English dub movie
The movie begins in a similar manner to the series, with Pinocchio being carved by Geppetto from a fallen oak tree branch and given life by the tree's guardian fairy. The fairy also gives magic to Timothy, a cricket who has been living in the branch (and who, Like his Disney counterpart does in some places, narrates the film), that allows him to speak and act as Pinocchio's guardian. Though Geppetto is overjoyed by what's happened, Rudy the mouse living in his home, quickly becomes jealous of the puppet. On the way to school Pinocchio sees a traveling puppet show and is convinced by a classmate to skip class and sell his schoolbooks to see the puppet show, which Timothy advises him against, however the puppeteer soon appears at the pawn shop and buys him from the classmate in exchange for fare to see the puppet show. Saphano the puppeteer forces Pinocchio to perform in his show and Pinocchio worries that he will never see his father again. On the one night the other puppets advise him to escape. Though he is nearly caught when he tries to rescue the other puppets as well, he eventually manages to return home to his father.
Some days later Geppetto gives him a gold coin (though in the earlier shots it is clearly copper) to run errands with, Rudy speaks to Sly the Fox and Slick the Weasel who try to trick Pinocchio out of his coin by telling him of a magic tree that neither animals nor humans can uproot, but he may be able to retrieve since he is a marionette. Pinocchio successfully retrieves the small tree and follows the animals' instructions to plant the coin next to the tree, only for the animals to dig up the coin when he leaves to get some water, as he is caring for the tree the Oak Fairy appears and admonishes him for his disobedience. Later that night the tree matures rapidly and begins to grow gold coins which attract the attention of both the three animals and the towns people, the latter of which cuts down the tree in an effort to get more coins, and Pinocchio returns home and apologises to his father for losing the coin. Geppetto quickly forgives his son who boards up Rudy's mouse hole to keep him away from Slick and Sly.
On the next day, Pinocchio is on his way to school when he catches the attention of Lord Dominos, the owner of the land Geppetto's cottage is built on, who wants to adopt him as his heir and raises the land tax on the cottage when Geppetto refuses. To save his father Pinocchio allows himself to be adopted by Dominos, but quickly becomes used to his new life begins riding his horse recklessly and chasing after both the household staff and the villagers; Timothy tells him he has become spoiled and lost sight of what is truly important, but the younger puppet dismisses him. However, when he sees his real father in town the next day he realises what he is given up but is not sure how he can go back; the fairy appears and tries to help him to make the correct decision which results in her turning his nose into a tree branch, though it allows him to leave the castle as Lord Domino has him thrown out. As he tries to returning home he becomes more tree-like and is found by a man who digs him up, puts in a plant pot and has him sing for guests at a party. Having experienced cruelty he realises that his actions are wrong, but the fairy cannot return him to normal until he is performed an act of kindness. He is soon sold to an evil Captain who plans to sell him and some kidnapped children across the sea, however the ship sails into a storm and Pinocchio rescues the other children by allowing them to hold onto him and stay afloat until a rescue boat picks them up. Having performed a selfless act, the fairy is able to use her magic to restore him to normal and guide him home.
One day when Pinocchio goes out to play Saphano finds and abducts him to force him to perform in his show again, he also catches Slick and Sly in a trap and the puppet saves them from being cooked by suggesting they perform as trained animals. Though the two are grateful Pinocchio is depressed to have been taken prisoner and away from his father again, in the meanwhile Geppetto and a reluctant Rudy go off in search of him. Saphano has Pinocchio perform as a clown alongside the animals and soon grows the act from the three of them performing on street corners to an entire circus, though he mistreats the animals and will not let them out of their cages, prompting the animals to consider going on strike. When Pinocchio goes to speak with him Saphano says he will only let them out if Pinocchio works well (though Timothy points out it is likely a lie) and then presses him to sign a contract that will make them business partners. The next day Saphano tries to make the animals perform a new act where they jump through a flaming hoop, but they are all too afraid to; Pinocchio offers to try teaching them instead, citing that they are now business partners, but instead he tells the animals that he has a plan to free them. Later when they are performing they sabotage the act, causing the tent to catch fire and collapse and Saphano to be arrested, when Pinocchio is seeing about the animals who were taken from overseas and being returned home Slick and Sly tell him that they were not planning to return home along with him and that he does not need them anyway and he returns home to Geppetto.
When the carnival is in town Pinocchio sneaks into a tent advertising Gloria the Mermaid and realises that she is being held against her will, as the carnival is leaving he throws a rock at Gloria's tank, breaking it open and allowing her to escape. He helps her hide from captain Rodgers, the owner of the carnival, and she tells him that she had been captured by pirates when she swam too far from Mermaid Island. They manage to evade Captain Rodgers by swimming too deep to be seen, and though they are nearly caught when Gloria swims closer to the surface too soon, they eventually make it to Mermaid Island where Gloria is reunited with her Grandmother. Pinocchio wants to stay with Gloria, but cannot as he is not a creature of the sea and if he is to stay he can never see his father again, unfortunately Gloria cannot leave either and Pinocchio leaves heartbroken that he will not be able to see his friend again.
After he returns home Geppetto buys him a new set of clothes to celebrate and Pinocchio meets a girl named Mirelle while playing and is instantly smitten, however she does not realise he is a puppet as his clothing covers his doll joints. After he helps her hide from her governess, who never lets her play outside, Mirelle meets Geppetto and introduces the two to her parents who turn out to be millionaires and allow Pinocchio to stay for a while after hearing about how unhappy she has been. As they play together the two children become close friends, though despite a close call and Timothy urging Pinocchio to tell her the truth, Mirelle never finds out that Pinocchio is a puppet. After Mirelle's birthday party she suggests that the two of them get married when they grow up and Timothy once again tells Pinocchio that hiding his true nature is not fair to her, especially now that she is thinking of when they grow up, which Pinocchio can not do. Later that night he realises the Cricket was right and wishes he could become human, the Fairy appears and also urges him to tell Mirelle the truth and makes his nose grow when he lies about having told her already, she returns it to normal when he promises to tell Mirelle the next day and leave Pinocchio with the advice that true love cannot exist without honesty. However the next day he still cannot bring himself to reveal his secret and instead claims that he has to go visit his father, Mirelle follows him and he finally tells her the truth but that he might become human one day and if he does he will return to her; though both children are heartbroken, their respective fathers believe that one day Pinocchio really will become human and they will be reunited.
Soon it is Christmas and both Pinocchio and Geppetto are looking forward to the party, however the evil Colonel Meanio has declared war on Christmas and instructed his soldiers to find and destroy every toy in the village. One of the soldiers goes after Pinocchio, considering a living puppet to be a toy, but Slick and Sly bite him allowing Pinocchio to escape. After hearing of the puppet's existence the Colonel becomes determined to destroy him and has the toys collected thus far burnt; while in hiding Pinocchio meets the orphan children who have been rescuing dolls to hold a secret Christmas party and offer him shelter from the soldiers. However, one of the girls is sick and constantly worsening with the only cure being a herb found on Devil's Mountain, which none of them have been able to climb. Pinocchio offers to retrieve the herb and with the help of a tree who saves him from falling manages to climb the mountain, find the herb and cure the girl. Later Pinocchio is enjoying a secret Christmas party with his father and both his animal and human friends, including Mirelle who has come to see him, however the Colonel and his men show up and shoot him. The Oak Fairy then appears and saves him by transforming him into a human child, she then leaves asking that he make the most of the gift she is given him before disappearing into the night sky, Timothy then tells that Pinocchio and Geppetto lived happily ever after and that Timothy himself decided to continue helping other children, including those who were born human.
