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"Pinocchio" dir. by Guillermo Del Toro


"Pinocchio"

Where I watched it: Netflix

I didn't expect that there would ever be a gritty retelling of the classic Pinocchio story, but what I really wasn't ready for was the emotional weight that it would be capable of carrying.

In this reimagining of the classic Disney tale by Guillermo Del Toro we go hard right off the bat with the death of Gepetto's son, Carlo, who gets blown to smithereens by a discarded explosive from a bomber jet in WW2-Era Italy (in a church no less).

Following that we get to see Gepetto's descent into depression as he drinks away his days mourning the loss of his son. His tears grow the pine tree that is eventually used to crudely construct the wooden marionette that is Pinocchio.

Cue familiar beats from the original as the Blue Fairy brings the wooden doll to life and a friendship is established between Pinocchio and an upper-class grasshopper.

I won't go on describing every plot point of the movie but suffice to say it follows the story of the 1940s version but takes on some more mature themes.

One thing I really loved about this movie is how they didn't try to sugar coat the creepiness of Pinocchio. Even as a kid, watching the original, there was something inherently creepy about witnessing an inanimate doll come to life. I mean shit, Chucky and Annabelle are nightmare fuel for a reason. The scene with Gepetto discovering Pinocchio in the attic is straight up horror and carries the Del Toro touch that he's become famous for.

The musical numbers are great, the voice acting is wonderfully done by a talented cast consisting of A-listers like Ewan MacGregor, Christoph Waltz, John Turturro, Cate Blanchett (as a monkey), Ron Pearlman and many more.

And in case somehow you didn't know this already, it's all stop motion which took them a total of 935 days to film (not including pre or post production). It's a lot of work that definitely shows and makes for a gorgeous final product.

Is this version safe for kids to watch? I think yes, but I would be a little cautious. It deals with intense grief, some scary moments and of course fascism as it's set in WW2 Italy under Mussolini's reign. If you are a parent, you might have some explaining to do. But ultimately it's filled with wholesome values and all of the magic a classic like this deserves in a modern retelling. 

It's also very funny, mostly due to the cricket.

8/10

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