Pan's Labyrinth

Something that disappointed me about Pan’s Labyrinth was that there were not nearly enough fantastical elements in it then what the previews implied. In fact, I would say that there’s less fantasy than reality. Maybe it’s a good thing that the previews were somewhat deceptive, because the last thing you want is a movie’s entire plot given away. I wish the movie explained more about why the creatures were the creatures they were (maybe I’m missing out on some underlying symbolism here?), but I did enjoy the real-time story and the blatant evilness of the Captain, who’s certain facial injury is awfully entertaining. The music, especially Pan’s Lullaby, is haunting and Ivana Baquero and Maribel Verdú as Ofelia and Mercedes, respectively, are wonderful. I did find it interesting that even though Ofelia’s adventures deal with pretty scary stuff, she prefers it, and ultimately pays a big price for it, rather then participate in the much more terrifying events of her reality.

Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Runtime: 112 minutes