A superb mature fantasy tale!

Rating: 9/10 (4 February 2007)

If there's anything about Pan's Labyrinth that disappoints me, it is only that when the DVD comes out it'll be advertised as being made by the same guy who made Blade II and Hellboy, two examples of half-cooked SFX wankery coated with comic-book fanboy drool. Pan's Labyrinth is everything those films aren't: It has a story that actually interests, it has visual FX that are built entirely to tell its wondrous tale and don't look like generic "sci-fi meets kung-fu" tech demos and it's not afraid to make you feel depressed about cruel things that happen to characters you grow to like.
Set in WW2 era Spain where the Fascist military is doing its best to suppress the rebellion, the film centers around Ofelia (a bravura performance by Ivana Baquero), an imaginative child who with her re-married and pregnant mother comes to stay with her step-father, the iron-handed Captain Vidal. Shying from the general air of militarism and brutality around her, Ofelia slips into a fantasy plane where she meets a faun who tells her that she must complete 3 tasks for her to reclaim her legacy as the princess of a magical realm. The plot travels between the real and fantasy worlds of Ofelia, and scenes of civic unrest and fascist oppression alternate with magical quests that involve giant frogs and creatures with (removable) eyes on their palms. Even the climax has 2 parts, one in the real world and one in the magic world.
Under Del Toro's guidance the story moves seamlessly between the 2 worlds and he does not discount the existence of either of them. Some may pick nits about the somewhat one-sided characterization of the military as dedicated sadists but the thing to remember is that this is a film told essentially from a child's POV and reflects the simplicity of that perspective. Of course it is not to be taken as a film for children, because it does not flinch from graphic violence when needed and even the ending has a moving tragic air to it.
In the end, this is a modern day classic that needs to be seen and savored by teenage/adult audiences that look for something beyond merchandise-oriented studio crap. And move over Tim Burton, there's a new prince to claim the mature fairy tale fantasy crown that you've been wearing so far. His name is Guillermo Del Toro and from the looks of it, he has kicked your ass by a long mile.