Upon seeing a motion-picture such as this, viewers can hardly help but to surrender under the overwhelming weight of elation that results from its liberating creativity.

Rating: 10/10 (22 October 2006)

Bravo Guillermo! From the brilliantly perturbed visionary who shared his eerily morose tale of abhorrent warfare and infringed adolescent innocence in 'The Devil's Backbone,' comes the gorgeously sadistic fantasy, 'Pan's Labyrinth.' As quality fantasies seem to do, Del Toro's elegantly haunting 'Labyrinth' infiltrates the mind by way of its intrigue's fantastic visions; in this case, he does so with an alarming tale of Spanish tyranny, disquieting violence and superfluous gore. Not since the likes of Argento's 'Deep Red' and 'Suspiria' has carnage been so immeasurably beautiful. This poignant saga shadows the dreamy adventures of Ofelia, an imaginative young girl who creates the fanciful world of 'Pan's Labyrinth,' in which remarkable creatures of various sorts dwell. As the repressed nation of Spain witnesses its peak in post-war violence, Ofelia's adoptive father is given the responsibility of eradicating any rebellious alliances from the vicinity. While he and his wife struggle with the troublesome happenings outside their home, Ofelia escapes to her favorite place; one rich with wondrous landscapes and unknown fortune. 'Pan's Labyrinth' is a film of exceptionally rare caliber. Upon seeing a motion-picture such as this, viewers can hardly help but to surrender under the overwhelming weight of elation that results from its liberating creativity. Del Toro's 'Pan's' could very well be this year's 'Fellowship of the Ring,' snagging Oscar nods in the departments of makeup, costume design, set decoration, sound, editing, and art direction; heck, maybe it'll even win a few.