En-gro-ssing Fare

Rating: 7/10 (29 November 2007)

Yes that's right,the engrossment is not without hiccups.As a storybook,the movie is almost picture perfect and beautiful,even when there's blood on the screen;but as a story,the movie is a bit weak and falls flat at some stages.To tell you where exactly would be to rob you of the disappointment when you take a shot at it yourself.
But it's not at all a complete waste of time,as Guillermo del Toro more than makes up for a slightly naive and ill thought out story with stunning visuals and a powerful support from his ensemble of actors.Maribel Verdú and Sergi López in particular lend an air of splendour to the overall proceedings,complementing the rich special effects with their strong,restrained performances.This in turn,helps the movie rise above the digital wizardry and artwork and gives it the human touch that makes it somewhat of a winner.
At the end of it all,you might feel a tad let down by the story like i did,or you might not give a damn about it.Either way,you'd be glad you saw what Guillermo wanted you to see.