112 out of 124 people found the following review helpful:
There are good films and great films, then there is Pan's Labyrinth. Dark, Magical and Utterly Unforgettable.
Oliver Shorley-Smith from Bedfordshire, England,
20th December, 2006
Set in 1940s Spain after the civil war when Franco came to power, Pan's Labyrinth is a story of a little girl called Ofelia, who travels up to northern Spain to live with her pregnant mother and new stepfather - known as 'Captain Videl' - psychopathic fascist ideology is what makes this man tick. To overcome the injustice and brutality of her life Ofelia finds a beautiful if not equally brutal alternate reality that beckons her to stay. Everything about this film is just perfect. The special effects are amazing, not just for the fantastic mythical creatures Ofelia meets (Who can forget Pale Man?!), but also for the short scenes of violence. For example when Videl has to sew up his own cheek, every squelch and bead of sweat is visible as he slowly puts the needle through his own flesh, you are of course watching a close up of it all aswell! The script, although in Spanish, has some very intelligent lines about the evils of Ofelia's world, Woe to those who want to watch it dubbed, it'll make the film lose its magic. The film's message is comparable to the society of the 1940s but the lessons you will learn are just as important especially in this right winged paranoid society we live in today. We all want to believe in a fantasy of a perfect world, we get promises from the people in charge that things 'will' change if just believe and do what they say no questions asked, but life should never be that easy. Always question what your told! The film escalates towards its unforgettable heart rendering conclusion via masterful direction and story telling. Speical effects, scripting, acting and overall atmosphere of the film are second to none! If you are reading this review, you are probably thinking about renting this film anyway, just go for it!
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