The door is locked. In that case. Create your own door. Open your mind and watch Pan's Labyrinth! It's an amazing movie. You just got to know where to look

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2016)

Director Guillermo Del Toro stated that he considers the story to be a parable to his earlier film, 2001's 'The Devil's Backbone', as both addresses similar themes. Set in Spain during the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) & influenced by children fairy tales from authors, L Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm, along with adult-driven fantasies novels from authors, Jorge Luis Borges, Arthur Machen, Lord Dunsany, & Algernon Blackwood. "Pan's Labyrinth' tells the story of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a young girl who comes to believe she is the reincarnation of a princess from the kingdom of the underworld. However, her new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López) thinks otherwise; who believes, that Ofelia is becoming too unstable for his plan for a stable Falangism regime for both his country and in his household. Without spoiling the movie, too much, there are two ways to look at this movie. One is looking at it through a child's mind where everything and anything is possible, regardless of circumstances. The other is through, an adult's mind, where rational thought dictates our actions. It's these two ways of thinking, that make the film, so thought provoking. Is Ofelia telling the truth and Vidal is the one, losing touch with reality or is Vidal right about the world, and everybody else is living in the fantasy world? Its complex questions like this that makes this fairy tale movie, so interesting to watch, but far too sophistical for small children. Definitely, it's not for toddlers or anybody under 8 year old, unless, you want them, to see something profoundly graphic/violent and disturbing. Not only that, it's somewhat depressing with a tear-jerker type ending. It's not family friendly, despite whatever, marketing wants you to think. Despite that, the film has really fine-adult-driven acting, mostly from both Ivana Baquero and Sergi López. I have to say, Sergi for sure, as he's one of the best villains in modern day film history. The Spanish dialogue also well-written, even if it's a bit confusing at times. The English subtitles, was very helpful in trying to understand the story. The music by composter Javier Navarrete was very haunting & beautiful. The piano & violins really brings the sounds of our own mortality and purpose into question. Well-done. The film also has a supernatural horror tone to its fantasy sequences. While, the film employs some computer-generated imagery in its effect, it mostly use complex make-up and animatronic to bring its creatures to life. There is no greater example of that, then the characters of the Pale Man & the Faun, both played by the same actor, Doug Jones. One of the biggest misconception about this film is that the Faun is Greek-deity-Pan, when Del Toro, himself, stated out that he is not. Instead, he along with the Pale Man is both original characters, taken straight out of the legendary nightmares fuel of Greek, Japanese, Nordic, Christian and Roman mythology and mixed together into something new. Both creatures represented the goods & evils of authoritarian. First off, you got the Pale Man who represented man-made-control like fascism & communism. In a way, the juxtaposition of the Pale Man's table with the scene of frightened townspeople lining up to take the only food they could probably get, rations doled out by the Fascists or the Communism rebels, has some significance to the plot. If we are to believe, that the Ofelia makes this fantasy story, up, taken from multiple sources. Then, it's become very clear, that the Pale Man is supposed to represent the adults around her. After all, they are the one that trying to shatter Ofelia's trauma-triggered fantasy perception of her harsh reality. Like the Pale-Man eating children, they are the ones killing the youth within all of us, only allowing those mature enough to breed and survive. It's control 'survival of the fittest' at its scariest. A very strong Holocaust overtone. Then you got the Faun that represented phenomena or the laws of nature. Just as much, as we have to follow man-made authoritarians; we're also dictated by the harsh changing environment in which, we lived in; which we mostly have no control of. Yet, we try to be disobedience against it. We always trying to control death and childbirth. It's no surprised that Del Toro chose the character's look to invoke a certain 'light-bringer'. Like mandrake roots, free choice in small amounts us to have some control of our lives, but in larger doses might kill us. Being submissive to something out of your control is not a bad thing. The existence of the unexplained, ever make this, belief, somewhat stronger. Overall: Regards to whether or not the fantasy underworld was real or a product of Ofelia's imagination, it doesn't really matter, as long, as you get that message. However, I didn't like, how Del Toro kinda ruin it, by spoiling his answer. In my opinion, having a film so deliberately ambiguous, is a stroke of genius. It's better off that way. In the end, it's a must watch from me. Highly recommended.