Guillermo Del Toros Pinocchio

A new Guillermo Del Toro movie is always something worth getting excited about, and I think his take on Pinocchio is another winner. While it might not live up to his very best films, it's another strong addition to his filmography... though it's also worth mentioning that he co-directed this one. Mark Gustafson is the other director, and he's not going to get as much credit as Del Toro, being the lesser-known name. But I imagine you don't get credited as a co-director unless you do a good deal of the work, so he shouldn't go ignored.

It's easy to see why this take on the Pinocchio story was appealing to Del Toro. It's a fairly dark fairytale, it deals with child characters in a cruel world, it blends fantasy and real-world conflict (here, it's set in Italy I think either before or at the start of WW2), and it's also a story with big emotions, being heartfelt and also surprisingly sad in places. All these themes/directorial trademarks can be found in Del Toro's other films, which makes this one feel right at home among them (even if it's the first to be animated).

The animation looks unique and is great to look at throughout. Unlike other animated movies with unique looks, I didn't feel like this one took a while to get used to. It pulls you in right away, and I think the music helps a great deal, too. It's overall a nice-looking and nice-sounding movie, with pretty good voice-acting, too.

The fact that it deals with mature themes (surprising amounts of death and Fascism in this movie) and might look unsettling to some, while also having child-friendly comic relief and music numbers do make it feel a bit odd tonally. I appreciate the effort that went into making this a movie with elements that'll appeal to younger viewers, and elements that'll appeal to older viewers, but I'm not sure the variety of tones is always balanced expertly. If I had any criticism, it's that, but otherwise, this is a very good animated movie, and another triumph for Del Toro (and his co-director!).

From the get go, this movie had everything going for it. Guillermo del Toro knows how to make a good film, and this was definitely no exception. Now I'm a fan of the 1954 Pinocchio, and I'll say right off the bat that this is not a remake! Don't be foolish and think that, because this is an adaptation of the book more than anything. This movie took some creative liberties, some really good creative liberties, in fact. The movie is set during World War II, in an Italy under Mussolini. War plays a huge role in this film, and I think Del Toro did a good job of taking the basic ideas from the original story, and expanding on them. For example, a certain island setting from the original story is not present in this film, but in its place is a genius substitute that serves practically the same kind of purpose in a way. Every character is interesting and the worlds are very dense with details. While having a dark tone, the movie also finds a way to be upbeat and charming at times. Also, the music is great, the musical songs are pleasing to the ear. Best of all, the visuals are stunning, the puppets capture emotion even though they're puppets. This movie beats Disney's remake by a long shot, and I hope it gets lots of credit for that. Watch this movie if you like the story of Pinocchio, but expect differences and a darker tone. Your kids will like it, and you will love it. 10/10 totally recommend.

This film is NOT meant to have the light-hearted happy-go-lucky vibes of Disney's 1940 Pinocchio movie, but rather a modernised take praising the wonders of childhood, faith and friendship; up against the all-consuming tyranny of fascism (its take on Mussolini is hilarious), deceptive show-business tactics; and the double-edged sword of Time (and Life) itself.

Pinocchio is a conceptually HEAVY film that doesn't condescend on its younger audiences nor it's older ones: it respects all the age groups equally and without compromising the story and fairytale-qualities of the Pinocchio story at its core. It's like a hard-boiled folktale that knows when to be optimistic and when to be cautionary in equal measures; and that's the magic Guillermo Del Toro does so goddamn well in SPADES.

This is 2022's best animated feature film, and one of Netflix's best film offerings in years. And it was worth the wait on Del Toro's part too.

All in all, Pinocchio was WORTH IT; big time! And hella better than Disney's 2022 live-action turd too.

It's a 5/5 star experience.

With less than 1/4 of the budget of the soulless Disney live action remake earlier this year, Del Toro & Co. Have managed to craft a version of Pinocchio with more personality, heart, and soul than Disney could have dreamed of crafting.

It injects new life into the character by telling a story that is vastly different both narratively and thematically than any version we've seen on screen before.

This tale deals with the malleability of identity, unconditional love, the impressionable nature of children, and the close link between joy and sorrow. And it does so with dark wit, refreshingly complex three-dimensional characters, and stunningly haunting stop-motion animation.

However, I do think this could have benefited a bit from cutting down on the plethora of plot points and having Pinocchio and Geppetto spend more time together. This version lacks the tight focus and brisk pacing of the 1940 version.

But aside from this, I was thoroughly entranced by this dark fairy tale. It has a spine and a soul, and unlike it's titular protagonist, it's far from wooden.

Right from the get go there're some loop holes, and themes that seems a bit odd but then it grew on me. While my brain is processing and nitpicking the logic, my eyes and heart enjoys this. After finishing the movie, other than shedding some tears, I don't really feel anything much but entertained. Half day in, the movie is now stuck in my mind. Took me awhile to process the meaning of life I took from this movie, and the beauty, the growth, the love, the treasuring the time we have together, precious time. It is now in a special place in my heart. Hands down the best Pinocchio movie I have the honour of watching, in my lifetime. Thank you.