Monstro

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Monstro is a fictional character from the Disney film Pinocchio. He appears as a sperm whale, though his underside resembles that of a blue whale. Monstro fills the role played by the Terrible Shark in the original book Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.

[edit] Role

In the movie, Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket return home to find Mister Geppetto gone, having been swallowed by Monstro. The two go in search of the monster, submerged by a stone tied to Pinocchio's donkey tail. They enter Monstro's belly when the whale opens his mouth to feed on a school of fish, and find Geppetto (and his pets, Cleo the goldfish and Figaro the cat). Pinocchio frees them by starting a fire which causes Monstro to sneeze them out. Monstro becomes enraged and furiously chases them to kill them, but eventually smashes into a giant boulder, and Pinocchio, at the cost of his life, is able to get Geppetto to safety.

[edit] Comparisons to book

In the original novel, the creature that swallows Geppetto is the Terrible Shark, a vast creature five storeys tall and a mile long. Pinocchio is swallowed by the shark by chance rather than in searching for Geppetto. Their escape from the Shark is much less dramatic. Their first attempt is foiled rather than enabled by the fish sneezing. Their next attempt is to simply walk out of the beast (albeit in total darkness) and swim away. The Shark takes no notice and gives no pursuit. When Pinocchio's strength begins to fail him, a fish (that Pinocchio had befriended soon after being swallowed) helps them reach the shore. The fish had escaped by following Pinocchio's example and thus expressed his gratitude.

[edit] Other appearances

• Monstro also appears in the video game Kingdom Hearts as a "world". Like the other worlds in the game, Monstro is infested with the evil Heartless and has escaped from the boundaries of the Pinocchio universe floating through the empty space between the worlds.
• Monstro appears in both versions of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts nighttime presentation "Fantasmic!". Here, the giant whale thrashes violently in the ocean after being awakened by Jiminy Cricket, splashing enormous waves in his wake and flooding Mickey's dream.
• Monstro appears in an episode of Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy.