Movie Review: Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio

Movie Review: Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio                                                     12-9-22

Based on the beloved stories by Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio tells the story of a lonely woodcarver named Geppetto, who mourns the loss of his son. He built a marionette to fill in the empty void in his heart. One day, a blue angel brings the puppet, which she names Pinocchio, to life and appoints Sebastian J Cricket as his guide. However, the townsfolk are freaked out by Pinocchio, so Geppetto sends him to school. From there, Pinocchio gets thrusted into an adventure involving the circus, the underworld, a massive dogfish, and even the Great War.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio tries very hard to differentiate itself from the well-known Disney adaptation, and it succeeds with stop-motion animation that rivals Aardman and Laika, a dark story with a strong message about morality and love, engaging three-dimensional characters, and a good score from Alexandre Despladt.

What makes this version of Pinocchio so different from other mainstream animated movies is the fact that it tackles heavy subjects that other films would either ignore or sugar-coat, such as war, death, grief, and religion.

Death, the Wood Sprite's (this movie's equivalent of the Blue Fairy) sister who rules the underworld.

If I were to complain about one thing, I feel the film could’ve been a bit more light-hearted. But then again, maybe it’s just me getting used to watching family fare on a regular basis.

In conclusion, Del Toro’s Pinocchio is a grand film, but is not suitable for kids. If you really want to watch something this holiday season, I recommend Klaus, which I reviewed about two years ago.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5