Pinocchio: the preview review of Guillermo Del Toro’s film

Pinocchio, the animated adaptation by Guillermo del Toro of the famous novel by Carlo Collodi will arrive in theaters and on Netflix in December: here is our review.

Pinocchio will be released in cinemas on December 4: it will stay in theaters for a few days and from the 9th it will be available on Netflix. For this adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s famous children’s book, Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water, etc.) chose a stop motion animated film.

Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro – Solocine.it

The plot generally follows that of the original novel, but the director has chosen to add some personal touches that make this adaptation unique and very different from all the previous ones.

First of all, the whole story takes place between the 1930s and 1940s, when Italy was at war and subjugated by Mussolini and the fascist dictatorship. At the start of it all, Geppetto (David Bradley) already has a son, Carlo, who dies in a bombing. From there, after years of depression and alcoholism, one evening the carpenter decides to build a fake one to replace the lost child. A divinity (Tilda Swinton) hears his prayers and animates the wooden puppet: thus is born Pinocchio (Gregory Mann). If you want to know more about del Toro’s cinema, look here.

Pinocchio, the anti-fascist adaptation of Guillermo del Toro

From birth, Pinocchio was enthusiastic about life and began to experiment with the small and the big things. The plot develops more or less along the original narrative vein, where the viewer accompanies Geppetto and Jiminy Cricket (Ewan McGregor) on the long journey to find the escaped puppet. Pinocchio, as in the novel, refuses to go to school and takes another path, but finds himself at the mercy of ruthless individuals, the director of a theater troupe now in disgrace (mix between the Fox and Mangiafuoco, voiced by Christoph Waltz) and a fascist mayor (Ron Perlman) accompanied by his son Lucignolo (Finn Wolfhard).

A scene from Pinocchio – Solocine.it

A touching and well-constructed film, which not only speaks of the love between fathers and sons, but also teaches us to think for ourselves, to develop our own ideas, not to give up in the face of obstacles and to break rules when needed.

Guillermo del Toro has certainly shot an original, one-of-a-kind adaptation. His touch is clearly visible from the start, thanks to the dark and gloomy atmosphere and the complex psychology of the characters. Between films and cartoons, many adaptations of Collodi’s work have been produced, in Italy and abroad, but this one certainly has something more. Exciting, adventurous and deep, it will keep you glued to the screen for almost two hours.

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