Pinocchio (2022)

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

 

7/10

Starring the voices

Ewan McGregor

David Bradley

Gregory Mann

Burn Gorman

Ron Perlman

 

Directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson

 

There are some stories that are hard to retell, and I am starting to think that when Disney nailed this Pinocchio story in 1940, they left everyone scrambling to try and remake it. This version though is wonderful and nailed the kind of fun you will expect from Guillermo del Toro taking charge of anything.

Even Disney could not capture the magic they released in the 40s as their own live action released also this year was just bad. This movie is just as good as the Pinocchio (1940).

I do not know what Del Toro was trying to achieve with his own version of this story, but I give him one thing, it played a little close to some form of reality. While Disney versions acted like these occurrences of magic is normal, like who is all cool and calm when a wood carving comes to life?

Here in this amazing animation, you will be comfortable with the reaction of the people to this new unbelievable site and even Geppetto distancing himself from Pinocchio at first made it seem normal.

Then Pinocchio’s total careless behaviour is more focused on in this movie than in any of the Disney version.

The first forty minutes of the animation is close to the Disney 1940 version, just a lot of changes here and there. Then from there, the animation takes another path which is different from what we know, but close to what the book which all Pinocchio story is based on.

After a falling out between Pinocchio and Geppetto Pinocchio runs away to join the carnival.

All this happened because Pinocchio did not go to school as he was supposed to and got himself into so much trouble by joining the puppet show.

The was an argument between Geppetto and carnival owner which led to Geppetto being in debt and in anger calling Pinocchio a burden. Pinocchio no longer wanting to be a burden on Geppetto and coming to terms that Geppetto will never see him as he sees Carlo, he joins the carnival.

Geppetto’s son (Carlo) died in the early start of the animation. It was the depression of the death that led Geppetto to make a puppet wood carving of his son, which a spirit gave life.

It was from here the adventure of Pinocchio starts with Geppetto going after the carnival with the aim of saving his son.

Del Toro has been glued on making this movie for more than a decade now. Finally, he has achieved his dream, it is better than Disney’s live action version. You can catch this on Netflix if you are interested in seeing how Del Toro crafted his own idea of what Caelo Collodi’s 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio.