Carlo Collodi’s wooden puppet is given new life in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio which is one of del Toro’s finest and most beautiful films! There has been countless versions of the story of Adventures of Pinocchio (1883) from the 1940 Disney animated movie to the 2019 movie starring Roberto Benighi. The challenge of adaptations is what the storyteller brings to the tale. In this case, del Toro is familiar with previous versions, but has brought themes and his own sensibilities to Pinocchio. Mark Gustafson, the animation director of Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), shares directing credit with del Toro. Pinocchio’s screen story is by del Toro and Matthew Robbins who also wrote Crimson Peak (2015). The screenplay of the film is by del Toro and Patrick McHale known for writing Adventure Time. Pinocchio had a limited release on November 9th and streams on Netflix on December 9th. Del Toro has said that Netflix enabled the movie to get made.
The stop motion animation by ShadowMachine that works on Robot Chicken. A perfect art form that captured some fairy tales on film and has a herky-jerky motion that is perfect for the puppets. There is a lone pinecone hanging from a tree as we are told by the narrator, Ewan McGregor, that the story begins in Italy during 1916. McGregor’s last fairy tale movie was Beauty and the Beast (2017). We are formerly introduced to the narrator’s character later, but he says the story he tells you don’t know. This sets expectations and he notes that the woodcarver has lost one son. A somber beginning with the melancholy music turns lively courtesy of Alexandre Desplat’s score, he worked with del Toro on The Shape of Water (2017). Then, we see the toymaker, Geppetto (David Bradley), he is not named, just identified as Papa. Bradley voiced Merlin in the animated series created by del Toro, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia (2017-2018). Geppetto here is a well defined having only his son as family, so this brings up the theme of grief and how to overcome it.
He reads his son, Carlo (Gregory Mann) a book, Libro di Storia, about fairy tales. A nice nod to the book’s author. This is the first leading part for Mann who played William Monmouth in the historical mini-series, Victoria (2019). The point of the story is of course not to lie or your nose will grow. Carlo has his papa sing momma’s song while playing an accordion. We get moments of their lives together, Carlo finds a pine cone (which are female), but Geppetto tells him it is not perfect with a missing scale. We pick with a day where Carlo shows his papa a perfect pine cone. Geppetto is working at the town’s church on a statue of Jesus. The religious element is a touch that is missing from del Toro’s film and I see this as a maturation of del Toro’s storytelling. He carves wooden shoes for Carlo. While Geppetto is painting the statue, Carlo shows him the perfect pine cone, then they leave the church. The night is stormy and Geppetto sees the bombers in the sky.
The night is stormy and Geppetto sees the bombers in the sky. Carlo runs back to the church for his pine cone and the bombs fall. The narrator explains that it could have been that the bombers dropped their payload to keep the ballast light for their return flight. Geppetto plants the pine cone behind Carlo’s grave. It has an angelic, wooden memorial that contains his photo placed on a hill. The statue is unfinished with a missing left arm, but Geppetto just stays by the grave marker and drinks. A pine tree grows to tower over the grave. Now we have the narrator introduce himself, Sebastian J. Cricket, as a writer who has traveled the world. The character is just called Talking Cricket so a formal name with the “J” middle name(!) is fun. The writer part (also the songs) makes me think of MacGregor’s character in Moulin Rouge! (2001). Sebastian’s design is blue, with mandibles like the bushy mustache of a British officer, similar to Tik Tok in Return to Oz (1985), and long, curly antennae. He is a gentleman (gentle cricket?), but gets into hapless accidents!
He brings the tree to his home to make it into a puppet and above his work table is a photo of Carlo. Geppetto is drunk, but great woodcarving skill. Within the tree is Sebastian who is able to get free. Geppetto works feverishly, driven like Victor Frankenstein (another del Toro inspiration) on his creation! The design of the puppet from the pine tree has short, wild “hair”, spindly limbs, and a crack on his body. The crack ends with the hollow in his chest, his “heart”, where Sebastian has made his home. He falls asleep and Sebastian sees in the forest, the wandering spirits, glowing eye balls covered in ghostly flames. The spirits enter Geppetto’s house and Sebastian tries to chase them away. They form into a blue, sphinx-like creature, unidentified in the movie, but known as the Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton). She also voices her sister counterpart, Death. A strange, beautiful del Toro creation, with four wings that are spotted with eye-like shapes. Swinton voiced Oracle in the stop motion movie, Isle of Dogs (2018). She sees Geppetto’s loss of his son and grants Pinocchio life because it contains Carlo’s soul. Then, the Wood Sprite appoints Sebastian to watch over him since he lives in the puppet’s “heart.” This is a clever way to make Sebastian his “conscious” and instead a guide.
Geppetto wakes up and finds Pinocchio (also voiced by Mann) is gone, he hears a giggle, and picks up an axe. In the darkness, Pinocchio appears with limbs splayed out like a spider, and Geppetto is about to use the axe, but Sebastian defends Pinocchio. To this newly born innocent, he doesn’t know things, but loves them. This is the focus of Pinocchio’s character, captured by Gregory Mann, who says, “Everything is new to me.” He insists he is Geppetto’s son, but the woodcarver rejects him and sends him into a closet. Geppetto heads to the church and the church goers are shocked at Pinocchio’s appearance. The Priest voiced by Burn Gorman asks him, “Who controls you?” Gorman starred in Pacific Rim (2013) as the scientist Gottlieb. Pinocchio says he is a real boy and his nose grows like a branch. Later, Geppetto trims Pinocchio’s nose, his workshop is a resource to help Pinocchio.The Priest is visited by the fascist officer, Podesta (Ron Perlman). The fascism seems to represent the harshness and conformity of the real world for del Toro. It is part of his personal works like the Spain of Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) and Devil’s Backbone (2001). Perlman has been in most of del Toro’s movies including Hellboy (2004).
They visit Geppetto along with Podesta’s son, Candlewick (Finn Wolfhard). The actor is of course known for the Netflix horror series, Stranger Things. Candlewick is very much a bully at the beginning. He convinces Pinocchio to warm his feet close to the fireplace and this causes his wooden feet to burn. Still, Pinocchio is cheerful, but his weakness is his love of hot chocolate. Still, Podesta becomes interested in Pinocchio as the perfect soldier. The next day, Pinocchio is testing his new legs and they see posters placed by a white monkey, Spazzatura (Cate Blanchett). The actress starred in del Toro’s Nightmare Alley (2021). Spazzatura reports about the living puppet to the owner of the run-down carnival, Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz). The actor appeared as Blofeld in No Time to Die (2021). He wants Pinocchio as his showpiece representing the corruption of entertainment. Podesta and Count Volpe are the two forces trying to corrupt Pinocchio, trying to control him. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio has some important themes of fatherhood, growing up, grief, a misunderstood outcast, child-like wonder, religion, and fascism that still maintains the fun of the tale, very charming songs like “Ciao Papa” sung by Mann, and beautiful character designs and environments. A stand out in Guillermo del Toro’s filmography!
Five+ Pine Cones out of Five!
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