Re: Lies of P, Roboquest - First Thoughts

**** Lies of P

   If I recall the 'field clown boss' correctly (he throws long punches) that's once again down to learning his moveset.
   Also, I watched some Pinocchio movies & read the original book after finishing the game (this was back in February):
Pinocchio (2019) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8333746/
Having finished Lies of P -- twice! -- I wanted more of this fable, and P2019 is a great choice for that, as it apparently sticks close to the book (which I'll read soon). I've only vague disney notions of the plot and knew nothing of the serious themes that Collodi put into his stories. This film's avoidance of political references, light touch, and more emphasis on empathy, sentimentality, and the humorous side of dark humor go really well with the wonderful artstyle, and I had a great time with it; loved the costuming and acting as well. Big thumbs up!
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1488589/
Alas, I'm sorry to say that, as a movie, this title fell flat for me. The stop-motion art style had a rudolf-the-rednose-reindeer look that I scoffed at; the shoehorned-in fascism & catholicism exasperated me, and was not what I expected or wanted to see. And here's where a second viewing would be entirely warranted. Watching and reading the excellent batch of Criterion extras, it smacked me in the face how much deep thought and passion del Toro & company put into this project.
The *technical* side of producing a full-length stop-motion film is a massive undertaking, is discussed in some depth in the extras, but is almost a distraction. The *ideas* del Toro wanted to emphasize -- the *idea* of puppetry, of being taught to speak and behave as ideologies would have you; that respect must be earned; that showing kindness often requires sacrifice -- these are present in other del Toro films as well, and are worth exploring more.
Here's where Lies of P re-enters the picture, as I see many parallels with del Toro's themes, especially in the late game and different endings, which involve sacrifice and acceptance or rejection of parental dominance. Good stuff to ponder.
rms