Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio Animated Movie Reviews a Superbly Creative Classic Tale of the Fabled Wooden Boy – Popgeek

The Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio animated movie is a reinvented classic story of a wooden puppet brought to life in this stunning stop-motion tale. Pinocchio stars Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, and Tim Blake Nelson in the dark heartfelt story released on 9th December 2022. 

Pinocchio turns out to be the Best animated film of the year as the movie secures 70 wins and 118 nominations upon release in theatres and OTTs. Most recently, Pinocchio took home the 2023’s Academy Awards and BAFTA Awards for being Best Animated Feature Film in the previous year. Not only did the movie garner acclaimed recognition on global stages, but it also banked positive reviews from fans and critics worldwide. Be it the film’s production design, stop motion animation, compelling storyline, creative storytelling, eye-pleasing CGI, or rich dialogue deliveries, Pinocchio does impressive work when debuts on a big screen. 

The official synopsis of Pinocchio reads- Academy Award-winning director Guillermo Del Toro and Award-winning stop motion legend Mark Gustafson reimagine the classic Carlo Collodi tale of the fabled wooden boy with a whimsical tour de force that finds Pinochhio on a magical adventure that transcends worlds and reveals the life-giving power of love. To learn how well the animated movie did with its source material’s darkness to bring out a visually stunning adaptation, continue reading Popgeek’s Pinocchio animated movie review here. 

Pinocchio Animated Movie is a Superbly Creative Classic Tale of the Fabled Wooden Boy  

Director Guillermo Del Toro and Mark Gustafson’s animated movie Pinocchio delivers fully on its title with sensitivity and a nice sense of humour while exploring grief and war and questioning what it truly means to be human. One of the best films of 2022, Pinocchio is a masterpiece with the directors’ take on love, war, life, death, purpose, and self-assurance. Pinocchio ideally means liar serves the well-deserved ending to the spiritual trilogy; Guillermo Del Toro began with The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth in 2001 and 2006, respectively.  

The latest instalment of the Pinocchio animated movie, released recently, shows how different can be the same story created by the visual craftsman can offer something new to relive our childhood tales again, 

And each time any director extends this animated adaptation, the performances are extended simultaneously. But among all the Pinocchio stories, including Welcome Back Pinocchio, The New Adventures of Pinocchio, director Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, where Geppetto’s puppet creation magically comes to life with dreams of becoming a real boy lavishes the story with his signature blend of the weird and wonderful. The most refreshing Pinocchio animated movie ever is equally dark, immersive, and visually excellent. 

It is filled with richly detailed and powerful imagery. The story is quite realistic as Pinocchio, voiced by David Bradley, sounds like a young-aged son who struggles hard to stay true to their family’s expectations. In Guillermo Del Toro’s story, Pinocchio also sees a tough time fulfilling his fathers’ wishes while forging his path in his life. 

The stunning stop-motion animation is eye-popping for viewers, especially those interested in rich animated features. The CGI style is distinct, as we expect from an Oscar-award-winning director like Guillermo Del Toro. We have seen his other animation works. Upon seeing Pinocchio, it is evident that the director has blended some elements of his previous film into the animated movie to offer something entirely new. He has succeeded, though. The attractive visuals rightly serve justice to the adventurous world built in the 1940s by blending the elements of a classic story well.  

Speaking of the film’s characters, they are different but are not as memorable as we expected. While Pinocchio and Gepetto’s characters are memorable, one truly shines in the story as they take centre stage, tackling the challenges in their relationships. The father-son bond faces its upsides and downsides, chronicling the perfect mixture of heart, heartbreak, and emotions. Some other characters featured in the political story felt like useless props filling the screen with their presence. 

Some unimaginative songs and the plot focus more on the politics than on the familiar fable slow-downs the story. But there are also soothing sounds that create the much-needed layer to the emotions and atmosphere that supports the story being more compelling together.  Overall, Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio 2022 full movie is a notable masterpiece that celebrates the deep bond between a father and son trying to bring the latter to life. The sounds, CGI, plotline, and everything between Pinocchio offer a whole new style of magic onscreen. The cinematic experience can’t help viewers but only gives a lump in the throat. Do you agree? 

What Critics Have to Say About Pinocchio Animated Movie? 

Pinocchio’s animated movie garners a mixed response from eagled eye critics worldwide. Scott Tobias, a film critic from The Reveal pens – As beautiful as del Toro’s Pinocchio is in design and conceit—the curved ridges on Geppetto’s beard alone are a wonder—the film never quite gains the intended emotional power.

Del Toro’s re-imagining of the Pinocchio story is not for the youngest kids, but anyone interested in what happens when a brilliant filmmaker takes on classic material will find a lot to admire, writes Robert Levin from the Newsday. 

K Austin Collins from Rolling Stone says- With every character, the animators took care to master the expressiveness of the eyes, the natural flow of movement. The visual details overwhelm the movie’s flaws. 

Caryn James from BBC.com pens- You’ve probably never seen Pinocchio who dances for Mussolini, but Guillermo Del Toro’s dark, stirring, yet life-affirming take on the classic tale of the puppet who becomes a real boy has more in common with Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water. 

Where can I watch the original Pinocchio movie?

The Pinocchio animated movie, released on 9th November 2022 in theatres, also made its OTT debut on 9th December 2022. Pinocchio stars Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, and Tim Blake Nelson in the dark heartfelt story. 

 You can watch or stream Guillermo Del Toro’s 2022 Pinocchio on both Netflix and Disney Plus Hotstar and enjoy a live-action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. The total runtime of Pinocchio 2022 full movie is 1 hour and 57 minutes, and only viewers with subscription plans for either streaming service can watch the movie on the OTTs. 

 So, what do you have to say about Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio? Do you think the story turned more political than from being a tale of a fabled wooden boy? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and feel free to offer any suggestions if we missed something in the article today. 

kuldeep sen