Pinocchio (2022) Review

 "I don't like being called a puppet."
-Pinocchio


A reimagining of the classic tale of Pinocchio directed by Guillermo del Toro.  After the tragic death of his son, the drunk and despondent Geppetto (David Bradley) builds a wooden puppet to replace his son.  Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) is brought to life by the Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton) to give Geppetto some happiness.  Sebastian J. Cricket (Ewan McGregor) is tasked with guiding the wooden boy and helping him to become a real boy in this dangerous world.


What Works:

There are quite a few differences between this movie and the 1940 film, which is good.  Who wants a straight-forward remake of the 1940 film, am I right?  The best difference between the films is in regards to the opening.  Geppetto is a much more developed character here.  He's a father mourning his son and builds Pinocchio in a drunken rage.  It creates some conflict between the two characters and the whole movie is about the relationship between a father and his son.  Geppetto's backstory is brutal to watch and sets the movie on a different course right from the start.

The voice acting is simply superb.  Not only do we have Bradley, McGregor, and Swinton, who are all great, but Ron Perlman, Cate Blanchett, and Christoph Waltz (among others) are also here to add their tremendous talents to the film.  Gregory Mann is also perfect as Pinocchio.  He brings a sunniness to the role and is a light in an otherwise dark film.

I think what really blows my mind is this movie is pretty much here to stand in the face of fascism.  I wasn't expecting that going in.  This movie takes place in Italy during the rule of Mussolini (Tom Kenny) and most of the Italian citizens are puppets to the government.  Pinocchio has no strings on him and is defiant as only a child can be.  He inspires others to be defiant in the face of fascism as well.  It gives the movie some fascinating themes that weren't in the 1940 film and I absolutely love it.  Instead of boys being turned into donkeys, they are being turned into good soldiers for Mussolini.

The style of del Toro really shines through.  The animation and music are simply beautiful.  This isn't a Disney movie.  We get the nightmarish version of the story, for sure, but it's stunning to look at.  It might be the most gorgeous movie of the year.

Finally, I won't spoil anything, but the end of the movie made me cry.  Not a ton of movies can make me cry, so I'm always sure to give props when they are due.


What Sucks:

I got nothing for ya.


Verdict:

This is a wonderful adaptation of Pinocchio and it's definitely its own movie.  The voice acting, animation, and music are all wonderful.  I love the beginning of the movie and the anti-fascist themes.  Plus it made me cry.  This is one of the best movies of the year and it has absolutely got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing 

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