Proof that foreign films are overlooked.

Rating: 10/10 (5 June 2008)

Yes it may of won 3 Oscars and yes at the time of writing it sits snugly at number 56 of the IMDb all time movie chart, but ask an average Joe in the street if they've seen it then you'll be looked at in a way that would make a hardcore nudist feel uneasy. It is a great travesty that despite this film being in many moguls eyes (mine included) the stand out film of 2006, it will forever remain only a cult classic, shunned by the masses.
One wonders if the role of Ofelia played by the superb Ivana Baquero was instead played by, lets say, Dakota Fanning and the equally impressive/terrifying Sergi Lopez as Captain Fidal was instead filled by, hmmmm, Johny Depp then along with the addition of an English dialect this film most probably would've got somewhere in the USA/Britain.
I'm not firing sour grapes at the fact that only movies spawned from Hollywood are deemed watchable by the mass public, for on a large scale I agree that those straight out of tinsel town are in most cases the best. And I do understand that people want to watch movies in their own tongue; its natural. I just wish that people would not make negative prejudgements on foreign movies before they see them, for that is the way brilliant films like Pans Labrinth get largely overlooked which is a tremendous shame not only for the people who made it but a potential audience of people that are in my opinion missing out.
Which leads me to my conclusion, I will not tell much other than it is a fairytale set in Francos Spain, an odd combination im sure but truly unique and visually beautiful. Add this to integration between history and fantasy done by the perfectionist that is Del Toro, magnificent acting and an enthralling storyline; what you have here is not just a great film, but a masterpiece. Throw off the xenophobic shackles you must see this film! YNWA