Gepetto is shown early in the movie to be a very skilled wood carver, with a large Christ on the cross for the local church beautifully-done. So why does Pinocchio look as clunky as he does? Well, it all makes sense when you see that Gepetto has been drinking away his sorrow after losing his son, and in a mad fit of drunken desperation, he vows to make a new son -- but of course in his highly inebriated state, the form of this wooden boy is crude and rough.
Before stumbling off towards bed, Gepetto mumbles, "I'll finish you tomorrow." But he never gets the chance, as a magical being visits in the night and brings this creation to life.
The movie is near perfection in the beginning, as it clearly shows the love and connection that Gepetto had with his "real" son, and we feel the tragedy when his young life is suddenly snuffed out.
I found Pinocchio's design to be a unique and fascinating choice. But I had issues with his character, and that mostly comes down to the voice acting and direction, which didn't give me any reason to root for him, as he was mostly portrayed as annoying and insensitive. I understand it's a fine line to walk, to make a person who is only a few hours old sound like the are only a few hours old, with the curiosity and joie de vivre that would naturally be a part of that. But Pinocchio the character kept up that annoying personality for too much of the film, I felt.
I also had issue with the songs. As musical pieces, they were interesting and complex, and one would expect nothing less, since the music was written by the very talented composer of the score, Alexandre Desplat. But I think this is where a *songwriter* should have stepped in, since songs in a movie like this should be memorable, and have a "hook". These were almost too good, too complex, to work as musical numbers. And so I found none of them stuck with me nor struck me in any way.
As a film for children, one of course expects a certain level of immaturity here and there, but many times that was taken too far, such as in a command performance for none other than Mussolini, which was filled with fart jokes and assorted bathroom humor. Pinocchio is also a cautionary tale, and I remember the original Disney film being quite scary at times... with a Guillermo del Toro film, I figured we'd get several scary moments, but the scenes which should have been frightening ended up being kiddi-fied and only mildly unnerving.
Overall, I applaud what they did here, but there are too many flaws for me to give it a ringing endorsement. Still, there were some very nice moments, and the visuals were quite well done, so I give it 7 out of 10 stars.
Before stumbling off towards bed, Gepetto mumbles, "I'll finish you tomorrow." But he never gets the chance, as a magical being visits in the night and brings this creation to life.
The movie is near perfection in the beginning, as it clearly shows the love and connection that Gepetto had with his "real" son, and we feel the tragedy when his young life is suddenly snuffed out.
I found Pinocchio's design to be a unique and fascinating choice. But I had issues with his character, and that mostly comes down to the voice acting and direction, which didn't give me any reason to root for him, as he was mostly portrayed as annoying and insensitive. I understand it's a fine line to walk, to make a person who is only a few hours old sound like the are only a few hours old, with the curiosity and joie de vivre that would naturally be a part of that. But Pinocchio the character kept up that annoying personality for too much of the film, I felt.
I also had issue with the songs. As musical pieces, they were interesting and complex, and one would expect nothing less, since the music was written by the very talented composer of the score, Alexandre Desplat. But I think this is where a *songwriter* should have stepped in, since songs in a movie like this should be memorable, and have a "hook". These were almost too good, too complex, to work as musical numbers. And so I found none of them stuck with me nor struck me in any way.
As a film for children, one of course expects a certain level of immaturity here and there, but many times that was taken too far, such as in a command performance for none other than Mussolini, which was filled with fart jokes and assorted bathroom humor. Pinocchio is also a cautionary tale, and I remember the original Disney film being quite scary at times... with a Guillermo del Toro film, I figured we'd get several scary moments, but the scenes which should have been frightening ended up being kiddi-fied and only mildly unnerving.
Overall, I applaud what they did here, but there are too many flaws for me to give it a ringing endorsement. Still, there were some very nice moments, and the visuals were quite well done, so I give it 7 out of 10 stars.