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Netflix’s latest film from Guillermo Del Toro, Pinocchio is a fresh take on the classic tale known to many and follows the same familiar story. As we know, Geppetto, an old woodcarver, creates a boyish marionette that comes to life, giving him the chance to become a father again after the loss of his own son many years ago.
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Del Toro is known for his unique style of storytelling and presentation, and it shines in his own retelling of Pinocchio. Through the details accomplished by stop motion animation, we see so much of his previous work represented throughout the film. It’s difficult to not want to stop and take in everything that we see as the movie captures a part of Italian and world history, while also providing us characters that are animated to have so much heart, and cause us to sympathize and empathize with them.
I have to admit that I wasn’t initially engaged throughout the first half of the film and it felt like it was dragging its feet to get to the meat of the story. But pushing through the rest felt like a breeze as it gave so much more context and foundation to the first hour with its themes and inclusion of historical events to help elevate but also mirror the original story of Pinocchio. It’s certainly a movie that required patience from me and it paid off in the end with its emotional and bittersweet finale.
I really believe this adaptation of Pinocchio is one that needs to be watched. In the end, it felt like the adaptation I wanted that made me nostalgic for the 1996 version with Jonathan Taylor-Thomas. It’s an incredible and very Italian story that forces the viewer to address the consequences of our life choices and while also facing our own mortality, something one cannot evade for long. And when you have Guillermo Del Toro at the helm, you are gifted with a darkened yet childlike twist on a classic tale that feels authentic as well as memorable.
Samosa Rating:
Pinocchio receives 4 out of 5 Samosas.
Pinocchio is available for streaming on Netflix.
