Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

 

      Guillermo del Toro co-wrote the script with Patrick McHale which was based on the 1883 novel and co-directed the film with Mark Gustafson. Most people know the Disney version of Pinocchio but while there are some similarities, it's much darker in tone, set in fascist Italy with a slightly different supporting cast.  And while the Disney version was full animation, this version is stop-motion, and the visuals are outstanding.

       The film opens with Geppetto (vocal by David Bradley) , the carpenter enjoying life with his real son Carlo. When Carlo is killed by an aerial bombardment, Geppetto plants a pinecone near his grave and mourns his loss. Years go by and the pinecone is now a tree. Geppetto cuts it down and creates Pinocchio (vocal by Gregory Mann). Of course, we must have a talking cricket, in this case, Sebastian J. Cricket (vocal by Ewan McGregor). The main villain is Count Volpe (vocal by Christoph Waltz) who wants Pinocchio for his traveling carnival. His assistant is a monkey named Spazzatura (Vocal by Cate Blanchett). Ron Perlman does the voice of Podesta, a fascist town official who wants to turn Pinocchio into a soldier. Finn Wolfhard does the vocals for his son, Candlewick. Tilda Swinton does double vocal duties as the fairy who brings Pinocchio to life and her sister Death. Tim Blake Nelson does the voices for Death's Black Rabbit assistants.

       There are lighthearted adventures juxtaposed with much darker scenes, but the story does follow a familiar path.  Mr. del Toro even throws in a few songs along the way. The vocal work by the cast is perfect but the brilliance of the film is the stop-motion animation and it's attention to detail. 

This version of Pinocchio is definitely not for small children since it contains many mature themes but older kids and certainly adults should absolutely enjoy this remarkable work of art.