Netflix viewers 'never knew' childhood classic could 'be so dark' as 'pure genius' remake is released

The one thing you can generally bank on with a Disney movie is that it will almost certainly leave you feeling better about the world.

That's not to say that they don't deal with heavy subject matter or they're light-hearted and jolly the whole way through, but there's always a pay off at the end.

I mean,The Lion King just wouldn't work if Mufasa isn't brutally killed by his brother Scar, would it?

There has to be some kind of pain or adversity to overcome for the story to be a success.

But one of Disney's classic films has been reimagined for Netflix, and viewers are saying that it's darker than they could ever have expected.

You can watch the trailer below:

Hellboy director Guillermo del Toro’s stop-motion animation version of Pinocchio has taken the story in a different direction to both the 1940 animation and Tom Hanks' 2022 live-action version.

This time round, the story is set in 1930s during the rise of fascism in Benito Mussolini's Italy.

The synopsis reads: "Drawing on the classic Carlo Collodi tale, this stop motion musical follows the extraordinary journey of a wooden boy magically brought to life by a father’s wish.

Netflix

"Set during the rise of fascism in Mussolini’s Italy, del Toro’s Pinocchio is a story of love and disobedience as Pinocchio struggles to live up to his father’s expectations."

Since it landed on the streaming site, fans have been raving about it.

But they've also noted that it really wasn't what they were expecting.

"I never knew the story of Pinocchio could be so dark," said one viewer. "I haven't shed tears like that since The Woman King.

"Disney should watch the Netflix version and just be ashamed of themselves."

Netflix

Another commented: "Wow wow!!! Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio on Netflix ... PURE GENIUS!! Incredible stop motion, his take on the story, some great life lessons in there too.

"Dark in places, but totally fits with the film. A must see, to appreciate how brilliant it is. Thank you."

"We’ve watched Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio today," put a third. "It’s a dark and very emotional take on the story. Really enjoyed it, nice to just stop and do nothing."

While someone else added: "Streaming right now on @netflix is @RealGDT’s #PINOCCHIO & it is a MUST SEE! Absolutely brilliant & full of heart, maturity and incredible imagination! I was absolutely blown away! A masterpiece, the one to beat for ANIMATED FEATURE & deserves to be nominated for BEST PICTURE!"

Pinocchio is available to watch on Netflix now.

Topics: TV and Film, Netflix, US News

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom