Movie Review: Pan's Labyrinth

This movie starts slow, but by the end I was swept away by its heart and emotion. The best way I can describe this film is as a dark, grim and haunting fairy tale set in Spain in 1944 after Franco's victory. Our main character, Ofelia, is the daughter of a pregnant woman, who are both travelling to live her new husband in rural Spain. Her new husband is the ruthless, fascist leader of a small squad determined to take out the rest of the remaining dissidents. Without giving away any more details, Pan's Labyrinth tells the story of Ofelia, who, attracted by a fairy gets led to this new fantastical world. Ofelia faces many trials and tribulations, both in her real life and said fantastical world.

The young Ivana Baquero plays Ofelia perfectly, in a role, that if miscast, would have ruined the movie. Thankfully she proves she has the acting chops, alongside a very powerful and intimidating cast. Most standout is the husband, Captain Vidal played almost too convincingly by Sergi Lopez. He is so ruthless that he gives Hitlet a run for his money. Maribel Verdu is also very effective as Mercedes, one of Vidal's personal servants.

About writer/director Guillermo Del Toro, here's a guy who loves films and knows how to make them. It's pretty clear when you watch the extras for his other movies like Blade II and Hellboy that this man has a deep passion for filmmaking that very, very few people on this earth have. The way he talks just exudes enthusiasm to the nth degree. Blade II and Hellboy were just warmups for him. They are almost like his test films to show the world, "Hey, I can make a cool movie." And someone, somewhere must have seen them and reacted, "Hey, he can make a cool movie!" Both Hellboy and Blade II had the hallmarks of a director who had a great vision and knew what he was doing. They were great films, Pan's Labyrinth, or El Laberinto del Fauno as it is named in its original language, is his magnum opus.

Also of note is the score, by Javier Navarrete, which I'm listening to while typing this. While the movie is dark and grim, not all of his music is. There are some very beautiful melodies with an almost lullabic-quality (Is lullabic even a real word?).

People tend to avoid subtitled movies like the plague, and if you're one of these people, I feel sorry for you, because even if you watch this movie dubbed, you will lose a lot of the magic.

One warning about this film. This film is not filled end-to-end with violence, but it does happen occasionally, and when it does happen, it can be really cringe-inducing and head-turning. Just a heads up for those of you who may not know what to expect.

The more I think about this movie, the more I love it. I look forward to watching this again on DVD or HD DVD or Blu-ray or VHS or Beta or whatever it takes, I just can't wait to see it again.

Besides the aforementioned Blade II and Hellboy, those who enjoy Pan's will also enjoy The Devil's Backbone, one of Del Toro's early films.