Chief GoreMongral's Movie Review: Pan's Labyrinth

Rating: 8/10 (16 January 2007)

1944 Spain is normally not thought of as a backdrop for a Fairy Tale but then again Pan's Labyrinth is not your normal Fairy Tale. The setting is that of post war Spain as small packets of Fascist still try to maintain order throughout the countryside. In steps Ofelia a young girl who loves fantasy and dreams of being in another world, that apparently she may have been from.
Pan's Labyrinth is in the vain of one of Guillermo del Toro's other films The Devil's Backbone where in it we have a war setting with a ghost story here we have the war setting set to a sort of Brothers Grimm tale. However do not be surprised as the war story at times overshadows the fantasy enough to raise the question, does this fantasy world really exist or is this a product of Ofelia's mind.
Saying that I will say that the story is very dark,gritty and hard in it's portrayal of the post war goings on and when it does get to the fantasy elements they are very well done as well. Sequences with Pan as well as the dinner table scene with The Pale Man are very well shot and at times eerie. I only wish the fantasy elements were focused on for longer periods of time as though I thought the regular goings on were interesting I really didn't want it to overtake the fantasy elements as it does in some cases.
As a whole though this is a very solid movie and I definitely see what the hype is all about. Though I would have liked to have seen a further focus on the fantasy than the war it still is a very striking and well shot movie that is every bit deserving of the praise it has been receiving. In the end not all fantasy, not all war drama but a very different viewing experience that you have to at least see once.
Score: 8/10 Very Good. I teeter between 7 and 8 on this but the overall production values and story out-way some of the shortcomings that I have for the film. A truly unique movie experience that should be seen by all. Del Toro has once again proved to me he is a true pioneer and hero for genre movie fans everywhere.