This review was made possible due to an advanced copy of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio provided by Netflix for review. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio streams on Netflix from December 9.
Set to the facade of a facism-era Italy, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a masterclass in storytelling backed up by some of the best stop-motion animation in years. Backed by a star-studded cast, with so much care and consideration put into this year to provide one of the best watches of the year.
A Not-So Wooden Heart
I was incredibly gutted to miss out on Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio whilst covering London Film Festival 2022; however, the time finally came at the right time to see the animated film event of 2022… and it was certainly worth the wait!
I was astounded to discover that 20 minutes into this film, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio had twice as much heart as Disney’s live-action adaptation did earlier this year. I think both critics and audiences will prefer this adaptation of the two. Not just for its heart, but this film has a new and fresh story to it, it has its own identity both through its story and visuals and is just a super achievement for animation. Do better, Disney.
This film’s interpretation of the story sees Geppetto replace his son (killed by military bombs) with a wooden puppet, who, in turn, is brought to life and the two build this beautiful relationship during the film. Just incredible storytelling. For a story that has been done so many times before to feel as fresh as it does in this film is an incredible feat for del Toro.
The voice cast in this film is absolutely tremendous. Led by David Bradley’s Geppetto, I don’t think I would have given these roles to anyone else. Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Ron Perlman, Christoph Waltz and Tilda Swinton are just some of the extraordinary names attached to this project, and they help make it so wonderful.
Of course, this film is also a musical, and I can’t not talk about that. The songs are never too intense, and at times feel mellow and don’t create any extravagant moments but certainly do add to the film’s atmosphere. I think “Ciao Papa”, one of Pinocchio’s songs, is my favourite, just a beautiful song towards the start of the film. I never thought we’d see the day that Christoph Waltz would perform a song in a musical, but “We Were A King Once” breaks the spell, and Waltz is surprisingly a good singer. Nowhere near the best musical soundtrack of 2022, but a welcome one, for sure.
Animation
Stop-motion is a beautiful art-form. Every frame is put together with care, and requires the highest attention to detail to produce a seamless vision and atmospheric world. Everything has been taken into consideration and it looks absolutely wonderful.
I’ve recently gone back and watched everything Wallace & Gromit, and it is crazy to see how the skill when making these films has evolved over time, and how huge these productions have become. The fact that stop-motion is now being used for huge budget films is insane, and I am so glad Netflix have made this film with the help of Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson. I’ve yet to see Netflix’ other stop motion film of the year, Wendell & Wild yet but perhaps after finishing Pinocchio – I need to expand my horizons and watch more animated films.
I think there is a general want for more stop-motion animated films, despite taking much longer to produce, the end product always feels so much special, especially for me. Not to discredit other animated films (which I love just as much), but baring witness to one that has taken twice as long is so much rewarding… which leads me on to my next discussion point.
Oscarworthy?
With the film releasing so close to the 2023 Awards Season, discussion must be had about Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio‘s chances of recieving any critical acclaim. The answer is obvious. Guillermo del Toro is now stranger to an Academy Award, with 7 to his name and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio offers a possible 8th for the director.
Having browsed the internet at the Best Animated Feature locks for the 2023 Academy Awards, I’ve yet to watch a number of highly anticipated nominations, including the likes of Wendell and Wild, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood. I do think without seeing these films, that Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is easily winning the Oscar ahead of the likes of Strange World, Turning Red, even The Bad Guys.
One of the best animated films for quite some time is incredibly deserving of the Best Animated Feature Oscar when March arrives. This would mark the second time a stop-motion film has won the award too, with Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit being the only film to do so.
‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ – Final Thoughts
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is an absolute triumph and absolutely stunning from beginning to end. GDT’s signature storytelling makes for a wonderul and incredibly moving adaptation, one I think everyone should watch.
Check out the trailer for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio below:
The Review
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is an absolute triumph and absolutely stunning from beginning to end. GDT's signature storytelling makes for a wonderul and incredibly moving adaptation, one I think everyone should watch.