Pan's Labyrinth - Movie Review

In this day and age of remakes, sequels, and superheros, its not too often a great movie comes along outside of that triangle of categories. The last place one would expect to find that "great movie" would be in a film written and recorded completely in the Spanish language, and then sub-titled in English. With a feeling of Tim Burton, Stephen King, and Quentin Tarantino all rolled into one, Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth" is that film.

Set in 1944 Spain, this extraordinary fantasy quickly draws the viewer's attention away from the sub-titles and towards the amazing story. Moanna, Princess of the Underworld has died and her father, the King, has vowed to wait for her until she is resurrected and returns. The focus quickly shifts to Ophelia, step-daughter of a Spanish military captain on her way to the camp where he is stationed. Near the camp is the labyrinth that Ophelia is lead to by strange fairy-like creatures. In the center of the labyrinth is the lair of Pan, a part-goat, part-horse, part-man creature, known as a faun. Pan almost immediately attempts to show Ophelia that she is the resurrected Princess. Dealing with a sick and pregnant mother, a step-father that treats her poorly, and a caretaker leading a double life, Ophelia must do whatever she can to live a normal life and still finish her quest.

Ophelia is given a beautiful dress which she must keep clean while trying to climb in a giant mud filled tree. She is given a plant that she needs to keep in a bowl of milk and feed two drops of blood daily, and she is forced to enter the lair of a dormant creature that can only be awoken if his giant table of food is disturbed. This simple task proves to be quite hard for a young, hungry girl, creating a thrilling chase through beautiful hallways.

Given a book to guide her through her journeys, Ophelia encounters a giant frog, a creature with eyes in it's hands, and a mandrake root with a desire to be human. Although it seems like a fairy-tale created for children, Pan's Labyrinth is far from it. Filled with dark themes and a disturbing feel, this movie is designed for a mature audience. While some might say there are unnecessary scenes of violence, it is very well-timed and placed.

This Academy Award winning film was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival, it's ability to keep the viewer interested from beginning to end makes this story a must-see.