Anyone who was tickled by an evil Pooh Bear may get a kick out of an evil Pinocchio, but the director’s so-called Twisted Childhood Universe remains a pretty old-hat idea, not mined here with any great daring.

The screenplay by the writer-director Rhys Frake-Waterfield is littered with nonsequiturs. The performances are horribly stilted.

I dislike less than the other ones.

Pinocchio Unstrung is the first time this universe feels like it's fully embracing the silly fun that is inherent to the concept. It doesn't shy away from nasty gore but you'll have a crooked smile throughout.