A violent fantasy set during the Spanish Civil War, this magical film from Guillermo del Toro manages that intellectual high-mindedness, even as it resonates on a primal, mythic level.
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
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Reviews Counted:188
Fresh:179
Rotten:9
Average Rating:8.5/10
Consensus: Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups, with the horrors of both reality and fantasy blended together into an extraordinary, spellbinding fable. Told through the eyes of a little girl whose imaginary world is inhabited by nightmarish creatures, Pan's Labyrinth is a visually imaginative and allegorical take on the fears she faced in Spain during WWII.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for graphic violence and some language
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Dec 29, 2006 Limited
Box Office: $37,384,484
Synopsis: Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, PAN'S LABYRINTH is a thrilling, violent fairy tale set in post-Civil War Spain. Ivana Baquero stars as Ofelia, a young girl who moves with her mother,... Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, PAN'S LABYRINTH is a thrilling, violent fairy tale set in post-Civil War Spain. Ivana Baquero stars as Ofelia, a young girl who moves with her mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), into the home of Captain Vidal (Sergi López), in an abandoned mill in the middle of dark, dangerous woods. Vidal is leading his team of soldiers against resistance fighters--and he will do whatever is necessary to kill every last one of them. As Vidal bosses around the pregnant Carmen, a flying creature leads Ofelia through a garden labyrinth and into an underground cave ruled by Pan (HELLBOY's Doug Jones), who believes that Ofelia might be the lost princess of this strange yet magical place. To prove she is royalty, Ofelia must complete three tasks, each more difficult and terrifying than the previous one. Meanwhile, Vidal is becoming more and more paranoid, torturing and murdering seemingly at will. Del Toro (THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, HELLBOY, CRONOS) creates a marvelous battle between good and evil, between heroes and villains, in both the real world aboveground and the mystical land below. Baquero gives a compelling performance as the terrorized Ofelia, who is befriended by Mercedes (Maribel Verdú), a woman who harbors some secrets of her own. Stellar production design, superb special effects, and a stirring score by Javier Navarrete add to the scary fun. Selected as the closing-night entry in the 2006 New York Film Festival, PAN'S LABYRINTH is a captivating story that is not for the squeamish. [More]
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdú, Ariadna Gil
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdú, Ariadna Gil, Doug Jones, Alex Angulo, Roger Casamajor, Ivana Massague
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Screenwriter: Guillermo Del Toro
Producer: Berta Navarro, Alfonso Cuaron, Frida Torresblanco, Alvaro Augustin
Composer: Javier Navarrete
Studio: Picturehouse
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Reviews for Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth is an astonishing tale in which a child employs her vivid imagination to keep herself sane in a world gone mad.
A haunting, but beautifully conceived mix of fantasy and reality that is like no other film released in 2006 - or any other year.
[Del Toro's] stories have the haunting persistence of repressed memories filtered through history and folklore that can make audiences tremble with recognition, and is the hallmark of fantasy as social, sexual and psychological allegory.
In its supremely confident and effortless blend of the fantastic and the grittily realistic, Pan's Labyrinth not only compares favorably with Terry Gilliam’s best work (Brazil), it also exceeds it.
It explores the connection between fantasy and reality, with eyes wide open to the dangers of giving either too much credence. That it works on both levels is impressive; that it makes them so clearly one is the stuff of art.
It is an adult fairy tale that will lead grown-ups to eagerly await the day that their own children will be old enough to understand.
This backdrop of intrigue creates violent scenes that may have you turning away from the screen. Beautifully designed and full of its own strange poetry, Pan's Labyrinth is nonetheless not a children's movie. Take its 'R' rating seriously.
Ofelia, you break our hearts. But you also restore our confidence in human decency.
...a powerful, haunting film replete with phantasmagorical visions and inexorable dread. Painted in shadows and lit by a moon the color of a frog's belly, Pan's Labyrinth is an emotional cousin to David Lynch's creepy puzzle films.
This film is magical, functioning on multiple levels, each with aplomb.
Mexican filmmakers are having a good year, in whatever language they film... However with Pan's Labyrinth, Del Toro may have topped them all.
Pan's Labyrinth resembles a cross between Alice in Wonderland and H.P. Lovecraft, with some Buñuel thrown in for good measure. It's a tribute to -- as well as a prime example of -- the disturbing power of imagination.
In coming up with one of the finest modern fantasies to date, del Toro seamlessly blends two stories, one set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and the other in a parallel realm of fairies and fauns.
Mexican writer-director Guillermo del Toro couches his allegory about fascism in a tale as cruelly fascinating as any from the Brothers Grimm.
Pan's Labyrinth is del Toro's home run. He's delivered a film full of power, beauty, horror and, ultimately, sadness.
Labyrinth director Guillermo Del Toro is a master at making the otherworldly seem this-worldly and vice versa.
With Pan’s Labyrinth, director Guillermo del Toro taps the same magical vein that made his Devil’s Backbone so memorable.
Pan's Labyrinth is beautifully shot and designed, but it's the acting that makes it a remarkable emotional journey.
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November 14, 2008:
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July 13, 2008:
Guillermo del Toro - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview
We have an extended chat with the director of Cronos, Pan's Labyrinth and this week's Hellboy II to talk about his career past, present and future and tap him for juicy... More...
July 01, 2008:
Edinburgh 2008: What to Watch
We share twenty of the best films screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, currently running in the Scottish city. More...
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