Beautifully whimsical and wonderfully touching. Guillermo del Toro brought his stylistic flair to a story we are all familiar with, although this version of Pinocchio doesn’t brush over any of the darker realities of the original story- it still brings a curious and playful viewing experience. This movie sees the wooden boy and his father in a new light, getting the insight into poor Geppetto’s backstory helped the whole movies flow and created more empathy towards his character. We got to see their relationship develop and his love for Pinocchio grow in real time. Ewan McGregor was a great choice for the cricket, he has a warm and trust worthy voice which made his narration impactful to the story. I truly enjoyed this feature from beginning to end, the animation style was simply beautiful and the whole movie reminded me of Coraline (2009)- strange, unsettling and yet entertaining and warm.
Although this version of Pinocchio isn’t one I’d return to over and over, like the 1940s Disney animated classic, it still reached into my heart and played with its strings. Guillermo del Toro is a widely recognised director and has brought us some truly magical movies in the past, Pinocchio is a worthy addition to his list. With the overall style and atmosphere of the film being a little creepy it also had a warmth to it, with some darker undertones and the truly memorable moments with Pinocchio were heartfelt and emotional. Pinocchio’s voice actor had one of the sweetest singing voices, perfectly cast for such an adorable wooden boy. Del Toro has described Pinocchio as ‘one of his monsters’ which I think is really special, Pinocchio is most definitely part of the monster family. I highly recommend this feature, it’s a new take on a classic tale.
Comments