Rubbish!

Rating: 1/10 (12 December 2006)

There has been such furore surrounding this film that I felt I was missing out if I didn't watch it.
From the few reviews I have read I was expecting a fantastical, visually stunning film.
What I got however was a boring period drama about a girl and her evil stepfather.
The fantasy sections of the film - which I was really looking forward to based on their reputation - were short and pointless, having absolutely no relation to the rest of the film whatsoever.
The young girl, Ofelia, goes on a 'quest' to find a key, then a knife...then nothing much else, all this leads nowhere when Ofelia dies and the results of her quest have no effect on the rest of the film. Thus rendering these fantasy sections completely irrelevant and frustrating.
As for the visuals, well, Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy 'Labyrinth' is far more magical & satisfying - and at least has a point to it all!