Pinocchio

Pinocchio's ultimate transformation from puppet to human boy lacks much of the transcendence inherent in the parable, and thus the film never moves beyond its wooden machinations.

Get our your handkerchiefs for this gorgeous, live-action take from Italy on the Disney animated classic, starring Oscar winner Roberto Benigni as Geppetto, the woodcutter who builds a puppet to replace the son he never had.

It has the makings of a stealth classic.

Fairy tales have always held the threat of darkness as punishment for misbehavior, and this "Pinocchio" is no exception.

This new cinematic imagining of Carlo Collodi's classic fantasy tale is alternately enchanting and befuddling.

Matteo Garrone's adaptation of Carlo Collodi's story trembles with corporeal strangeness and unpredictability.

Garrone's take is darker than Uncle Walt's, but like Disney, he imbues his take with a reliable sense of wonder. As a result, Pinocchio's path away from being a literal blockhead is delightful.

The visuals are inventive, though not as spectacularly scary as Disney's depiction of the fish as Monstro the whale.

... boasts picturesque landscapes but some curiously detached storytelling while attempting to capture the darker aspects of the familiar source material.

Those accustomed to the softness of previous takes might be overwhelmed by this picture, which is imaginatively made with amazing technical achievements, but not an endeavor that touches the heart.