"Pinocchio"

This stop-motion animation, written and produced by Guillermo del Toro, is not for the youngest kids. It is dark and has much more in common with "Pans Labyrinth" than Disney's classic.

Pinocchio is a spiky, tree-limbed, knotty, and naughty boy. He is sweet but feckless, a challenge to keep on the right track. The Blue Fairy gave that job to Sebastion J. Cricket, who lives in the trunk of the tree that became the trunk of Pinocchio.

The story takes place in Italy; however, it is Benito Mussolini's fascist Italy, a hard place to be a living puppet. Pinocchio wants to be good, like Geppetto's la...