The sight of the 50-year-old Roberto Benigni cavorting around in a clown costume in the title role of this live-action version of Pinocchio is one of the most obnoxious star turns ever captured on film. Benigni's Pinocchio is less a man-child than he is a simpleton; his character is dumber than anyone has the right to be. His childish antics are grating, making the indulgences of his long-suffering father, Geppetto (Carlo Giuffre) and his guardian angel, the Blue Fairy (played by Benigni's wife, Nicoletta Braschi), incomprehensible. Adding to the surreal awfulness of the film is Miramax's decision to dub the dialogue in English using the voices of American actors, causing some of the only (unintentional) laughs in the film. Pinocchio is beautiful to look at, thanks to cinematographer Dante Spinotti and production designer Danilo Donati, but pretty sets canít save this disaster of a film. With any luck audience indifference will cut its strings fast. At the Apple Valley, Entertainment, Flagship, Holiday, Providence Place Mall 16, and Showcase cinemas.