Fairies, A Faun, A Frog and a Fussy Dandy

Rating: 9/10 (14 January 2007)

Greetings again from the darkness. From the creatively warped mind of writer/director Guillermo del Toro ("Cronos","Mimic","Hellboy") comes a for-adults-fantasy that resembles "Alice in Wonderland" on steroids.
The strong point of the film is when young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) explores the fantastical underground world that the fairies lead her to. The effects are somewhat comical at times, but also chilling in their realism. Two other nice performances are by Sergi Lopez as the quite merciless Captain and Maribel Verdu (so wonderful in "Y tu Mama Tambien") as Mercedes.
What prevents this from being the masterpiece so many are intent on it becoming is, of course, the story itself. The underground world segments are fascinating and unique and spell-binding. Where the film lags is in the real world with the guerrillas in the forest and the odd military post that the evil Captain rules. While having a touch of "Cinderella" and "Alice in Wonderland", parents should be aware that it is in no way intended for young children.
The visual strength of the mystical fantasy world make this one worth seeing, but it definitely doesn't reach the level of classic or masterpiece.