Brilliant brilliant film

Rating: 10/10 (15 April 2008)

I put this in my player with more than a hint of hesitation. My other half had added it to my online rentals list without my knowledge, and when it came, I thought it was some kind of childish fairy tale film. I couldn't have been more wrong. This film has jumped straight into my favourite movies of all time, and in fact I can't wait to see it again to see what bits I might have missed this time round.
The characters are believable through and through, all the actors doing a commendable job of bringing the world to life. The story, whilst following a familiar fairy tale template, has a dark twist. Think Tim Burton, and then pile on a little more dark.
Two "worlds" exist in the story - one is the real world of young Ofelia, whose mother takes her to the mountains to live with her husband, a nasty Nazi type army captain, fighting a war against the rebels. The other is the fantasy world, in which she must undertake 3 trials to see if she is the long-lost princess of the underworld. As is traditional fairy tale fare, the real world certainly does not reflect the idea that Ofelia may be royalty, and she faces many hardships in her life.
The fantasy sequences (which are never confirmed to be real or imagined through the film) carry the bulk of the atmosphere, seeped in weirdness as they are. Some real imagination has gone into the creatures that are encountered, with excellent makeup coupled with excellent sfx topping it all off.
A must-see for everyone (except nervous people and young kids - it has a 15 rating in the UK, and deserves it). I just can't see why anyone would not be moved by this film.