Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio is finally out on Netflix and the film has been igniting heated discussions ever since it was announced. Theories about a darker approach to the story turned out to be true and many changes to the traditional wooden boy story were made in favor of a new eerie and magical look.
Although most of the characters have similar backstories and Pinocchio's lore remains mostly faithful, there are many parallels that can be made especially when taking Disney's classic 1940 version of Pinocchio into , with important differences that completely change the course of the narrative.
Gideon, The Cat
There are plenty of character changes between the two films and the changes made to Gideon, the Cat might be the ones that best summarize the tone Del Toro was aiming at. Different from Count Volpe and Spazzatura's horrendous looks, in Disney's original Pinocchio the circus duo is made of two charming animalistic figures: Honest John and Gideon, the Cat.
In del Toro's version, Count Volpe is the boss of himself and Spazzatura goes through an incredible character arc, becoming one of Pinocchio's most faithful friends and a key character in the boy's journey to reunite with Geppetto. In Disney's version, Gideon, just like Honest John, is hired by the mysterious "Coachman" and finds no arc of redemption whatsoever.
Gepetto's Reaction
In the original Pinocchio, there's no solid confirmation about Geppetto's tragic past. When Jimmy Cricket ends up in the old man's house by chance, he's bewildered by the place's vibrant aspect, filled with thrilling inventions and mesmerizing toys that reflect Geppetto's wish to become a successful puppeteer and have a son to share his joys with.
In Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Cricket finds Geppetto in a depressing shape. The man is sinking into alcoholism and unable to cope with his son's death, which causes him to act hostile toward Pinocchio when the boy first appears, gradually finding his redemption as Pinocchio's absence makes his heart grow fonder.
Pinocchio Doesn't Die
Del Toro's version of Pinocchio is closest to a creature than a boy, doing justice to the mysticism surrounding the wooden boy's lore. In Disney's version, Pinocchio is left hanging between life and death after a monster attack, saved at the last minute by the Blue Fairy, who turns him into a real boy.
Things are much more complicated in del Toro's film. Pinocchio is the result of a mystical spell that grants him immortality; whenever he dies, he's sent briefly to the Wood Spirit realm before being brought back to Earth. Although he decides to give up on his immortality in order to save Geppetto, Sebastian Cricket brings the boy back to the same spot, and Pinocchio ends up witnessing all his beloved companions perish while he carries on unscathed.
Lampwick/Candlewick
The slight name change isn't the only difference between the two versions: the Candlewick character was almost fully reworked in Del Toro's story. In Disney's traditional version, Lampwick was a delinquent who influenced Pinocchio to follow him on a range of troublesome adventures, while Del Toro's Candlewick is an insecure boy who befriends Pinocchio despite his father's insistency in treating the wooden boy as an enemy.
A lot has been said about how Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is much darker and even flirts with horror at times, but fans should not forget the bizarre donkey transformations in Disney's version. Lampwick met a terrifying fate in the Disney movie and almost took Pinocchio with him.
The Donkey Storyline
For better or for worse, the creepiest part of Disney's Pinocchio was entirely removed in the new film. Manipulated by Honest John and Gideon, the Cat, Pinocchio is sent to Pleasure Island where he meets plenty of lawless companions such as Lampwick.
However, the place hides a horrifying curse and fuels a dark conspiracy: the island turns people into actual donkeys, and one of the film's villain plan to use the boys-turned-animals to sell them to slave labor. Pinocchio himself becomes a recipient of the course, saved by the Blue Fairy during the final transformation stages.
Pinocchio & Geppetto's Reunion
At some point in Disney's Pinocchio, the narrative comes to a halt and delays the film's climax by having Pinocchio and Cricket returning home and finding the place deserted, only to find out through the Blue Fairy that Geppetto went out looking for Pinocchio and ended up swallowed by a gigantic sea monster.
In Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, the wooden boy finds himself in the belly of the beast after an intense confrontation against Podesta and Count Volpe, meeting his father by chance thereafter. Although it may feel like a plot convenience, it does the fluidity of the narrative a big favor, cutting out all the meandering that preceded the father and son reunion in the original movie.
The Monstro's Victim
The Monstro is a recurring antagonist in pretty much every Pinocchio adaptation; a gigantic and terrifying whale with final-boss energy. The intense scenes in which Pinocchio and the gang try to evade the monster are quite similar in style, offering intense combat in two parts; in and out of the whale.
However, the consequences of Monstro's attack differ from one movie to another. In the Disney version, Pinocchio is the one left hanging between life and death after the whale's final blow, while in del Toro's version, Gepetto is found barely alive as Pinocchio gives up his immortality to save his beloved father, implicating in a powerful emotional climax.
Cricket's Wish
In Disney's Pinocchio, the Blue Fairy assigns Cricket to be Pinocchio's conscience and guide him in the right direction in exchange for an ambitious reward. In Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Cricket is outraged by how the Wood Spirit has used his newest home as the recipient of the spell, but she promises him a wish if he accepts the challenge of helping Pinocchio to adjust to the life of a boy.
In the end, not only is the wish granted different but also the way it unravels. While in Disney's version Cricket simply gets a gold badge that entitles him as an official conscience, in del Toro's version Cricket decides to give up on his wish in order to save Pinocchio's life, elevating the movie's emotional appeal and giving the character a much more thought-out arc.
The Happy Ending
Del Toro's Pinocchio takes an unexpected dark turn in its final moments, differing from the typical happy ending one would expect from the well-known story. As Pinocchio gets his immortality back, he gradually witnesses his friends away one by one, until he must carry on alone. It's sad, yet deeply inspiring, to treat mortality as something inherent to the cycle of life instead of some sort of curse.
Disney's original Pinocchio ends up on a much lighter note, with Pinocchio turning into a real boy and getting rid of Pleasure Island's curse as Cricket gets his reward for being an effective mentor to the boy.
The Setting
Much has been said about Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio eerie looks and slight horror elements, but perhaps the most distinctive change to the story is its setup: in the 2022 version, the narrative is set in a traumatic post-WW1 Italy, haunted by fascist roots that completely change the way each character acts and behaves, turning the movie into an important socially conscious tale.
Del Toro provides viewers with a masterclass of how to deal with delicate and complex subjects in a way that children will enjoy and comprehend, which includes Pinocchio humiliating Mussolini in a memorable puppeteer performance.
