Movie review
November 9, 2022 · 117 min · PG
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
The movie drops Pinocchio into Mussolini’s fascist Italy and keeps hitting the anti-fascist message hard. It flips the classic “obey and be good” lesson into “disobey bad authority is a virtue” with scenes of fascist youth camps, propaganda, and Pinocchio straight-up mocking the regime. The cast and look fit the 1930s Italian setting perfectly with zero forced diversity or modern identity lectures. Even anti-woke reviewers called it “not woke” — the politics are there but it’s old-school anti-authoritarian stuff, not the usual Hollywood agenda.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.
Woke representation / casting
Natural voice casting and character designs fit the historical Italian setting with no forced diversity or audience-visible signaling.
Woke political dialogue
Recurring anti-fascist lines and scenes push disobedience to authority as the hero’s path.
Identity-driven story themes
No modern race, gender, or queer identity arcs; focus stays on literal puppet individuality and family.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Fascism, militarism, and blind conformity form the core backdrop and villain system.
Woke character or canon changes
Thematic flip of the original obedience moral into anti-authoritarian disobedience, publicly discussed by del Toro.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No backlash claiming it pushes woke identity politics; anti-woke sources confirm it is not woke.
Creator track record context
Del Toro’s repeated use of anti-fascist themes in prior films provides supporting context.
Production
