‘Pinocchio’ Film Review: Robert Zemeckis’ Misguided Remake Is Creepy in the Worst Ways

Tom Hanks stars in yet another wrongheaded “live action” version of classic Disney animation

Pinocchio
Disney+

Why are filmmakers so enamored of “Pinocchio”?

Yes, Carlo Collodi’s 1883 tale touches on some timeless themes, like love, loss and lies. But its goal is to teach children by terrifying them. From a modern-day perspective, the concept is weird at best and creepy at worst.

So how come we’re still getting so many versions? There have been at least 65 adaptations, going all the way back to a silent version in 1911 and up to this year, where we have three more in 2022 alone. These variations are rarely successful, and yet new tellers are always convinced they’ve somehow cracked the code.

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