Guillermo del Toro is one of the most influential directors of the current era. He is a master when it comes to creating horror through mythology or lore and so, after his Oscar win del Toro worked on an adaptation of the classic Italian story: The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi. He wanted to bring out his interpretation of the classic through this collaboration with Netflix. We got three Pinocchio movies in 2022 and two from Hollywood, one was Disney’s live action remake of their classic 1940 animated film and the other is Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. The Disney remake was very rightly criticized by both fans and critics however, del Toro’s Pinocchio got great reviews after its premiere. So, after watching del Toro’s version, I have some thoughts of my own.
Pinocchio Review: del Toro Gets it Right Once Again!
Rating – ★★★1/2
I’m not going do this one in detail. Let’s keep it short and concise. This iteration Pinocchio is extremely well done, the direction of del Toro and Mark Gustafson is very strong to the point where it feels like there is no direction at all. The stop motion animation that del Toro has adopted is absolutely gorgeous. A lot of people don’t understand how technically advanced and tedious this is. 24 frames per second to give us the illusion of movement, 24 drawings every time. Wow, this is the level dedication that legends have.
Then the story that del Toro has written, the way he has changed the film from the original is in the right direction. The way he has set the stories in 1940s where there is an atmosphere of war around the world. He even included Mussolini. The theme of the story is to be yourself, and the way he uses different subplots to achieve the same, is good. I like how he has even addressed that enrolling in the army might not be the right thing. The performances from everyone is of course top tier.
What stood out to me was Gregory Mann, he as Pinocchio is like the best casting ever. The chirpy, soulful voice that the actor has is amazing. It goes so well with the character. Every time he speaks I’m in awe of him as it looks like a ball energy is talking. Geppetto and his relationship is very sweet as well. David Bradley’s Geppetto will win your heart. Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton as the two Spirit sisters are amazing. There is no single movie where I’ve not loved Blanchett and Swinton in their performances.
Each character they play is so smooth, that you don’t see the actor anymore simply the character. Christoph Waltz’s Count Volpe is effective as well. The end of the film will make you tear up as at the end unlike ending on a happy note, del Toro does give us an important lesson about mortality. He doesn’t end the film where Geppetto and Pinocchio reunite. The film’s end is so emotional and well done. Despite being a fantasy, it grounds its end in the cruelty of reality. I love this quote, “Real boys don’t come back.”
Verdict
del Toro’s Pinocchio is a movie for everyone, watch it with your family this week. This will go with the warm and nurturing atmosphere of the holiday season. As festivities are around we need such films to watch with our family. Don’t get me wrong it is still very much a children’s movie but it is meant for adults as well as it has some important, mature themes and messages underneath the children’s film treatment. I loved Pinocchio and it is definitely one of the best films of the year. I’d rate it 3.5 out 5 stars.
Ewan McGregor is the voice of Sebastian J. Cricket and the rest of the cast also includes David Bradley as Geppetto, Gregory Mann as Pinocchio, Finn Wolfhard as Candlewick, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson, and Burn Gorman, with Christoph Waltz as Count Volpe and Tilda Swinton.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
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