Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Introduction

My friend Les recommended this to me, and while I was a little apprehensive, I decided to give it a whirl and am very glad I took her advice.

The Film

As usual, I won't give any spoilers or tell you what happens, just my impression of the film. For the first fifteen minutes, I thought I would not last, finding it too saccharin and sentimental, but then something happened, and the film cranks into gear.

The film uses elements of the original Pinocchio story, but this is no Disney film. There are lots of amazing animated creatures and lots of magic interspersed with the horrors of war.

There are lots of fun sections, and some characters transform from bad to good, but some just stay bad and get their comeuppance.

The stop-go animation is excellent, and once it draws you in it doesn't let go. It addresses some deep issues, but if you have Netflix, you will find it is two hours well spent, with many characters that will stay with you.

The voice cast is stellar with Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake-Nelson, and many more.