Beyond disappointing

Rating: 1/10 (14 January 2008)

If you're looking for a horror movie, you'll have a better shot at getting thrills at Sweeney Todd. I was never impressed with Del Toro and I guess his protégés are no different as El Orfanato offers little to raise your heart rates. Much of the film is spent setting up tension that goes nowhere; a fact that attempts to hide behind an overbearing score. The demon/monster "tomas" is revealed way too early, which would have been almost acceptable except we never see him again in the flesh until the overly anti-climatic betraying ending where any ounce of bloodlust has disappeared. Instead, there are several flatly written scenes that cut away before the audience can emotionally digest what is happening.
I'm not one for gore for the sake of gore, but come on, if you're going to make a horror film, don't be scared to throw around some blood and limbs more than a few times.