Just Short of Cinematic Genius

Rating: 8/10 (21 January 2007)

When going into this film, I didn't expect a whole bunch. Blade 2 was nothing special, and Hellboy was only slightly better. But the things I was hearing about Pan's Labyrinth were very good, so I gave it a chance.
This movie is brilliant with one major short falling. The acting is solid, the pacing is great, and the character's are well developed. The thing that knocked those last two stars off my score is the complete lack of sense of cinematography throughout the picture. The shots are mostly flat, the lighting is abysmal, and the frame itself is rarely used to full effect.
(Spoiler alert) There are two notable exceptions to this: The first occurs when Ofelia is being chased by the hand-eye monster, and the second during the gunfight in the forest between the Captain's men and the rebels. These two scenes are racked with suspense, beautiful imagery, and perfect lighting/camera placement. If only del Toro had taken this much care with the rest of his movie visually, Pan's Labyrinth might very well have been one of the greater achievements in film within the last seven years.