Guillermo Del Toro is one of contemporary Cinema's most recognisable directors having directed both major blockbusters like Pacific Rim and Hellboy, more arthouse far like The Devils Backbone and awards contenders Best Picture winner The Shape of Water and 2021's Nightmare Alley. Del Toro's latest is his first Animated feature film (in this case stop-motion), his take on the classic story Pinocchio which has been adapted for Cinema several times, especially from Disney.
Del Toros' take is wildly different to either of the Disney versions, moving Carlo Caddio's 1883 story of a wooden puppet who comes to life to Fascist Italy at around the time of WWII. This being Del Toro of course there is a more sombre, dark tone than previous versions making this tale of Geppetto grieving the loss of his son and learning to accept Pinocchio, all the more impactful and heart-wrenching.
The voice cast make this a marquee affair with Ewan McGregor leading the cast as Sebastian J Cricket, an aspiring novelist wanting to write his memoirs, tasked with caring for the wooden boy. McGregor imbues his cricket with a sense of dry wit that undercuts some of the more morose moments of the film and he provides constant laughs while not detracting from the more heartwarming and tender moments. David Bradley is suitably gruff as Geppetto but also lends him a sense of warmth and shows his evolution over the course of the film. Christoph Waltz is a fine villain as Count Volpe, a circus owner who takes a shine to Pinocchio and his potential as a star attraction while Tilda Swinton is on dual voice duty as a pair of wood Sprites, one who brings Pinocchio to life and one who guards the afterlife. Gregory Mann does a fine job showcasing Pinocchio's naivety and want to explore his new surroundings while wanting to impress his papa.
Where this version excels is making this a fresh and exciting take on the story, with Disney's own reinterpretation just last month many might have wondered what this film could achieve, safe to say it uses its source material wonderfully with a message of hope, the importance family and the power of perseverance. The fascist backdrop hits home all the more with the current situation in Italy and also adds an extra dimension to the film that make it stand apart, it brings a sense of menace and recalls the Spanish Civil War backdrop of Pans Labyrinth. There are some fun sections poking fun at Mussolini and the Fascist youth organisations in Italy at the time.
The animation is nothing short of delightful, with many of the team that worked on Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr Fox on hand, including co-director Mark Gustafson. The level of commitment to the animation is obvious with each wooden facet of the puppet truly awe-inspiring. Another Fantastic Mr Fox alumnus is Alexandre Desplat who won an Oscar for the score for The Shape of Water, here he delivers a warm woodwind driven score that showcases his range as a Composer and his ability to move from animation to live-action seamlessly.
The musical sequences are fun and never detract from the main narrative, adding colourful flourishes throughout and for its darker overtones this is still an immensely fun film with McGregor's Sebastian a constant delight but also warmth and humour to be found across its close to 2 hr run time.
Pinocchio looks certain to become a new family favourite, conveniently releasing just in time for the Festive season on Netflix, it is leaps and bounds more impressive than Disney's recent effort and captures a darker more intimate side to the 19th Century source material. It's clear this was a passion project for Del Toro who has made one of his finest films here, no small feat in his Stop-Motion debut, an aesthetically arresting film that is full of heart, warmth and no shortage of exceptional voice-acting. As far as fresh spins on iconic works go this is right up there among the finest and those worried about over saturation for the wooden puppet need not have, this is surely one of the finest Cinematic adaptations of this tried and test tale and will surely become a classic revered for years to come.
Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio screened at the BFI London Film Festival 2022 and released on Netflix December 2022
