Absolutely unnecessary violence

Rating: 3/10 (13 August 2010)

This Spanish-Mexican film, also known by the title 'Pan's Labyrinth' (nothing to do with Peter Pan, in case you're thinking that because of the "Pan"), is not what it seems. This films fools anyone who is expecting a fantasy film. It happened to me. I didn't hear about this movie until some time before I watched it.
Despite me not knowing very well what to expect from it, I expected a movie of fantasy and magic. Something in the line of 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Labyrinth' but better than 'Labyrinth'. But it ended up not being anything of what I imagined. And not in the good sense...
Aside some beautiful backgrounds/landscapes and a relatively well made labyrinth, most of the movie is horrible. It is violent in the maximum sense of the word. No kidding. It's not a movie with just one or another brief scene of violence. There is brutal violence in many scenes. It's too much and that is something unacceptable on a movie like this. I wasn't prepared for the excessive violence in this movie and wasn't expecting it.
I mean, one thing is a movie being violent if its genre or story justifies so. By this, you accept better its violence, even if it's brutal. But not on something that is supposed to be a fantasy/magical movie suitable for everyone including children. I can handle violence in films (even if it's brutal), as long as it is in an acceptable level and not excessive. But this one was too much for me to handle. There are far too many shocking scenes that I could mention, but I won't go into that. See for yourself and judge for yourself, but be warned: this ain't pretty to view.
To tell the truth, only about 10% of the movie has fantasy and even those moments of fantasy have no charm... in fact, they are more dark (in a bad way) than a revelation. This is a strange film. It seems like 3 or 4 completely different films in one, all different in temperament and such. It's a disturbing and very bad movie.
The story takes place in Spain in the year 1944, a few years after the Spanish Civil War, during the early Franquist period. The character Captain Vidal is so tyrannical and brutal that he deserves his comeuppance, but his men aren't any better than him.
As for the characters that belong to the fantasy part of the movie, I liked the stick insects, the fairies and the mandrake. But the Faun annoyed me. Not only he looked repulsive and was irritating, but also his disturbing intentions about the baby were alarming. The Pale Man was so grotesque and disgusting that words are incapable to describe how much that thing disgusts me.
And this movie is as acclaimed as it is? And is considered one of the best foreign movies and even is on Top 250? I'm shocked. I'll never watch this again!