A re-imagination that borrowed elements from the classic Disney animation and the original 1883 Italian novel but entirely stamped with Guillermo del Toro’s storytelling vision, aesthetics and cinematic style. A gorgeous stop-motion animation musical fantasy that showcased not only the phenomenal animation of the creative team but also boasted a brilliant voice cast, and together they painstakingly brought all the amazing characters to life retelling a familiar story but one now imbued with del Toro’s characteristic wonder, pathos and heart.
An absolutely entertaining animation for the whole family! The children will delight in the cuteness and relate with our titular Pinocchio; the adults will enjoy the richness of the themes of death, life, love, war, responsibility and family.
Like all of del Toro’s fantastical creations, the character and creature creations were standouts. The simple complexity of Pinocchio was a sight to behold especially considering the technical difficulty of animating him. Then we have all the non-human characters: Ewan McGregor’s cricket, Cate Blanchett’s monkey, Tilda Swinton’s sphinx and sprite, Tim Blake Nelson’s rabbits and the voiceless Dogfish. Each of them were spectacular creations and each voice actor capably imbued their character(s) with distinction and individuality.
Of the human characters, David Bradley as Geppetto was a heartbreak and a half; Christoph Waltz as Count Volpe was a cruel, nasty piece of work, a villain we all rooted against; and Ron Perlman as the Podestà was unsympathetic and cold.
However, one of the biggest star and highlight of the film was Alexandre Desplat and his amazing score. The score drove a lot of the scenes through the film and it was characteristic without being overwhelming, and emotive without being manipulative. It may very well get Desplat another Oscar win (a nomination is assured!).
A sure Best Animated Feature Film nominee, and a long shot for Best Picture, “Marcel” will be its closest competitor. As good and as entertaining as the former was, “Pinocchio” edged out with its technicality and complexity, and overall entertainment.
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