TL;DR: Pinocchio: Unstrung takes the classic wooden puppet and turns him into a horror villain, but it works better than expected because it actually gives the character some emotion behind the violence - the practical effects are also excellent, Richard Brake is great, but the movie still has some strange choices that hold it back.
The Twisted Childhood Universe Finally Starts To Improve
The idea behind the Twisted Childhood Universe has always been simple - take familiar childhood characters and turn them into horror villains - which on paper, it is the kind of concept that sounds either completely ridiculous or like something that could actually be a lot of fun if the filmmakers put enough effort into it.
With Pinocchio: Unstrung, the franchise finally feels like it is moving in a better direction, but that does not mean this is suddenly some serious, emotional masterpiece about a wooden boy discovering himself, this is still a movie where Pinocchio does some extremely violent things, but underneath all the blood and strange choices, there is also more going on here than just the novelty of seeing a childhood character turned into a killer.
The biggest difference is that the movie actually tries to make the story work around Pinocchio rather than simply using him as a name people recognize, and that makes a big difference because the whole idea of the Twisted Childhood Universe can only go so far if every movie is just another excuse to watch a familiar character cause trouble.
Pinocchio: Unstrung is still weird, messy, and still very much part of this strange horror franchise, but it feels like there is finally more thought behind it.
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A Much Darker Version Of A Familiar Character
The thing that helps Pinocchio: Unstrung the most is that it does not treat actually Pinocchio like a random monster this time, as there is an actual attempt to understand why this version of the character becomes what he becomes, where the movie keeps some of the original ideas from the classic story, especially the desire to become human and understand the world, but takes them somewhere much darker.
That makes Pinocchio more interesting because he is not just walking around doing terrible things for no reason, and we see a sadness behind him, which is a strange thing to say about a horror movie where a wooden puppet is responsible for some pretty brutal moments.
I actually liked that the film keeps some of his innocence intact, as it makes the character feel unpredictable because there is still a part of him that seems curious and almost childlike, even while everything around him becomes increasingly disturbing, and while the movie does not always handle this perfectly, but when it focuses on Pinocchio’s struggle to understand himself, it works fine enough for this type of film.
The Puppet Effects Are The Real Highlight
The best thing about Pinocchio: Unstrung is easily the practical work that went into creating Pinocchio himself - the puppet looks fantastic, and there is a lot of care put into making him feel like something that actually exists in the world of the movie, and that helps every scene he appears in - the movement, expressions, and way he interacts with the actors make him feel much more convincing than he probably would have been if the film had relied completely on CGI.
It is the kind of practical effect work that makes you appreciate the effort behind it because you can see the physical details instead of just watching a digital creation floating around the screen, where the violence also benefits from this approach, because the film is certainly not shy about showing what Pinocchio is capable of, and while some of the kills are clearly designed to make people laugh or cringe, the effects give them much more impact.
Some of the gore is also ridiculous, but that is clearly part of the appeal, as the movie knows exactly what kind of experience it is offering, and it has fun with that, but the CGI is where things become less impressive - Cricket especially does not look anywhere near as good as Pinocchio himself, which is noticeable because the practical effects are so much stronger, so whenever the movie moves away from the puppet, the quality drops a little.
Robert Englund Brings The Fun
Robert Englund’s involvement was always going to get horror fans interested, and he does exactly what you would expect from him, and as Cricket, Englund brings that familiar creepy delivery that has made him such a memorable figure in horror, where he clearly understands the type of movie he is in and has fun with the role.
But the main problem though is that Cricket never feels like a major part of the story, and while he has some entertaining scenes and some good lines, he also feels more like a fun addition rather than someone who truly changes the movie, which is a little disappointing because the idea of a darker version of Cricket could have been one of the most interesting parts of the film - still, Englund brings enough personality to make those scenes enjoyable, even if the character itself could have been used better.
Richard Brake Is The Best Part Of The Cast
Richard Brake is one of those actors who can make almost any role feel unsettling, and he fits perfectly into this movie as Geppetto, where he brings a strange energy that keeps the character interesting, and even when he is not doing much, there is always something about his performance that makes you pay attention - he also gives the film some much-needed weight yoo because the story does occasionally struggle with balancing its darker moments and its more ridiculous ones, and Brake plays the role seriously without making the movie feel like it is taking itself too seriously, which is exactly the right approach for this kind of film.
Cameron Bell also does a solid job as James - the movie gives him a difficult role because he has to carry the emotional side of the story while also being surrounded by a murderous puppet, horror violence, and some very strange situations, but he does it well enough.
Some Choices Make The Movie Harder To Enjoy
Even though Pinocchio Unstrung is a step forward for the franchise, it still has problems - the biggest issue is that the movie cannot always decide what kind of film it wants to be, which is a repeating criticism for this franchise that I have - there are moments where it wants to explore darker ideas about identity and wanting to belong, and then there are scenes that feel like they exist purely because the filmmakers wanted to create a shocking horror moment.
There are also some uncomfortable creative decisions that distract from the stronger parts of the film, where certain scenes feel like they are trying too hard to shock people, and they end up taking attention away from the story and characters, and the dialogue can also be inconsistent - some conversations feel natural and fine, while others sound like they were written mainly to set up a joke or a violent scene.
I do wish these films would embrace one thing or another though, as I think they would be better off for it.
Final Thoughts
Pinocchio: Unstrung is probably the strongest entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe so far, which might not be saying too much, but the practical effects in particular are excellent, and this finally feels like a movie with more going on than just a familiar face covered in blood.
Trailer
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