Movie Review - Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Drama/ Family/ Musical/ Adventure/ Animation
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz
 
    
Description: A father’s wish magically brings a wooden boy to life in Italy, giving him a chance to care for the child.

Review: The story of Pinocchio has been filmed dozens of times. Earlier in 2022, we saw the lifeless Disney remake appear on their streaming service. Even though it had my favorite, Tom Hanks, in it, please forget about this film. As visionary director Guillermo del Toro does manage to put a unique spin on the famous story. With stop-motion.

The details are amazing; everything is designed as authentically as possible. Strong also how he sometimes moves the camera continuously through the image for a long time, which must be incredibly difficult with this form of animation. As always with stop-motion animation, it’s very visible that it’s been made with love.

Del Toro added a dose of realism to his version of “Pinocchio”. For example, the plot takes place during World War I and World War II. But the familiar plot elements are also present, like Pinocchio being exploited as a circus attraction.

It’s great to see what Del Toro with the already so familiar characters. Gepetto is a very tragic character here, a father who is still mourning over his deceased son, but must accept that Pinocchio cannot replace him. The cricket is also woven into the story in an original way; he lived in the tree from which the wood that made Pinocchio was used. That way, he follows Pinocchio everywhere he goes.

Del Toro tries to keep it somewhat kid-friendly by adding musical numbers, but these are not the most memorable parts of the film. Overall the film has a grim atmosphere, which makes it not always appropriate for the youngest of viewers. It’s a dark twist on the well-know tale, which overflows with creativity.

Of all the “Pinocchio” movie made over the past 5 years, this is the one to watch. The rest, easily forgettable.

Rating: 4/ 5