Categories
Movie Review

Pinocchio (2019) Movie Review

Pinocchio – ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations – P – Pinocchio – Movie Review

Pinocchio

Director: Matteo Garrone

Writer: Matteo Garrone, Massimo Ceccherini (Screenplay)

Writer: Carlo Collodi (Novel)

Cast

  • Federico Ielapi
  • Roberto Benigni (Life is Beautiful)
  • Rocco Papeleo
  • Massimo Ceccherini
  • Marine Vacth

Plot: Old woodcarver Geppetto’s puppet creation, Pinocchio, magically comes to life with dreams of becoming a real boy. Easily led astray, Pinocchio tumbles from one misadventure to another as he is tricked, kidnapped and chased by bandits.

Runtime: 2 Hours 5 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Pinocchio starts when Geppetto (Benigni) decides to make himself a puppet to keep him company. He searches around the town for more work, with most of the town knowing about his struggles. When Geppetto makes Pinocchio (Ielapi), he is shocked to discover he has come to life. He makes him his own son, trying to help him fit in with the rest of the village.

After Pinocchio finds himself drawn to a travelling circus, he is given five gold coins. He must return home to give them to his father, however, not everyone is as helpful on his journey home.

Verdict on Pinocchio

Pinocchio is a live-action version of the classic tale. In this version we see the wooden puppet travelling around touching people’s lives as he learns about the world. This takes us along to meet a range of different characters along the way.

When it comes to the different visions behind the Pinocchio tale, this one easily becomes one of the more original takes. This becomes one that ends up being real world creation. However, it is filled with moments that are pure fantasy. It is genius how this movie is put together and one you must experience.

Final Thoughts Pinocchio is an amazing creation of the classic tale.

Categories
Movie Review

Pinocchio (2022) Movie Review

Pinocchio – Movie Review

Pinocchio

Director: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

Writer: Guillermo del Toro, Patrick McHale (Screenplay)

Writer: (Book)

Cast (Voice Talents)

  • Ewan McGregor (Star Wars The Phantom Menace)
  • David Bradley (The World’s End)
  • Gregory Mann (Victoria)
  • Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim)
  • Ron Perlman (Hellboy)

Plot: A father’s wish magically brings a wooden boy to life in Italy, giving him a chance to care for the child.

Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Pinocchio starts when carpenter Geppetto sees his son killed during a war. Geppetto struggles every day with his son’s loss, making a wish to bring his son back. He decides to make a puppet out of the tree above his grave and overnight the Wood Sprite gives the wooden boy life, becoming Pinocchio.

As Pinocchio causes problems around the town, he draws the attention of Count Volpe and his travelling circus. Pinocchio decides to join the circus to prove his father wrong, as Geppetto goes on a journey to save his son.

Verdict on Pinocchio

Characters

Pinocchio is bought to life by magic, a young soul in a wood body experiencing the world for the first time. This leads him to get in trouble around the town, lacking concentration and making rash decisions. He learns the disturbing truth about his life and what it means to be in his position in life and what he can offer to everyone around him.

Geppetto is a heartbroken father who builds Pinocchio, with his wish to have him come to life coming true. He struggles to accept his own creation at first but grows to love him, giving him a second chance at fatherhood.

Sebastian is a cricket that has come to settle down for his memoirs. However, he finds himself assigned to protect Pinocchio, to guide him through life by the wood spirits. He is the one telling this story of life and death and his part in it.

In the supporting characters, we get to meet the people that want to take advantage of Pinocchio. Count Volpe to use him for profit, while Podesta for winning battles. He also meets others that guide him through life and death and everything it means.

Story

The story follows the life of Pinocchio, from his heart-breaking motivation for creation. To the adventures he finds himself drawn into as he looks to discover what his life is all about.

Taking a big step away from the more family-friendly traditional story. We get a much darker vision of the adventures of Pinocchio. One that isn’t afraid to discuss life and death. This makes this story grab at the heartstrings more than anything else, leaving us broken down by how beautifully tragic the story truly is.

Themes

Pinocchio is a stop-motion animation you can see the love and passion put into each and every detail involved. It looks beautiful and uses different situations to create even more worlds for the character to explore. The creations within the death world are particularly fantastic to see.

Where to Watch: Pinocchio is available on Netflix.

Final ThoughtsPinocchio is a beautifully tragic vision of the classic tale.