Hey! I Just Saw A Fairy. And It Sure Wasn't Tinkerbell!

Rating: 8/10 (1 September 2014)

In both of the realms of either fantasy, as well as reality, Pan's Labyrinth certainly managed to excel and deliver some of the finest story-telling that I've had the pleasure of experiencing in a mighty long time.
Believe me, this was one unique WW2/Alice-In-Wonderland story like no other.
Bizarre, magical, cruel and treacherous, here director Guillermo Del Toro proves himself, beyond a doubt, to be a true master of his craft as he expertly intertwines 2 stories of quite opposing genres and, as a result, produces a beautifully realized film that's very worthy of all of its praise.
From its startling visual excellence, to its first-rate cast, to its heart-breaking story, to its exceptional soundtrack - Pan's Labyrinth triumphs on all of these levels, and beyond.
Here's a big-budget movie whose euro-dollars were very well spent, where its story was well thought out, and, thankfully, (because it wasn't a Hollywood production) this picture wasn't ruined by the over-bearing taint of that country's movie industry.
I give 3 big cheers to this film's 3 stand-out performances - Ivana Baquero (as Ofelia), Sergi Lopez (as Captain Vidal), and Maribel Verdu (as Mercedes).
Warning! - This film contains some very graphic and brutal violence! Its rating is "Restricted".