A few big problems (Contains very slight spoilers)

Rating: 7/10 (19 February 2018)

Yes, everything you've heard about this film is true, it's gorgeous, well acted, well written, entertaining and provides a lot to sink your teeth into in terms of symbolism and themes... but there's a few big problems I had with it...
For me, the central romantic relationship was silly, I never bought into it. It almost felt rushed to me, like the writers didn't believe it either. Girl meets fish monster, girl instantly falls for fish monster even though it is rather terrifying and has already maimed someone, girl gives rather tacked on reason for her feelings etc. Personally it wasn't enough to buy this rather strange coupling of souls, unless you're easily pleased in films I suppose.
Which leads onto my other problem with the film. Had this film been longer it really could have taken the time to add more depth and exposition to the loneliness everyone supposedly feels and Elisa's past so their motivations and actions made sense... it really felt a bit rushed throughout and I really wasn't as emotionally invested like everyone else claims they were. If you were to compare the portrayal of loneliness in this film to the likes of a film such as Moon... Moon has a much bigger impact, but then Del Toro crams a heck of a lot more into this film.
On top of all this I found it very hard to believe some of the events in the film because of some annoying plot holes (the poor security in the supposed 'high security' facility being the most jarring). The film was never more than a delightful romp, rather than the high art some people are labelling it.
I realise my review is quite negative but overall the film really is a lot of fun. It was never boring, it was funny, the set design and cinematography is astonishing, the acting is top notch, the story is good fun if rather hackneyed and there's a lot to take from it, but overall the film never reached the heights of Pan's Labyrinth or Devil's Backbone, because it never took itself seriously and remained very much a simple fairy tale, rather than the dramatic masterpiece I was hoping it would be.
4/5
Side note : I have noticed a lot of critics praise films very highly when they reference many other films so this may be where the gushing of love for this film has come from.