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Disney’s Pinocchio has always been a curious film. Underneath its lovable characters and its memorable musical numbers, the story is surprisingly dark. But leave it to director Guillermo del Toro to take an already dark tale and make it even darker in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio retells the classic story of Geppetto (voiced by David Bradley), a grieving father who carves himself a little wooden son, only to have a wood sprite (Tilda Swinton) bring the magical marionette to life. But Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) isn’t the son that Geppetto wanted. He’s curious and mischievous, and he’s always causing trouble. No matter how hard his guardian cricket, Sebastian (Ewan McGregor), tries to make him behave, he just keeps getting into trouble. But when he runs away to join the traveling carnival, Geppetto sets out to bring him home.
As Geppetto and poor, long-suffering Sebastian follow after the carnival run by sinister Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz), the headstrong little puppet sings and dances each night, in each new city, wowing the audience. But, of course, this is a Guillermo del Toro film—which means that there’s much more here than just a magical puppet who entertains the audiences. The story is set against the rise of Italy’s fascist government, in which an outsider like Pinocchio is seen as a dissident—an “independent thinker” who lacks education and discipline. More than that, though, it’s also a story about the sometimes challenging relationship between fathers and sons—of the arguments, the misunderstandings, and, underneath it all, the love. These can be difficult concepts for viewers—and younger viewers might find much of the film to be strange and more than a little creepy. But it perfectly fits the director’s style.
The film isn’t all darkness, of course. There are plenty of humorous moments—especially when Sebastian, the adventurous cricket, isn’t squashed under a book somewhere. But the lighter moments are balanced out by eerie sprites, gigantic prehistoric fish, and skeletal rabbits that carry the dead in to the underworld. And, in the end, the darkness wins out. But so does stunning stop-motion animation that is so incredibly beautiful in its style, its color, and its sheer eeriness. It’s an even darker adaptation of an already dark story—but del Toro certainly finds beauty in the darkness.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio isn’t the kind of cute animated film that you’d gather the family to see over the holidays. There are comical parts, but they’re mostly just there to soften the blow of some of the more disturbing ones. While it may not be a new family favorite, though, it’s a striking animated story that’s a must-see for del Toro’s fans.
Following a brief theatrical release, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio makes its way to Netflix on December 9, 2022.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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