Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night is a 1987 American animated fantasy adventure film that was released on December 25, 1987, by New World Pictures.

A bumblebee named Lieutenant Grumblebee is woken from his sleep by the arrival of a large sinister-looking ship.

A year after being made human by his Fairy Godmother, the boy Pinocchio celebrates his first birthday with Mister Geppetto.

En route he encounters con men Sylvester J. Scalawag the raccoon and Igor the monkey, who trick him into trading the box for the "Pharaoh's Ruby".

Puppetino starts playing an organ grinder, causing Pinocchio to dance uncontrollably and slowly transform back into a puppet.

He demands Pinocchio sign a contract that will make him a puppet again, a choice that will weaken the Good Fairy to her death.

Pinocchio escapes with his friends while the Emperor shoots Puppetino in the back with a bolt of magic for his instant cowardice while he runs for his life.

The Emperor shoots bolts of flame at Pinocchio, but the blue light protects him as the ship catches fire.

He runs and forms into a blue shining orb and plunges into the Emperor's flaming figure, destroying him and his ship.

Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Dave Kehr labelled it a "wooden effort" and concluded there was "little reason to bother with Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night given that the genuine article is readily available on videotape".

[10] Janet Maslin of the New York Times called it "Saturday morning animation at best" and also compared it unfavorably with Disney's version.

[11] Charles Solomon of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the script and direction lacked focus and felt the movie "illustrates just how badly the American animated feature has degenerated".

[14] Leonard Maltin seemed to agree, declaring that "Some striking animation is wasted on this uninspired 'sequel' to Disney's 1940 gem...Even at its best, this is an embarrassment compared to Uncle Walt's predecessor.

"[15] The Morning Call's reviewer was more favorable, opining that "it does dazzle and sparkle in all the right places", adding "there is much to recommend the new film".

[16] M. J. Simpson praised the "engaging story, likeable characters... genuine tension and horror, reasonable songs and... terrific animation" and gave it a B+ rating.