Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

X An excellent must-see
O Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else

Review by Jason Pyles / May 15, 2007

Please note that “Pan’s Labyrinth” is not a children’s movie; it has been called “a fairy tale for adults.” In any case, “Pan’s Labyrinth” is a remarkable film.

You should also know that “Pan’s Labyrinth” is filmed in Spanish with English subtitles. (Some people have an aversion to foreign films for this reason.) And even though it’s edited, this movie is still fairly violent, including shootings, beatings, stabbings and mild violence toward a child.

Set in war-torn Spain, 1944, “Pan’s Labyrinth” tells the story of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), an 11-year-old girl whose widowed mother recently married a ruthless military captain.

Ofelia lives in two worlds: the unhappy misery of her new home amid warring soldiers, and she’s somehow drawn into a magical, fairy-tale-like realm. A creepy fawn tells Ofelia that she is actually the princess of an underworld king (not Satan), but she must complete three quests before the next full moon to regain her throne.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” shows us how the young girl struggles to negotiate both of her dangerous worlds. The truly fascinating element of the movie is determining whether Ofelia’s fairy tale world actually exists or is merely a traumatized little girl’s imaginary coping mechanism.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Ivana Baquero / Sergi Lopez / Maribel Verdu
112 min. Drama / Fantasy
(Original MPAA rating: R)
Edited version age recommendation: 17 and up

DVD release date: May 15, 2007
Copyright 2007.
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