When Geppetto is struggling with the loss of his son, some magic happens and the wooden by Pinocchio who he had built suddenly comes to life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Guillermo de Toro is a truly incredible filmmaker with an amazing manner when it comes to his films and this take on Pinocchio is visually outstanding. It really does make it look so good for certain scenes and pushes the animation boundaries in a different way to what we have seen before. For me though how the film looked was the best thing about it, I think about half way through I eventually realised that I just do not like the story of Pinocchio at all. The Disney animated version freaked me out as a kid and I don’t think I have ever really got past that! I know that might sound strange but I also failed watching the other Pinocchio release this year.
The idea that Pinocchio was brought to life with the magic touch to help Geppetto and his grief for losing a son was I guess quite nice in someways, but the creepy nature of a “wooden boy” is not something I can get into. Which was a shame really as it does have a lot going for it with musical moments and we all know how much I love musicals.
Set in Italy during World War I and the loss of Carlo is due to the air raids, for the next twenty years Geppetto mourns this lose and plants a pine cone near his grave. When Cricket takes up residence in the tree and it is cut down in a drunken rage by Geppetto who then uses the wood to create a new son this then being Pinocchio. When attempting to head to school one morning Pinocchio is then convinced to become a performance by Count Volpe and eventually joining the circus with Geppetto attempting to take him back home.
So while I can fully understand the love, high ratings and great reviews for this film I am not in that camp as I just generally dislike the story of it all. No matter how it is revisioned I just cannot get away with how it is overall. I guess some stories we are just not ever going to really like?
Let's Go To The Movies 
Leave a comment