Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

The script contains strong anti-fascist, anti-military, and anti-authoritarian dialogue. Characters discuss the dangers of blind obedience and the foolishness of war. While politically charged, the dialogue remains focused on the historical setting rather than modern progressive buzzwords or identity politics.

The narrative focuses on Pinocchio learning to accept himself as an imperfect individual rather than conforming to rigid societal expectations. While this promotes individual self-expression, it is framed through universal human experiences of love, grief, and family rather than modern intersectional identity politics.

The film presents a noticeable critique of traditional Western institutions. It portrays the local Catholic Church and its priest as conformists who cooperate with a corrupt fascist state. The movie also compares Pinocchio's wooden body to a crucifix, questioning why townspeople worship a wooden Jesus but fear an alive wooden boy.

The film changes the moral of the classic tale. In the original book and Disney movie, Pinocchio must be obedient to become a real boy. Here, disobedience and rebellion are celebrated as positive traits that save others. This subverts the original message, but it is an anti-authoritarian choice rather than a DEI-driven change.

Some conservative and Christian reviewers expressed disappointment with the film's anti-Catholic undertones, pagan spiritual elements, and the rejection of traditional Christian morals. However, there was no major backlash accusing the film of pushing modern progressive or DEI-driven politics.

Auteur Guillermo del Toro has a history of telling stories that sympathize with outsiders and critique traditional power structures, which aligns with the film's themes. The rest of the creative team, including co-director Mark Gustafson and the producers, have neutral, craft-focused records with no political activism.