Pan's Labyrinth

Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Doug Jones,
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) moves with her mother (Ariadna Gil) who has remarried a very cruel general. To escape from the horrors, she finds herself in a universe filled with many strange and wonderful creatures.

Review:

Tim: After all the heaps of praise bestowed upon this movie by critics, I expected to be blown away. While I truly enjoyed the movie, I feel as it was slightly overrated. Now, sure, you rarely ever get an adult fairy tale like this. This is a "fairy tale," but it is R rated for good reason- there are some truly gruesome scenes (the pistol to the face is gross enough to make you shield your eyes). This is a film that is not eas to watch. THe fantasy scenes are impressive, but the scenes showing reality are the ones that stick with us long after the conclusion of the film.

This is one of the film's strengths- we are teetered back and forth between fantasy and reality. The reality we see is so harsh and so disturbing that we honestly understand why young Ofelia would create such a fantasy world to escape her life. But, as fantasy often mirrors reality, her world is a dark, twisted, quite scary one. Fairies transform out of gross insects, Ofelia battles subterranean toads and eye-less monsters, and eventually, confronts her own mortality as her two worlds collide into one.

Pan's Labyrinth is impressive for several reasons. One, it tells a very grown-up story without pulling any punches. The little girl is caught up in a terrible world, and we see the extent of the damage done by evil men. The limitations come because the fantasy world is more interesting than the real one, and we desperately wish for more of this.

Pan's Labyrinth is not the landmark film that some have claimed, but it is still a powerful, memorable film that will not be forgotten for a long while.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Children of Men, Hellboy, Cronicas