Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

A great artist is always themselves. 

Willie Nelson always sounds like Willie Nelson, Picasso is Picassso and del Toro is del Toro. 

So his version of Pinocchio is set during a fascist regime and features Catholic imagery, supernatural creatures covered in eyeballs, and the title character is a Christ figure.

If you vibe with del Toro’s unique sensibilities then you will no doubt enjoy this. I thought his last two Nightmare Alley in 2021 and The Shape of Water in 2017 were among the best movies of each year. 

This is … well there are reasons why I didn’t see this when it came out. I didn’t and don’t connect with its unique art style. 

And I’ve always hated the story of Pinocchio. Every version of this particular tale annoys me. This isn’t a thing I feel like examining. I hate ET too. People are allowed to both love the things they love and hate the things they hate. 

But I respect del Toro an awful lot for taking a children’s story and making it almost wholly about unending grief, the pain we carry just from living life and death. 

Ewan McGregor is perfect as not Jiminy Cricket. Nearly every movie I’ve ever seen would be improved if Ewan McGregor was the narrator. Seriously, how much better would the prequels be if he narrated them. Someone get him to a sound booth now! 

Anyway, this movie is beautiful. It’s real art instead of the two hour commercials that often play at the cinema. If you like Pinocchio or just don’t actively hate it then you are certain to enjoy this. 

And as ever del Toro is del Toro.