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WHAT?! , 21 March 2007
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Pan's Labyrinth
on DVD (2006)
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Certificate: 
Ofelia is a young lady who is dragged into the middle of nowhere by her heavily pregnant mother to live with her cruel stepfather who is a captain in the Spanish army during the civil war of Spain in 1944.
As soon as she arrives she is greeted by a fairy who leads her to a labyrinth. She cannot enter the labyrinth right away however but late that night she is woken by the fairy who leads her into the labyrinth where she is met by a Faun (Never named, but called Pan in the english title due to old Greek {I believe} myth).
She is told by the Faun that she is a princess in his world. A princess who one day a long time ago decided she wanted to feel the sun on her face and so went above ground, where she became mortal, got ill and died.
The King and queen then opened up portals around the world waiting for the princess to be reborn. And now she has... if only she can prove she is the princess by completing 3 tasks...
This is NOT a childrens movie. This is for adults who like good films, plain and simple. Fairly scary ones at that. The main shocking point is that the real world is far scarier than the world of monsters that fills half of the time. This isn't a Disney movie. The fairy isn't Tinkerbell. It's dirty, muddy, lived in. You can almost smell and taste the texture of the movie.
This is a beautiful, haunting, imaginitive and stunning movie. The reason to watch this film is simple. You will be rewarded with one of the best films ever made. Top 30 anyway. If my opinion is worth anything. No? Ok.
Guillermo Del Toro is one of the most imaginitive directors working today. Any film where you can take any frame and stick it to the wall as a work of art is a rare thing. I can think of about 9 other films I could say that about.
This film is more than style of substance however. It touches on unhappy childhoods, abusive families and death. But on the flipside you have the fantastical side. Monsters, Underground kingdoms, kings and queens and the stuff of fairytales.
But is it 'real'? Is the fantastical side just a child escaping into her own imagination or has she really been tasked with completed 3 trials in order to be taken back to rightful place as a true princess?
Real fans of movies should watch this film. If you refuse to watch this because it is subtitled or because it's a kids film I absolutely have no time for you and quite frankly I think your membership should be cancelled. This website is LOVEFILM. Not love the dross rolled out by hacks like Michael Bay or Brett Ratner.
For everybody else reading this review wondering if they should watch it the answer is yes. You absolutely have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Knowing that there is something as beautiful as Pan's Labyrinth out there does make the world a slightly better place.
Rate this:
 
(75%)
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(37 votes)
