Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio"

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Reviews -
Guillermo del Toro's" Pinocchio" 2022

".....Del Toro's lifelong commitment to turning the figments of his imagination into physical realities makes his decision to opt for stop-motion for his first animated feature an obvious and perfectly suitable one. Glorious in its tactile fabrication, his "Pinocchio" epitomizes the melding of tale and technique into a cohesive philosophical unit. For a story about imperfect fathers and sons, this method capitalizes on the irreplicable quality of the human touch one frame at a time. ......
A wondrously affecting work, "Pinocchio" becomes a magnum opus for del Toro that channels his interests and beliefs long present in his oeuvre but spun with a luminous new gravitas. It may go against its ethos to deem del Toro's "Pinocchio" an impeccable masterpiece, even if that's an adequate description, but know that if the art of making movies resembles magic, this is one of its greatest incantations. "

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/guil ... cchio-2022

[TikiSoo]

It's on my Watch List.
Did you actually watch it or you just posting/linking someone else's comments?
I'd like to know what YOU thought.

[Swithin]

It's on my Watch List.
Did you actually watch it or you just posting/linking someone else's comments?
I'd like to know what YOU thought.

Yes, me too. I may start watching it between (and during) cooking/cleaning chores today.

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Ooops, sorry
thought I did
& REEEALLY Loved the beautiful artistry & very faithful to themes
though Mousolini addition may be questionable & DID miss the boys turning into donkeys

OVERALL=

(weak eyes, bad hands & wonky keyboard make it hard sometimes)

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[TikiSoo]

Well we watched it last night. I think MrTiki liked it more than I did. One thing we agreed upon was liking the addition of the "spirits" guiding the puppet-they were otherworldly, spooky, wise & added magic/mysticism to the story. Another place we agreed was the unnecessary additions of songs-really-why? Songs are supposed to further the story, not stop it dead in it's tracks with maudlin schlock. Another aspect we both really liked was the dramatic way Pinocchio's nose grew & how he actually used it to his advantage in one scene.

The animation was stellar and mostly a joy to view. No way was this totally stop motion puppeteering. Things like facial expressions were varied & fluid, objects floated & flew and there were things like water drips that were "real", so it seemed sort of a hybrid animation. The animation was good, if a little "crack whip" style a la Tim Burton, whose puppet style I detest (along with Elfman's music)
My favorite charactor besides the spirits was the fantastical Dolphin-like whale who seemed to be drawn animation. He had weird appendages and icky sphincter-like blow hole that was the only thing that made me laugh.
But all the backgrounds & sets were stunning & beautifully photographed. MrTiki & I build miniature sets as a hobby & we marveled at how well everything was painted & lit- loved the artistry!

MrTiki loved how the story was "dark", but it was always a dark story. I did find it rather creepy Gepetto declared his love for an intimate object. I liked the Cricket but not sure exactly what his role/representation was, the spirits were Pinocchio's conscience, the Greek Chorus. The Cricket constantly being smashed was supposed to be comic relief but I found it unnecessarily cruel & unfunny.

I did like the changes in the story, it's great if someone can pull off a new version of an old classic. Sadly, I was underwhelmed.

[skimpole]

It's on my Watch List.
Did you actually watch it or you just posting/linking someone else's comments?
I'd like to know what YOU thought.

Well you weren't talking to me, but I liked it, finding a distinct visual style different from the Disney classic, while still reminiscent of the original novel's violence. Admittedly the anti-fascism was an easy shot 82 years after the Sharpsteen movie, and a final change in the plot didn't get my approval.

[Swithin]

Well we watched it last night. I think MrTiki liked it more than I did. One thing we agreed upon was liking the addition of the "spirits" guiding the puppet-they were otherworldly, spooky, wise & added magic/mysticism to the story. Another place we agreed was the unnecessary additions of songs-really-why? Songs are supposed to further the story, not stop it dead in it's tracks with maudlin schlock. Another aspect we both really liked was the dramatic way Pinocchio's nose grew & how he actually used it to his advantage in one scene.

The animation was stellar and mostly a joy to view. No way was this totally stop motion puppeteering. Things like facial expressions were varied & fluid, objects floated & flew and there were things like water drips that were "real", so it seemed sort of a hybrid animation. The animation was good, if a little "crack whip" style a la Tim Burton, whose puppet style I detest (along with Elfman's music)
My favorite charactor besides the spirits was the fantastical Dolphin-like whale who seemed to be drawn animation. He had weird appendages and icky sphincter-like blow hole that was the only thing that made me laugh.
But all the backgrounds & sets were stunning & beautifully photographed. MrTiki & I build miniature sets as a hobby & we marveled at how well everything was painted & lit- loved the artistry!

MrTiki loved how the story was "dark", but it was always a dark story. I did find it rather creepy Gepetto declared his love for an intimate object. I liked the Cricket but not sure exactly what his role/representation was, the spirits were Pinocchio's conscience, the Greek Chorus. The Cricket constantly being smashed was supposed to be comic relief but I found it unnecessarily cruel & unfunny.

I did like the changes in the story, it's great if someone can pull off a new version of an old classic. Sadly, I was underwhelmed.

I started watching it but found it so annoying, I had to stop after half an hour. I'll get back to it at some point.

[LawrenceA]

I watched it tonight...they kind of lost me with the poop-song stage performance for Mussolini. The del Toro character designs were interesting, though.

[Nellie LaRoy]

There's a lot to like and a lot to dislike in this movie.

The stop-motion animation seems pretty well done, it really looks like a lot of hard work went into it. But I feel the story left a lot to be desired, and making it even more overly political doesn't sit well with me. If you have read the original, you know it is not without some political subtext, but in a much more subtle way. And as TS said the songs don't advance the story much.

Also, I think it may be a bit too dark for younger children. If I had young kids, I am not really sure I would want them watching it.