--- title: "Pinocchio: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/pinocchio-2019/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/pinocchio-2019" critics_score: 71 critics_reviews: 14 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Pinocchio (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 71 from 14 reviews: 10 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics welcome Garrone’s Pinocchio as an inventive, warmly affecting retelling that keeps the story’s cruelty in view. Praise centres on the practical effects, wooden-boy prosthetics and strange creature designs, with the blend of poverty and fantasy giving the familiar tale a distinctive setting. Roberto Benigni’s tenderness as Geppetto draws particular approval, while Federico Ielapi earns praise for making Pinocchio complicated and recognisably human beneath his uncanny appearance. Reservations centre on length and storytelling: even sympathetic reviews find the episodes unevenly joined or short on dramatic weight. The spread is mostly positive, though the dissent goes beyond minor complaints. Variety admires the makeup and prosthetics but finds the fragmented narrative weakens the emotion. The Los Angeles Times finds several creatures more off-putting than captivating. Critics also differ over the harshness, seeing either a useful edge to a children’s tale or moral lessons delivered too sternly. ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 14 August 2020. O’Sullivan finds Garrone’s adaptation whimsical, gritty and disturbing yet delightful, despite its excessive length. She especially praises Federico Ielapi’s complicated, star-making performance as Pinocchio. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/pinocchio-review-gritty-live-action-reboot-is-suitable-for-goths-of-all-ages-a4525051.html) ## Little White Lies — Lillian Crawford Rating 3/4/4. 12 August 2020. Crawford praises Garrone’s adaptation as a dreamlike, emotionally resonant retelling that outshines the competing versions. She singles out its candy-coloured world and inventive practical effects as a visual feast. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/pinocchio) ## Sight and Sound — John Bleasdale Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 January 2020. The review praises Garrone’s faithful yet distinctive retelling, grounded in a harsh world where care for one another becomes a means of survival. It especially singles out the practical effects and Roberto Benigni’s tender, emotionally resonant performance. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/pinocchio-review-matteo-garrone-carves-classic-tale-into-something-new) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Deborah Young Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2019. The review praises Garrone’s adaptation as a landmark that brings genuine emotion to Collodi’s dark story, though it finds the film a little long. It singles out the blend of realistic 19th-century Italian poverty and dreamy fantasy, along with Benigni’s emotionally deep performance as Geppetto. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pinocchio-1264602/) ## Empire — Alex Godfrey Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2020. Godfrey finds the film charming and heartfelt, though its episodic structure leaves it lacking dramatic weight. He especially praises the convincing wooden-Pinocchio prosthetics and the film’s vivid creature designs. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pinocchio-2020/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B. 23 February 2020. Festival review. Kohn finds Garrone’s adaptation delightful and strange, though its uneven opening and rough transitions keep it from digging deeply into the material. He praises its imaginative practical effects and surreal, gothic visuals. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/pinocchio-review-matteo-garrone-berlinale-1202213083/) ## Slant Magazine — Dan Rubins Rating 3/4. 21 December 2020. Rubins finds Garrone’s adaptation quirky and warmly affecting, while noting that its moral lessons can feel overly harsh. He praises the tender friendship between Pinocchio and the Fairy, alongside the warmth of the father-son reunion. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/pinocchio-review-matteo-garrone/) ## The Guardian — Simran Hans Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2020. Hans finds the retelling mesmerisingly creepy and suggests its harsh world makes becoming human seem nearly impossible. She praises Pinocchio’s uncanny appearance and the humanity he radiates. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/15/pinocchio-review-matteo-garrone-creepy-live-action) ## The i Paper — Nick Hasted Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2020. Hasted finds the film an engrossing, lovingly crafted spectacle. He especially praises Garrone’s eye for bizarre and ironic details that spark children’s imaginations. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/pinocchio-review-garrone-engrossing-spectacle-579091) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is available from the accessible text. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/pinocchio-movie-review-2022) ## Screen Daily — Lee Marshall Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2019. The review body is behind a paywall, so its verdict is not available. The accessible page does not reveal what the critic singled out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/pinocchio-review/5145660.article) ## Los Angeles Times — Gary Goldstein Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2020. The critic finds the adaptation flawed but engaging, and questions the need for another version of the story. The grotesque prosthetic creature designs stand out, though many characters feel more off-putting than captivating. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-12-24/pinocchio-review-roberto-benigni) ## Variety — Jay Weissberg Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2019. Weissberg finds the film enchanting but subdued, with a fragmented story that weakens its emotional core. He praises the imaginative makeup and prosthetics, especially the Snail, Judge, and Tuna. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/pinocchio-review-roberto-benigni-1203451504/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2020. Wilkinson finds the adaptation inventive, appealing, and well suited to children. She praises its off-kilter world and balances its occasional scares against a reassuring sense that Pinocchio is protected. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/pinocchio-2019-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/pinocchio-2019.md