Although gorgeous, "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" has too many restrictions.

Simply calling it "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" makes it clear that this stop-motion animated film represents the director's sharp eye and distinctive visual style, with a fair amount of revisionism and reinvention baked in. However, despite its beauty, some of those narrative elements fall flat, leaving a film that is aesthetically pleasing but uneven in its plot.

This "Pinocchio" begins with a prologue about Geppetto (voiced by David Bradley of "The Strain") losing his small son, leaving him not only alone but grieving. This "Pinocchio" seeks deeper emotional resonance and adopts a darker, perhaps not for kids tone. The anthropomorphic cricket (Ewan McGregor) who usually tells the story is now a traveling novelist who serves as the wooden boy's conscience.

Gregory Mann's Pinocchio (who more closely resembles a creature carved out of wood than the puppet from the Disney classic), whose shadow casts a wide net across this performance, proves to be yet another intriguing stylistic decision. The inclusion of songs into the narrative is maybe del Toro's worst mistake, even though he frequently cuts them off, which would indicate a lack of confidence for that particular element.

Once more, a fairy (Tilda Swinton) tries to lessen Geppetto's sorrow by bringing the wooden kid to life, calling him a "sad, heartbroken man." When the little boy starts off on a series of terrifying adventures, including his connection with a puppet show whose owner, Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz), is so terrifyingly different from Stromboli that the old father initially declares, "You're not my son!" he eventually changes his mind.

Around that time, del Toro—who shares directorial credit with animator Mark Gustafson—begins to make it seem like he's determined to link this "Pinocchio" to bigger, more complex issues. He places the story in Italy during Mussolini's ascent and depicts other young boys being conscripted into the fascist dictatorship. It's an intriguing, if ultimately confusing, departure that grounds a fantasy-themed drama in somber historical fact.

Given his track record, it should come as no surprise that del Toro does better in terms of developing a rich visual framework, with the fairy and the sea monster recalling the creativity of his seminal picture "Pan's Labyrinth" through an animated filter.

Interestingly, this adaptation of the tale comes after Tom Hanks-starring Disney+'s live-action version, which unintentionally gave the word "wooden" a workout. Del Toro's interpretation is significantly more intriguing, but it is not without flaws, leading one to wonder if it would have been better to leave the 1942 masterpiece alone.

The goal was obviously to create a film that isn't your grandfather's "Pinocchio," and del Toro, who also contributed to the recent Netflix anthology "Cabinet of Curiosities," has succeeded in this endeavor.

Undoubtedly, "Pinocchio" has its moments. However, any praise comes with some conditions, depriving it of the constant sensation of awe that would qualify as a dream come true. This is in addition to fulfilling the streaming giant's goal for another flagship attraction carved from a cherished property.

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