Read update
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio won Best Animated Feature at the 95th Academy Awards Ceremony, cementing it as the best Pinocchio movie ever made (which fans on IMDb still agree with). Del Toro also made Oscars history by being the first person to ever win an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Animated Feature.
At least three films based on the classic story about the wooden boy were released this year. The remake of Disney's Pinocchio (1940) and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio on Netflix both received popular streaming releases, the latter of which receiving acclaim from critics. Of course, audiences mustn't forget the animated Pinocchio: A True Story also released this year.
But with the 140th anniversary of the talking puppet approaching next year, these are far from the only adaptations. Like most characters of such an age, there will be some that are a must-watch and others that don't necessarily warrant compulsory viewing. It's the perfect time to explore the last 140 years of Pinocchio and see where IMDb ranks the Disney film as well as the other more unique Pinocchio versions.
Updated on March 14, 2023, by Hannah Saab:
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio won Best Animated Feature at the 95th Academy Awards Ceremony, cementing it as the best Pinocchio movie ever made (which fans on IMDb still agree with). Del Toro also made Oscars history by being the first person to ever win an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Animated Feature.
10 'Pinocchio' (2015)
IMDb Rating: 4.8/10
One of the first versions of the story that mixes live-action and CGI animation, the Czech Pinocchio stars Igor Ondricek as Geppetto and Samuel Sadovnik as the voice of Pinocchio. It is also notable for having a gender-swapped version of the cricket, named Coco.
The special effects, using CGI, allowed the film to create a cartoony and pleasing-to-the-eyes portrayal of the famous puppet. Though it was mainly aimed at children, according to critics, it seems most audiences no matter their age didn't bother giving this one much thought after viewing it.
9 'Pinocchio' (2022)
IMDb Rating: 5.0/10
Disney takes a big swing and a miss with 2022's Pinocchio, directed by Robert Zemeckis in what was supposed to be a live-action remake of the company's 1940 classic. Tom Hanks voices Geppetto, and not much else is different when it comes to the story of the wooden puppet and his wish to become a real boy.
Criticized for being bland, unnecessary, and unimaginative, Pinocchio is ultimately a forgettable and disappointing film that received scathing reviews from both critics and fans. It also doesn't help that it came out in the same year as del Toro's now-Oscar-winning masterpiece, which wowed audiences with its wholly original take on the tale.
8 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' (1996)
IMDb Rating: 5.2/10
Most adaptations of the story before The Adventures of Pinocchio either used makeup or animation to bring the character to the screen. This film is notable for being one of the few that used puppetry albeit with varying results, as the final puppet does look a tad creepy. There's a reason why Child's Play and Annabelle make such popular horror films. CGI was used in certain aspects of the movie as well.
This version is often noted for being more faithful to the original novel than most others. Unfortunately, this didn't help the film be nearly as entertaining as previous adaptations were, not to mention the popular Disney version. It turned out a bit too dull, but it did spawn a sequel, The New Adventures of Pinocchio.
7 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' (1911)
IMDb Rating: 5.8/10
It's worth noting that The Adventures of Pinocchio was the first film adaptation of the story to be completed and is a silent film. Unfortunately, as with quite a lot of films from that era, some parts of the movie have been lost.
As it is a silent film, the actors had to be more physical so that there was actually something happening onscreen. This resulted in one of the more comical interpretations of Pinocchio, changing quite a bit of the story to fit the technology and the audience at the time. It may still entertain cinephiles who are curious to see the earliest depiction of the popular story.
6 'Pinocchio' (2012)
IMDb Rating: 6.0/10
Enzo D'Alò's underrated European animated adventure Pinocchio made the rounds in film festivals a decade ago. This version was released originally in Italian but received an English dub soon after, which included the voice of Jon Heder.
Beautifully animated and wonderfully cheerful, it was praised in its festival run. Being a fully animated film, it was able to provide entertainment while still providing familiar story elements audiences knew Pinocchio for. It's a vibrant and entertaining take on the classic story, and easy enough to share with kids and family.
5 'Pinocchio' (2019)
IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
Even though Pinocchio is considered a children's story, more and more people are considering the original story too dark for children nowadays. And so we're starting to see more adaptions geared more towards adults like director Matteo Garrone's Pinocchio.
Garrone carefully made sure that every aspect of this faithful adaptation was made so that it could be taken seriously by adult audiences. It was also praised for being able to delicately portray emotions and thought-provoking themes that may have not been possible in a film geared toward children.
4 'Pinocchio' (1971)
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
A lesser-known animated film, 1971's Pinocchio is the darkest and most faithful animated film adaptation. Unlike most of the animated versions including the Disney film, Pinocchio is portrayed as a rotten child who eventually learns of his flaws. Some of the darker elements from the original story are present in this film, including Pinocchio killing the cricket.
Even though the filmmakers of this Italian animation didn't have the budget of a Disney film, great care was taken in the animation. Pinocchio's design and little mannerisms were carefully constructed to make the emotions as authentic as possible.
3 'Pinocchio' / 'Turlis Abenteuer' (1967)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
In the years of East Germany came the film Pinocchio / Turlis Abenteuer. Part puppet show, part live-action film, it used a real marionette puppet interacting with actors. Martin Flörchinger portrays Geppetto, reacting to the swinging puppet he shares the scenes with.
This theatrical production includes elements not found in other adaptations like more than one talking puppet for instance. The production value does suffer with regard to the limited music, picture quality, and lack of moving parts in the marionettes, but some audiences have been able to still enjoy it.
2 'Pinocchio' (1940)
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Few films can survive immense popularity for over 70 years and Disney achieves this again and again. But there aren't many in the Disney catalog as iconic as 1940's Pinocchio. The changes Disney made to the character and overall story would inspire countless other adaptations and ensure it became a classic in its own right.
Boasting an incredible 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, it proves that if done right, stories like Pinocchio's are just timeless. The film resulted in the character of Jiminy Cricket making several more appearances in Disney media and adding classic songs to Disney's ever-growing collection.
1 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' (2022)
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
A bold and dark reimagining, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is the only fully stop-motion film to earn a remarkably high score on IMDb. After almost a decade of trying to get this darker adaptation off the ground, Netflix finally agreed to finance it and this year, it was released to critical acclaim.
Del Toro stuck to his guns, always saying that it needed to be stop-motion, regardless of budget. The result is a visually stunning display of cinematic entertainment that takes the emotional elements of the source material and expands them. This version proudly stands at the top as a one-of-a-kind presentation and labor of love.