Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Parent Guide

Gepetto (David Bradley) has two loves in his quiet life: woodcarving and his son, Carlo. In their small Italian town, Gepetto takes Carlo with him everywhere he goes, working on decorations for local shops, cutting lumber, even building a large crucifix for the church. But the Great War is raging, and the front is closer to town than it used to be. Carlo is tragically killed by a stray bomb, and Geppetto almost loses himself in his grief. After years of unanswered prayers and a morose night of heavy drinking, he decides that he will have his son back, no matter the cost.

Fired up with determination, Geppetto sets to hacking, sawing, and carving a boy from wood before the drink catches up with him and he passes out on his floor. When he wakes in the morning, he finds that a Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton) has magically brought the puppet to life. Pinocchio (Gregory Mann), as Geppetto names him, is a spirited, unruly, and generally chaotic creature. The wooden boy quickly draws the ire of the authoritarian Podesta (Ron Perlman), a sort of town mayor, who insists that Pinocchio attend school…but Pinocchio has other plans.

I’ve never particularly liked Pinocchio, and especially not the absolute nightmare fuel that is the 1940 Disney film. That movie is insane from start to finish, and a deeply unpleasant viewing experience to boot. The moral lessons are all over the place and all the characters are some combination of weird and aggravating. Thankfully, Guillermo Del Toro is a genius. Somehow, he’s managed to make this story not only tolerable, but actively engaging and enjoyable – especially for older viewers.

Now, being made by Guillermo Del Toro, the film is a little creepier and a little more complicated than most parents will expect from an animated production. Instead of just being a morality play about listening to your parents and being honest, Del Toro’s version focuses more on personal responsibility, making amends, learning from your experiences, and the rise of fascism in Italy. Trust me, the last theme is better incorporated into the story than it sounds.

However, like the Disney animated original, this film might prove disturbing to young viewers. Geppetto doesn’t lovingly craft Pinocchio: he sort of hacks him into being in a drunken Frankenstein-ian fit of madness after slamming a bottle of liquor down at his son’s grave. It’s a fascinating take on the story, offering a very different analytical lens for viewing the tale, but it’s also pretty intense. Pinocchio’s character design is also a tough one for kids. At least to start with, he’s a deeply unsettling, scuttling little homunculus, but I will admit that he grows on you. Kids are also unlikely to understand who Benito Mussolini is, or why Pinocchio is singing at him that he should eat his own feces – even if it makes a bit more sense in the historical context.

I’ve always liked Del Toro’s style, but I was a little hesitant about this project based on my own dislike of the source material. I shouldn’t have doubted him. Who else could work a biblically accurate angel (think lots of wings and eyes) into a kids’ story, and get away with it? Older kids will probably enjoy the slapstick antics and adventurous excitement, but adults are going to have a heck of a time exploring symbols and themes across the film. I’d say this has a solid shot at the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture – something I think Netflix is counting on.