Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” proves animated movies are not just for children.

The stop-motion take on the classic fairy tale directed by del Toro and Mark Gustafson hit Netflix Friday, Dec. 9, after a limited release in theaters. The film’s animation and mature themes intriguingly mix a children’s fairytale with a violent political drama. Still, the lackluster story elements are a source of distraction.

Hollywood has recently seen various renditions of Carlo Collodi’s novel “The Adventures of Pinocchio,” from the 1940 Disney classic to Robert Zemeckis’ 2022 live-action failure. Not many have been as well-received as del Toro’s, largely because of the effort put into this picture’s detail.

According to Netflix, the stop-motion took 940 days to shoot — and it paid off in some brilliant animation. The opening scene is strikingly realistic to the eye, from the grass swaying in the wind to the plop of the hair on Pinocchio’s father, Geppetto. Each scene brings bright colors to the screen that are fun to look at.

The film, set in Italy around the time of the World Wars, is initially youthful in nature as it shows a warm montage of Geppetto’s memories of his time with his son, Carlo, before World War I. This is the most fairytale-like “Pinocchio” feels, though, as it quickly turns unexpectedly violent in nature with the onset of the war and the rise of fascism in the town that brings on brutal deaths and a much more depressing tone. 

Parents, do not be fooled: This may be an animated fairy tale, but it is not what you and your kids may expect from the traditional story. 

The political commentary is del Toro’s twist on the classic tale that is quite appealing to a more mature audience. Del Toro tackles the effects of fascism with Podestà, the local leader dressed in Italian military uniform with a red armband. Podestà is a fascist warmonger who is nicely written as he recruits Pinocchio to the military and suspiciously notes him, as “an independent thinker, I suggest.”

The film as a whole is a unique critique of fascism and war that perfectly uses Pinocchio and Candlewick, Podestà’s son, as tools for revolution and anti-fascist efforts. The film satirically portrays Italian World War II dictator Benito Mussolini as a short and fat man, and thus allows Pinocchio to mock him.

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On a lighter note, the addition of Ewan McGregor’s narration and voicing of Sebastian J. Cricket is loveable. His character was a nice way to execute and explain the heartfelt lessons of the story, but he is used too much as comedic relief. The film also relies too heavily on slapstick comedy with his character, and it becomes lousy and distracting.

Similarly, the film’s soundtrack had the right idea but was very weak. It is indeed a musical fantasy film, but the songs seem lazily written and doused in autotune. Composers could have brought more emotion to the film, but really missed the mark with poor lyricism and creativity.

Nonetheless, after — spoiler alert, if you’ve somehow never heard the tale of Pinocchio before — Carlo’s death, the pacing of Geppetto and Pinocchio’s relationship was flawless. As the two grow closer, their connection becomes a lesson of cherishing love, savoring life, and valuing family that all ages can enjoy.

Pinocchio himself as a protagonist is still rather hard to like. Where films sway audiences to want protagonists like Luke Skywalker or Spider-Man to succeed, Pinocchio is adorably youthful and naive but so annoying in his constant betrayal of Geppetto. It is hard for a film to succeed if audiences do not adore its main character, but Pinocchio’s highlight comes in terms of lessons to Geppetto about the fruits of a father-son relationship.

Christoph Waltz shines, on the other hand, with the villainous Count Volpe who brings hilarious life to the story. He is another creatively written character, exemplified by his reference to Pinocchio as “my little fire hazard.”

The ending of “Pinocchio” was heartwarming with the emotional final conversation between the Wood Sprite, the Talking Cricket, and Geppetto. It calmly ties the overarching themes all into one, especially after the chaotic prior sequence of the characters’ repeated escapes from the Dogfish that just felt lackluster and distracted from what could have been a smoother ending to the film.

Altogether, Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” shows viewers of all ages the meaning of life, but its political comments prove animation is not just a children’s medium for storytelling. Watch it over winter break with your family, but expect a darker tone than prior renditions.