GDT’s Pinocchio – A Stop Motion Spectacle (Early Review)

Carlo Collodi’s story of Pinocchio has been adapted to death across film and television for decades, even once already this year. Therefore, at this point, it’s only normal to feel a little burnt out. However, there’s just something different about this latest incarnation from the mind of Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro. The aptly-titled GDT’s Pinocchio is a stop motion animated film that offers a beautiful telling that appeals to one’s sense of wonder that also features beautiful animation. Epic in scope, the film is also very intimate at times which is impressive in and of itself in terms of the stop motion medium. A film for all ages, where it ultimately excels is its uncanny ability to tap into audience emotions from start to finish. Perhaps it’s a little longer than the average animated film, clocking in at closer to 2 hours, but most will surely not notice as they will be on the edge of their seats throughout this emotional roller coaster. Working as both a father-son story of course, it is also a strong coming-of-age story brought to life by the sheer imagination on display and fantastic performances across the board, led by Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, and Gregory Mann as Pinocchio.

GDT’s Pinocchio is rooted in grief as the tragic loss of Geppetto’s (Bradley) son Carlo (Mann) sent the artist and pillar of his community on a downward spiral that led to him making an analog of Carlo so he could be closer to him. After a miraculous turn of events, that wooden puppet became what we know to be Pinocchio (Mann). A steep learning curve soon followed as the talking puppet and his impulsive sense of wonder became increasingly harder to reign in as Geppetto must come to terms with his grief and embrace him. It wouldn’t take long for Pinocchio to be noticed by the rest of their Italian small town for better or worse. Essentially a child, he would need to be treated as such which meant going to school where he would hopefully learn discipline. Suffice it to say that this wasn’t necessarily the case as Pinocchio’s impulsive naivety continued to get in the way. Enamored by the attention and his newfound notoriety, he caught the eye of a shady travelling performer named Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz) who saw him as his golden ticket. However, this was only the beginning of the story as far as Pinocchio and Geppetto were concerned.

Finding a way to get around, Pinocchio embarked on a journey of self-discovery to prove himself to himself and Geppetto where he learned what it was truly like to be alive as he experienced the good and the bad that the world and even the afterlife had to offer. An aforementioned emotional roller coaster, one can’t help but feel right with him as audiences are going to fall in love with Pinocchio and connect to his hopeful and positive nature and relate to his sense of wonder in the midst of everything around him. In the end, he was a shining light in the darkness. Meanwhile, Geppetto was left reeling as he embarked on a similar adventure where he sought to reunite with his boy. He simply yearned for that connection once again and that motivation was also easy to connect to not to mention incredibly heartbreaking at times. In spite of the odds seemingly stacked against them, many will find themselves rooting for them to reunite at least one more time. Another element in both their stories was a cricket named Sebastian (McGregor) who guided each of them and provided some comic relief as the de facto heart of the film.

On a technical level, GDT’s Pinocchio boasts fantastic animation which is a testament to the painstaking work involved in stop motion animation. The characters and the world created here are something to behold from their detail and the imagination on display. The sheer scale alone truly sets it apart within the genre. As impressive as the animation may be, the score is as impressive. Giving the film an epic feel, it not only adds to the spectacle but also reinforces the emotion from scene to scene. At the end of the day, it would not have worked nearly as well if not for the performances to tie it all together. The dynamic of Bradley and Mann as Geppetto and Pinocchio/Carlo ground the film in humanity as the two create a memorable bond that will keep audiences invested in the story and also tug heartstrings. Mann was a revelation while Bradley conveyed layers of pain in his performance. McGregor and his charisma were a scene-stealer as Sebastian. While they are merely a small part of the film’s all-star cast who all hit the right notes.

GDT’s Pinocchio is a sure-fire classic in the making that will dazzle as much as it will wreck audiences emotionally. Be prepared and bring tissues.

still courtesy of Netflix

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.