A Fantastical Celebration of the Imagination and Hard-Hitting Grit of Real Life

Rating: 9/10 (7 July 2008)

The common response I get when I recommend this film to people is "I can't be bothered reading subtitles". Yet Spanish is what is spoken in Spain, no?
For me del Toro has outdone himself with Pan's Labyrinth. SUPERB acting from the cast, visual cinematography that captivates, a masterfully crafted storyline that just so cleverly intertwines the real world with Ofelia's.
Del Toro does not leave his viewers with a straightforward story, but leaves enough dialogue and snippets of character for viewers to sum up their own conclusions of the film. As well as this, he leaves so many ideas for us to pull out of the experience.
Give this film a chance because it is truly a wonderful, wonderful celebration of all that is cinema and story-telling.