[http://madnessmonster.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/pinocchio-emperor-review/ here]]. See also two sister Filmation productions: ''WesternAnimation/JourneyBackToOz'', a sequel to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz1939'', and ''WesternAnimation/HappilyEverAfter'', a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' produced at the same time as this film (and which Disney had more success in driving into obscurity).

A 1987 animated feature released by New World Pictures, made by {{Creator/Filmation}}.

One year after becoming a real boy, Geppetto feels Pinocchio's ready to take on some responsibility, and so entrusts him with a delivery job: take a [[MacGuffin hand-crafted jewel box]] to the Mayor. Unfortunately, he instead trades the box away to a pair of con artists he meets on the road, in exchange for a [[DistractedByTheShiny big, shiny]] [[spoiler: ([[GenreBlind fake]])]] [[DistractedByTheShiny ruby.]] Geppetto, when he finds out, [[BigWhat is somewhat less than pleased.]]

A series of hijinks later, Pinocchio finds himself in the ominous Empire of the Night, being tempted onto a gondola ride by a mysterious figure. Again, Pinocchio's [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter excellent judgment]] shines through as he decides to make a pit stop in "The Land Where Dreams Come True," which plays out like a DisneyAcidSequence, heavy on the acid. Despite the strangeness of the place, Pinocchio finds all his wishes are granted... the opportunity to have fun with no rules, an unlimited supply of toys, and fame and fortune.

But if you've been paying attention, you know there's a price...

Possibly due to these similarities, the film was a commercial failure, costing $8 to $10 million to make, but only earning $3.3 million domestically. However, it retains a small but loyal cult following; fans of the movie will point out many differences between the two films, one of which is this film's Aesop about the power of choice, and the theme of temptation as a form of captivity. They'll also cite the DarkerAndEdgier nature of the opposition; in particular, Puppetino's transformation of Pinocchio and the appearance of the eponymous Emperor of the Night are unique, impressive, and terrifying to this day.

Reviewed [[http://madnessmonster.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/pinocchio-emperor-review/ here]]. See also ''WesternAnimation/HappilyEverAfter'', a sister Filmation production that serves as a sequel to ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs'' (and which Disney had more success in driving into obscurity).

* BigBad: Puppetino [[DecoyAntagonist seems to be this]] for the first half of the film, but then the Emperor of the Night comes in for the second.