GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO, on Netflix, contains familiar characters, but offers a new take on the classic story. Set during Benito Mussolini’s reign in Italy, Geppetto constructs a wooden boy after the war kills his son, Carlo. Geppetto wakes up and discovers Pinocchio has come to life after a woodland sprite visits. In his grief, Geppetto believes Pinocchio will never replace Carlo. Naive to the outside world’s dangers, Pinocchio is captured by an evil circus manager trying to profit off him. Desiring to prove his worth to Geppetto, Pinocchio embarks on a journey with the circus across Italy.
