Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

 Great Dark Fairyale
I loved this film the first time I saw it, and even more on Blu-ray! I read other reviews stating that the Blu-ray release is "soft" but I don't find this to be the case with my IF7210 projector. It looks amazing on my 110" screen. I have Blu-rays that are REALLY soft, like "Day of the Dead" and "Evil Dead II" (especially the latter). May 11, 2008

 Excellent Movie
This is a dark and beautiful work of fantasy, and I would recommend it to anyone who liked Lord of the Rings or similar. It has an incredible cast, but is not for the faint-hearted. There is some really graphic violence in the movie. May 9, 2008

 El Laberinto del Fauno
Director Guillermo del Toro's film Pan's Labyrinth (as it is called in the U.S.) is more than just another fantasy film. It's a thematically complex fairy tale for adults. And it may be the most profound and personal film of the Mexican director's career.
The story is set in 1944, in Spain where the fascists still hold sway over the people. Amidst this turmoil a young girl and her pregnant mother are leaving behind their home, their former lives and going to live with the mother's new husband, the fascist El Capitan. The girl finds that she can only survive through the use of her imagination, but the fairy tale world to which she escapes turn out to be more real than the world in which she is trapped. She stumbles onto an ancient ruinous labyrinth and in its center is a pit that serves as a doorway between the "real" world and the "fantasy" world. Living deep within this pit is the faun, an ambiguous and immortal creature. He tells the girl that she is a princess and a goddess, that she does not belong to our cruel and violent world, and that if she is to return her own she must first complete three extraordinary tasks. Meanwhile her mother suffers from complications of her pregnancy, and the Captain's command is under threat by the Socialist resistance, whose band is camped in the surrounding forests. Soon all of these elements collide and destinies are revealed.
Guillermo's film is easily the most visually spectacular film of 2006 and is rich in detail. He brilliantly uses the screen as a painter would use a canvas and every color that he chooses has particular meaning, every shadow hides within it a mystery, and every light serves as beacon for hope. The visual effects and the cinematography are amazing. The world of magic is vividly brought to life in gold, red, yellow and orange. The other world, our world, is disturbingly cold in black, gray, blue and green. But as the two worlds affect each other the color palettes begin to mix.
As director he also references other works of fantasy, both in literature and in film, and uses thematic components of countless fairy tales. The film could almost be seen as one part Anne Frank and one part Alice in Wonderland. The themes that are dealt with are truly universal: the importance of innocence, the power of sacrifice, the perils of ambition, the corrupting qualities of obsession, betrayal and doubt, but most prominently transcendence through selflessness. The characters are simple archetypes but the performances are complex and multi-faceted. The story is timeless, a truly modern fairy tale.
Although a fairy tale it's definitely not for children. It deals with the darker aspects of humanity and the loss of childhood innocence. There are numerous scenes of graphic violence and most of the fantastical creatures would give children nightmares. It's quite obvious that this film is for adults once you've seen a man's face crushed with a bottle. This is an R-rated film; it's not Harry Potter or even The Lord of the Rings. It's Pan's Labyrinth.
So if you aren't easily frightened maybe you might just take a journey through its winding passages, discover its mysteries, breathe in its poetry and find yourself lost in its vision.

* If the film intrigues you, be sure to view the special features found on disc two of the 2-disc Platinum Series Edition. May 9, 2008

 Shame on me for not watching it sooner!
I purchased this movie months ago and it sat on a shelf. The first time I tried to watch it, I realized it was in Spanish with English subtitles and I quickly returned it to the shelf to save for a rainy day.

Shame on me.

Pan's Labyrinth is a magical tale of heartbreak, pride and resurrection. A spectacular film with beautiful cinematography and effects, superb actors and a magnificent audio track combine for one of the finest films I have seen to date. It's a shame that I did not watch it sooner.

Do not let this movie's language discourage you. It is well worth your time to read every bit of the subtitles.

A fine addition to any film collection. May 3, 2008

 Fairy tale for adults
This was my favorite movie of last year, and one of my all-time favorite movies. It gave me an experience in the theater that I can truly say I never had before. This is a gem of a movie from a gem of a talent in Guillermo del Torro. This guy is no Bull. Neither is the movie. Watch it if you have not already. Send the kids to bed, though. Notice the "R" rating. I can't tell you how many people said they took their kids to see this in the theater. Bad idea. This movie deals with a complexity of emotion and topic beyond the average high schooler much less a 10-year-old. May 3, 2008

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