There's no such thing as magic.

Rating: 9/10 (19 March 2007)

First of all, I was never really a fan of Guillermo Del Toro, aware of his fanboy film pedigree - though I thought Blade 2 was exquisitely shot (never heard, never saw, never previewed much of Hellboy)... yet it is nice to see his effusive unflinching surrealistic touch in this fairy tale that juxtapouses both the magical, the gritty and the cruel.
For some reason the ending reminded me of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (though it is a VERY different ending), and as director Alfonso Cuaron (CHILDREN OF MEN) would state, this may also very well be a sister film to both his latest, and that of Alejandro Inarittu's BABEL, not because they are made by Spanish directors - but they ultimately reflect the theme of human weakness and limitation, and a striving for freedom and understanding.
No comprendo español, bien pero, none of that matters, because the themes of these 3 films transcend language barriers, and like BABEL and CHILDREN OF MEN, I won't hesitate recommending EL LABYRINTO DEL FAUNO to anyone.