January 22nd, 2007 by Brent
Director Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, is a film that I have been waiting awhile to see. Described as a fairy tale for adults, it released in select cities on December 29th. I was hopeful, but unsure if it would make it to St. Louis and other cities. Luckily, this past weekend, the film opened to a wider release and I was able to experience this fairy tale for myself.
The film is set in post-war Spain where a young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother travel to live with Ofiela's ruthless stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). Captain Vidal commands a small army focused on eradicating a small band of rebels in the forests of Northern Spain. It is during this time that Ofelia stumbles upon a timeworn labyrinth and it's keeper, the faun, Pan.
Pan (Doug Jones) informs Ofelia that she is the lost princess of another world and that by completing a series of tasks, she can regain entry to that world. As Ofelia sets out on her tasks, the conflict between the guerillas begins to rise, her mother begins to have complications with her pregnancy, and the tasks themselves become more perilous.
The performances in the film are outstanding, in particular the 12-year-old Ivana Baquero as Ofelia and Sergi Lopez as Captain Vidal, but major props should go to Dave Jones and his work with Pan and The Pale Man as well.
Del Toro creates a beautiful and eerie world filled with frightening creatures and whimsical imagery. The fairy tale world and the real world, although different, blend together beautifully. Both worlds are harsh though and Del Toro doesn't go soft when it comes to violence. There are some graphic scenes and while it is a fairy tale, it is most definitely one for adults.
Pan's Labyrinth is truly a great film.
| Quick Review | |
|---|---|
| Plot/Storyline A great story in which a young girl finds an escape from the real world in a fairytale. |
9.5 |
| Acting/Characters Wonderful acting from everyone. Ivana Baquero as Ofelia and Sergi Lopez as Captain Vidal are the standouts. |
9.5 |
| Visuals/Sound Amazing scenery, an eerily beautiful fairy tale world filled with frightening creatures. |
10 |
| Replay One of the best films to have been released in 2006. I can't wait to see it again. |
9.5 |
| Overall Rating: | 9.5 |
| All scores are out of 10. Overall score is not an average. | |
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