Film Review : Pinocchio Unstrung (2026)

In the world of Poohniverse films Pinocchio Unstrung will stand out as not only the best but a genuinely shockingly good film.

In short here we follow a grandfather named Gepetto who is said to create a puppet like being named Pinocchio for his grandson James to help with James’ traumatic past. Soon though Pinocchio takes it upon himself to go after anyone he could see as harmful or who has done wrong to James.

The story here shockingly works so well. James’, as expected almost, breaks a simple rule that leads to all out chaos before a final act that delves even deeper into the world of crazy. We get a twisted version of Pinocchio attempting to become a real boy with the help of a talking Cricket and a Woodmother.

Once things get rolling here they move fast and viciously. The film is heavy on the gore in brutal fashions and seemingly almost all practical. Blood spills, skin is gone, and Pinnocchio has a mean streak in him. The puppet cuts one liners in a way that would make Freddy Kruger smirk and the film has a mean angle to it that feels fitting.

The real shining force here is Pinocchio himself. The puppet is entirely animatronic and feels so real, detailed, and truly there in every frame. The fact that he was there being moved makes the kills feel even grosser at points knowing the roughness of his wooden skin and the size of him. Even in moments when there is CGI used with scenes like the Cricket they feel done to such a high standard that it just works. For a movie that was done on roughly a budget of 2.5 million they really put blood, sweat, and tears into this.

Even the acting though works so well here. Genre legend Richard Brake plays the godfather fantastic and the final act really lets him shine. Robert Englund, another film legend, has fun with Cricket and makes the role his own. The children themselves don’t fall into the annoying category either that plagues films like this.

Is the film a masterpiece, of course not, but it never tries to be. It knows how insane the premise is and plays well on that making it go even crazier. With great effects and an insanely detailed puppet though the film ends up being just a ton of fun to watch.

Score :

3.5 / 5