Pan's Labyrinth [2006] - DVD (Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones - Dir: Guillermo del Toro)

Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, Jorge Luis Borges, and Guillermo del Toro's own unlimited imagination, Pan's Labyrinth is a fairytale for adults. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) may only be 12, but the worlds she inhabits, both above and below ground, are dark as anything del Toro has conjured. Set in rural Spain, circa 1944, Ofelia and her widowed mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil, Belle Epoque), have just moved into an abandoned mill with Carmen's new husband, Captain Vidal (Sergi López, With a Friend like Harry). Carmen is pregnant with his son. Other than her sickly mother and kindly housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú, Y Tu Mamá También), the dreamy Ofelia is on her own. Vidal, an exceedingly cruel man, couldn't be bothered. He has informers to torture. Ofelia soon finds that an entire universe exists below the mill. Her guide is the persuasive Faun (Doug Jones, Mimic). As her mother grows weaker, Ofelia spends more and more time in the satyr's labyrinth. He offers to help her out of her predicament if she'll complete three treacherous tasks. Ofelia is willing to try, but does this alternate reality really exist or is it all in her head? Del Toro leaves that up to the viewer to decide in a beautiful, yet brutal twin to The Devil's Backbone, which was also haunted by the ghost of Franco. Though it lacks the humour of Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth represents Guillermo Del Toro at the top of his considerable game. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews of Pan's Labyrinth [2006]

STEVEN MAIN

12th November 2008

Stunning
There is just one word to describe this movie,stunning. Hollywood just ca't make movies as good as this. I can't believe some people are giving it one star.

Edna Little.
Stockport, England.
9th November 2008

Another Optimum POOR QUALITY dvd.
The actual movie ^Pans Labyrinth^ I would give 4 Stars. It is a stunning film. But Optimum Release 2 disc DVD I give 1 star and that^s generous. The first disc buzzes extremely loudly while loading and for at leasr 30 minutes of the film (1st disc), the extras (2nd disc) buzzes just as horrendously throughout. I would of said well it^s just A faulty dvd. But the problem is that this is the 4th title I^ve bought by Optimum release all they have always been faulty, every single one.! They nearly all buzz loudly throughout or have picture faults. As I realy want a good copy of this movie I^m going to have to buy the ntsc version by a different distributer.

Sadakohere
London, England, UK
9th November 2008

Overrated
Very strange film. Set during the civil war with a bit of fantasy thrown in. Doesn't quite work to me. The fantasy seemed a sub-plot more than what I expected to be - the main plot. No-where near as good as I hoped it would be. More dark than magical, pretty violent but then fairy tales are! The actor who played the Captain was very good, the best and strongest character in the film. Very powerful performance. One watch was enough but I'm glad I've experienced it. The cinematography was beautiful.

horror fan
germany
30th October 2008

MOst OverHyped WaR film
Mix a war story (civial war) with a fantasy world then put some essence
of tragic drama and some Bollywood emotions, you will get this movie
right. The film would not have been very different even if you have
omitted the fantasy part. They seems to be disconnected somehow.

The same old story of stepfather being unfriendly to a child and the
child finds shelter in her fantasy.

Can you imagine? that after being shot at back, a man can take off his
glasses, wipe his nose and then fall down. No joke - the doctor did.

Nobody knows why Mercedes left the Captain alive. If she can open his
mouth wider, she could have cut his neck more easily. This is stupid,
considering a war film.

The the faun suddenly forgave her without any real reason (just like he
was so harsh on the child who has completed the second task) and ask
her to do the third task. It appears, the film is better to continue
that way.

How come the labyrinth, which opened up for the girl, also opened up
for her step-father (when she was chased) ? Was it not that the fantasy
world was only for the child? If her father can also enter her fantasy
then everything would have been very different.

The child died when she came out of the underworld, and that is why
she has to take a rebirth to get back to her real father who was
waiting for centuries. But at the end, the child has to die again to be
reunited with her world. Is it not funny?

JEY
Largs, UK
25th October 2008

Dark and Engaging Fairy Tale
I really enjoyed this one. A young Spanish girl struggles in a dark age of war and learns she may find her salvation if she undertakes a fantastical quest. An engaging movie with some unique ideas about fairy tales. That eyeless worm guy is my favourite bit!