I've never been able to connect with the original Pinocchio story. The peak of crappiness was reached a few months ago with the new Disney film. Fortunately, Guillermo del Toro does a much better job. Despite the fact that the core of the story is the same as in previous adaptations, del Toro adds some interesting elements. It was a particularly wise decision to relocate the plot to fascist Italy in the 1930s.

I liked the prologue very much right away. It does a good job of portraying what Geppetto's emotional state is like. Also, del Toro manages to let his penchant for dark fantasy shine through during Pinocchio's first appearance and several later moments. Almost every time the wooden puppet begins to speak, however, he is just as annoying as he was in the other films.

The biggest strength of this movie is definitely the look. The animation style is not at all like what you are used to seeing. It is perhaps the most beautiful animated film of the year. The soundtrack is also fitting. Only the few musical interludes did not appeal to me. They always seemed a bit out of place. When there is no singing, the voice actors are consistently strong, though.

In the end, del Toro did not manage to make me a fan of the original Pinocchio story. But whenever he deviates from the source material, he delivers. Moreover, the film is a feast for the eyes. If you have a Netflix subscription, you can definitely have a good time watching it.