Not that Amazing

Rating: 6/10 (19 February 2007)

Pan's Labyrinth was a total shocker. From the previews, I was expecting a fairy tale. I literally thought I was in for fairies, goblins, and all manner of fantastical creatures. Sure, there was some of that in PL... but this is no kids film.
I was blown away by the sheer violence and gore. Don't get me wrong, I love a good bloodbath film, but this just seemed a bit too gratuitous. The story itself was okay, but in reality it was just a retelling of an old theme with added gore.
One of the reasons I watch films is to be surprised... to not know what to expect... to have a film lead me somewhere as I follow engrossed in it all. The only thing that wasn't standard "I know what comes next" fare were the occasional bouts of violence. I have seen both storytelling and violence handled much better.