PAN'S LABYRINTH (2006)

Add Review To List
Add Film To List
Write Your Own Review

"A Fantasy Movie Like No Other."

As you gaze your eyes upon Guillermo del Toro's (Kronos, Hellboy) sixth dark tale, you realise with great discomfort that your not in Kansas any more. Set during the fascist regime in Spain of 1944, the audience is introduced to Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), who's obsession is fairy tales. While traveling with her expecting mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil), to meet and live with her stepfather Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez), who's mission is to wipe out the remaining rebels who hide in the hilltops.

All though Ofelia is fearful of her new surroundings and her new stepfather, she discovers a decrepit labyrinth were a Faun (Doug Jones), named Pan has remained hidden from the outside world.The Faun claims that she is the long lost princess of a once magical kingdom and providing she completes three tasks the world that he belongs too will remain.

As Ofelia faces each challenge such as the disturbing Pale man (Doug Jones from Hellboy and as the Silver Surfer in FF2), we witness her victories as the adults fail with theirs', resulting in dire consequences. Which makes for poignant viewing as each act from all sides cancels out the other right up until the unforgettable final scene.

This is most definitely Guillermo's masterpiece wearing both writer and director hats, each frame indicates that this was labor of love for him and without studio interference it would have not been otherwise possible. Although the fairy tale themes are familiar to viewers with imaginations it's depicted unlike any other fantasy film before it. With a historical back drop which is harsh and at times hard to watch and the fairy tale world which is filled with faeries (finally a proper depiction of faeries and fey lore), a Toad the Pale man and of course Pan in which he's as alluring as he is at times sinister. The fantasy realm is far more attractive to Ofelia despite it's dark overtones and acts as a coping mechanism for her. Giving her the tools to deal with the horrible and stark realities of the human world.

Ivana Baquero's performance is remarkable her Ofelia is the "Alice" of the story but far from being cute and precocious she is a smart but tragic hero. The one performance that at times over shadows Ivana's is Sergi Lopez's Captain Vidal a man consumed by the righteous hand of fascism which is portrayed in several seat cringing moments. While Adriana Gil as Ofelia's mother Carmen a women who's forced into marrying Captain Vidal even though she knows what kind of man he truly is. Also the performances of both Alex Angulo as Dr Ferreiro and Doug Jones as both Pan and Pale man both play there parts with equal importance despite their characters occupying separate realms within the twin plots.

Thanks to Guillermo's adult approach we are treated with another fine example of an adult fairy tale which is becoming a healthy trend in current cinema, some film makers understand that adult viewers want more than just your standard hollywood plot-driven drama. To sum up Pan's Labyrinth would be to describe it as beautiful, haunting, brutal yet unforgettable and an experience unlike any other.