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guillermo del toro's pinocchio

​movie review
​
​by carson timar

​
Picture


Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

        When a story cements itself in the zeitgeist, it tends to pop up again and again with remakes and variations aplenty. Over the last year, the Pinocchio narrative has followed this path with multiple features showing both the highs and the lows of the story. The newest outing for the boy made of wood comes in the form of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; which despite the name is actually a co-directed effort between del Toro and Mark Gustafson. Using stop-motion animation, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a more mature effort that trades the more expected Disney magic for a rise of fascism under Mussolini’s Italy. 

Geppetto (David Bradley) is a broken man who still grieves the death of his son who died due to a bombing incident during the war. Heartbroken, Geppetto chops down the tree at his son's grave and carves a boy made of wood who is brought to life the Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton) to bring comfort to Geppetto. Named Pinocchio (Gregory Mann), the puppet must navigate a dangerous and confusing world with his only help being Geppetto and a cricket named Sebastian (Ewan McGregor) who has agreed to watch out for the boy in return for his wish to come true. Unlike Robert Zemeckis' Disney+ Pinocchio effort earlier in the year, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a magnificent feature that successfully adapts and evolves the Pinocchio narrative without losing the charm and heart of the project.

Immediately, it is clear that Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is going to be a darker and more mature adaptation of the story than most will be expecting. Straight out of the gate with Geppetto's heartbreaking backstory and continuing through the film's 117-minute runtime that sees Pinocchio get sent to fascist youth training and have conversations with death itself, this is a film with a certain edge and political relevance that helps justify the remake's overall existence. del Toro and Gustafson have a purpose for the story they are telling that is more than just trying to make a cheap buck on an established IP. These emotions build and build to the heartbreaking conclusion of the film that is sure to leave audiences in tears. 

The emotions displayed are not just powerful but are also wildly creative. Without doubt, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio has one of the most unique and compelling personifications of death ever seen in animation. The world dynamics are fresh and meaningful for the narrative. While some might question the choice to remove sequences like the Pleasure Island arc, arguably the best part of both flawed Disney outings, the reworking of the plot allows for a much cleaner narrative that flows like a strong film rather than a collection of shorter adventures. The one flaw of this narrative is that it is hard to imagine many children finding much of enjoyment here which is more of a problem with expectations than delivery. Confusingly considering the final product, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio has been marketed as a child friendly feature which is the probably assumption based on the Disney connection alone. This marketing direction seems like an easy road to disappointment as kids won't find the magic they are looking for and adults ignore the project as they assume it is made for younger generations. 

Outside of narrative, the animation is absolutely breathtaking. This is stop motion being done at the absolute highest level with memorable character designs and an overall strong energy. Some of the creativity in bringing locations like the middle of the ocean to life speak to the inspiration of the project and it is wonderful to see a film like this get made within an animation medium continually being reduced to similar looking CGI projects.

The acting is another clear highlight. Gregory Mann is wonderful as Pinocchio with the perfect innocence to bring the character to life and make the audience find love for him despite his flaws and frustrating actions. Ewan McGregor is equally charming as Sebastian J. Cricket but the true MVP has to be David Bradley. The emotional range and haunting depths of Bradley's performance is masterful and it is hard not to get completely sucked into his performance. Unlike Tom Hanks from the aforementioned Zemeckis remake, Bradley knows just how to let his soul bleed out on screen without ever feeling like an uncomfortable force of sadness. This also of course is benefited by the darker perspective of the film which allows more natural space for emotions such as grief.

The soundtrack for the film is strong with multiple memorable songs and a smart running gag involving Sebastian trying to sing a song of his own that keeps getting interrupted. The music fits naturally and it never feels out of place against the more mature tone of the film around it. The score by Alexandre Desplat is predictably noteworthy as Desplat again gives work that feels unique and effective. These are yet more areas where the inspiration and craft of the project feel clear with not a single element of production simply going through the motions. 

Overall, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is fantastic. This is an equally heartwarming and devastating feature that takes the established Pinocchio story and evolves it into a meaningful examination of both life and death. With a more mature tone and depth, it of course runs the risk of not finding the correct audience through the Netflix algorithm but for those more mature audiences who do seek out the film, it is absolutely worthwhile!
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