Pinocchio (2022) is the live-action adaptation of the story of a wooden puppet crafted by Geppetto that comes to life and sets out on a journey to learn what it means to be a real boy. The movie is now streaming on Disney+.
Warning: This article contains heavy spoilers
Plot summary
Jiminy Cricket begins narrating the story of how once upon a time, long ago, he found himself at the doorstep of Geppetto, a wood carver and maker of clocks, toys and oddments.
He goes inside to find Geppetto working on a wooden puppet, talking to himself or his cat, Figaro and his fish, Cleo. Jiminy watches on as Geppetto finishes working on the puppet and names it Pinocchio because it is made of pine wood.
He has a little song and dances with the puppet before the hour becomes late and Geppetto decides to go to bed. Just before he does that, however, he sees a wishing star in the night sky and makes a wish.
The star shines a ray of light onto a picture on Geppetto’s bedside which is redirected towards Pinocchio. Soon after, Pinocchio wakes up and starts moving around, much to the surprise of Jiminy Cricket.
The Blue fairy shows up and tells Pinocchio and Jiminy that the reason he’s alive is that his “father”, Geppetto, made a wish from the bottom of his heart but because he wasn’t exactly clear about what he wants, Pinocchio is still a wooden puppet.
The fairy tells Pinocchio that to become a real boy he must first prove that he is brave, truthful and unselfish by learning to choose between right and wrong. She appoints Jiminy as Pinocchio’s temporary conscience so that he may help the boy in his journey.
She then takes her leave, which wakes up Geppetto. Geppetto walks around the house searching for the source of the noise he heard and is initially shocked when he realizes that Pinocchio has come to life. He is then filled with joy and says that they can now live as a family.
One day, Geppetto decides that it’s time for Pinocchio to go to school and learn about the world. He is reluctant to let him go but wants to see his son go out and experience things for himself. Pinocchio skips off behind the other children headed to school.
On his way, he is stopped by Honest John and Gideon. Honest John is a crooked fox who wants to trick Pinocchio because he believes he will be worth a lot of money to someone. He convinces Pinocchio that he doesn’t need to go to school, he just needs to become famous.
Pinocchio goes along with them but Jiminy, who was sleeping on the job, arrives just in time and sets him back on track. Pinocchio reaches the school but is thrown out by the headmaster. Honest John takes this chance and traps Jiminy before convincing Pinocchio once again that becoming famous is the way to go.
Pinocchio finds himself a part of Stromboli’s travelling troupe of puppeteers. Stromboli is mean and cruel and locks Pinocchio in a cage as he plans to use the wooden boy as his star attraction. He also meets Fabiana who has a marionette named Sabina.
Fabiana tries to help Pinocchio out but Stromboli walks in just before she can. Geppetto worries about where Pinocchio could have gone and he goes out in search of him.
He passes by Jiminy who is still trapped under a glass jar. When Stromboli’s carriage passes by, the jar is knocked over and Jiminy gets on to find Pinocchio. Pinocchio tells him about his performance in front of a crowd and how he didn’t enjoy it but his nose suddenly grows longer.
Jiminy realizes that every time Pinocchio lies, his nose grows longer. Pinocchio uses this to help Jiminy get the key for the lock of his cage. He then tells the truth and sees his nose grow smaller and Jiminy frees him.
They try to rush back home but are picked up at an empty crossroads by a carriage full of children. Leading the carriage is the Coachman and beside him is a boy named Lampwick. They tell Pinocchio that they’re on their way to Pleasure Island, a place with no parents or rules to worry about.
Pinnochio is hesitant to go along with him and looks for Jiminy, his conscience. But the Coachman and Lampwick pressure him into letting go of his conscience and accompanying them to Pleasure Island.
Pinocchio (2022) ending explained in detail:
What happens on Pleasure Island?
Pinocchio and the other children arrive at Pleasure Island and run into a giant amusement park with peculiar rides. Pinocchio and Lampwick get on a boat that takes them through the park as the Coachman hands them a couple of rootbeers.
The children go absolutely wild at the park, destroying everything in sight and behaving very badly. Pinocchio isn’t too happy with what he’s seeing but Lampwick enjoys himself.
Jiminy arrives at Pleasure Island and looks for Pinnochio, who’s playing pool with Lampwick at a salon. Pinnochio notices that none of the other kids are around and wonders where they went.
Jiminy enters the salon and says Pinocchio’s name but Lampwick knocks him down a drain and tells Pinocchio that he was the one who shouted. Jiminy falls down a drain and arrives at a port where the Coachman and a bunch of vapour creatures are loading donkeys onto a boat.
Jiminy realizes that the donkeys are actually all the children who came there. At the same time, Pinocchio and Lampwick start turning into donkeys themselves as the Coachman and his creatures walk in. Pinocchio manages to escape with the help of Jiminy.
Where does Geppetto go?
Geppetto’s search leads him to the coastline where he comes across Sofia the seagull who hands him a flier of Pleasure Island. He learns that Pinocchio is on that island and begins to worry even more.
He sells all his beloved clocks so that he can buy and boat and sail to Pleasure Island with Figaro and Cleo and get Pinocchio back. Pinocchio and Jiminy return home and finds the house empty when Sofia shows up and tells them everything.
What happens to Stromboli?
Pinocchio and Jiminy head out to the coast to look for Geppetto’s boat when Stromboli’s carriage appears. Pinocchio tries to hide but it turns out to be Fabiana and Sabina. Fabiana had told Pinocchio that she and the other puppeteers plan to take control and oust Stromboli and they succeded as he was thrown in jail.
They start their own puppet show and ask Pinocchio if he would like to be their star attraction. Pinocchio is flattered by the offer but says that he must stay and look for his father. Fabiana and Sabina accept his decision and wish him good luck in his search.
What happens to Pinocchio and Geppetto out at sea?
Pinocchio goes out to sea with the help of Sofia as he holds on to a rope with Sofia grabbing the other end and flying straight ahead. Within no time they reach Geppetto who is sailing along in his tiny boat.
Geppetto and Pinocchio are glad to see each other as Pinocchio tells him all about the adventures he had. However, just as they’re about to meet in the middle, Monstro the Whale emerges and swallows Geppetto and Pinocchio.
Pinocchio has an idea of how to get out of Monstro’s mouth and shares it with Geppetto. They make a bonfire inside with the hope that the smoke will force Monstro to open its mouth. They are successful in getting out but Monstro immediately chases after them.
Pinocchio uses his fast feet as a motor to help them escape successfully. They arrive on the coast but Geppetto appears to be unconscious and dying. Pinocchio is sad and begs for Geppetto to wake up, crying real tears in the process. These tears wake Geppetto up.
Geppetto is so proud of how Pinocchio saved them and shows that he truly is brave, truthful and unselfish and exactly the kind of son Geppetto wanted.
Jiminy then narrates the end of the story and Geppetto and Pinnochio head back home. He says that while many wondered whether Pinocchio ever turned into a real boy, in his heart, Pinocchio was as real as any boy who ever lived.
Also Read: ‘Teletubbies’ to get Netflix reboot with Tituss Burgess as narrator