
Pan's Labyrinth
2006, War/Drama, 2h
239 Reviews 250,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics 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. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew

Capt. Vidal
Mercedes
Ofelia

Doctor
Pan, Pale Man
Carmen
News & Interviews for Pan's Labyrinth
Critic Reviews for Pan's Labyrinth
All Critics (239) | Top Critics (62) | Fresh (227) | Rotten (12)
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Bewitchingly bonkers.
November 12, 2014 | Full Review… -
It's so audacious and so technically accomplished, and arrives here garlanded with so many radiant superlatives, that I wish I liked it more.
November 12, 2014 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
The story is a compelling and deeply involving one, and the film is both beautiful, exciting, and sometimes horrifying. The creature effects are superbly handled.
November 12, 2014 | Rating: 4.5/5 -
It's less of a labyrinth than a forest path, one that takes you through wonderful scenery but doesn't lead anywhere.
November 12, 2014 | Full Review… -
We are never allowed to get truly lost in Pan's Labyrinth. The fantasy sequences are fetching when they should be intoxicating, while the scenes above ground are largely prosaic.
November 12, 2014 | Full Review… -
Watching the unique explosions of Guillermo del Toro's mind realise themselves on screen is truly astounding.
November 12, 2014 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Pan's Labyrinth
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Jul 19, 2016This movie is pure genius. The two stories connect in a fascinating way that displays that central theme of this movie. Its visionary director Guillermero del Toro that really outdoes himself on this definitive masterpiece. This deserves its 95% score if not higher. A classic movie in the fantasy genre and in movies in general.Tyler H Super Reviewer
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Oct 05, 2015Pan's Labyrinth has all the elements of a fantasy adventure: costumes, props, effects, sounds, score, sympathetic heroines, detestable villains, mystery, and wonder. However, there is a great deal of cruelty in the film, and it is taken such a high degree that it detracts from the experience.Robert B Super Reviewer
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May 04, 2013Surreal, haunting and beautiful, Pan's Labyrinth is that rare, truly one-of-a-kind cinematic experience that absolutely demands a watch, both for its bizarre yet wonderful fantasy and emotionally wrenching war tale.Isaac H Super Reviewer
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Mar 28, 2013Despite being quite a prominent name in cinema just now, director Guillermo del Toro hasn't actually made that many movies. He came to attention in 1993 with his excellent feature debut "Cronos" before Hollywood quickly took note and employed him on such films as "Mimic" and "Blade II". However, his strengths lie in his own original work where he retains creative control. Of which, there are three that really stand out; the aforementioned "Cronos" is one, "The Devil's Backbone" another and "Pan's Labyrinth" - which to this day, remains his masterpiece. Following the Spanish Civil War in 1944, young Ofelia (Baquero) moves to a rural town with her pregnant mother (Gil) to live with her Fascist military stepfather (López) who is determined to weed out resistance fighters to Franco's dictatorship. It's in this remote town that Ofelia meets a faun in the centre of a labyrinth who tells her that she is a princess. However, to claim her rightful place in this magical land she must perform certain gruesome tasks to prove her royalty. It's hard to pigeon hole a film like Pan's Labyrinth as there are so many facets to it's structure. On the one hand, it's a political/historical drama and on the other it's a fantasy/horror. Few (if any) films will spring to mind when these genres are mentioned in the same breath which reflects the very craftsmanship that's at work here. One thing that you can undoubtedly count on, though, is it's highly imaginative nature. Sure, we've had fantastical stories before where a young girl escapes her constrained life to enter bigger and more possible worlds. We've also had commentaries on the brutalities and restrictions of fascist regimes but to combine them into a wondrous journey of life, struggle and imagination is an amalgamation that I have rarely witnessed. Such is the case with this film and such is the skill of del Toro in his writing and handling of the material. He incorporates an abundance of childhood fantasies, from delving into books and mythology - that feature fauns and fairies - to the power of a piece of chalk on the wall. This may be built around the point of view of a child's eye but its also not afraid to explore the darker recesses of that very imagination and construct some of the most monstrous creatures that can inhabit that realm. Del Toro is in absolute command here and he's aided, immeasurably, by cinematographer Guillermo Navarro in capturing and contrasting his world within a world; one is a visually striking and enchanting fantasia, the other a stark and brutal reality. It's a balance that's difficult to achieve but with deft handling of coexisting genres, del Toro's vision is able to come to fruition and manages to be both a reminder of the rigidity of fascism and the escapable ability of an imaginary youthful mind. To embody the young protagonist, we are gifted an outstanding performance from Ivana Baquero who carries a heavy weight on her young shoulders and does so, with a skill beyond her years. Sergi Lopez also provides marvellous support as the bestial Captain Vidal who's a smouldering villain that's on a par with any of the war genre's nastiest characters. It's very difficult to find criticism in this film as there simply, isn't any. The only one that stands is in the film's title. It's slightly misleading as "Pan" never actually features here. The original international title translates as "Labyrinth of the Fuan" which is probably the most pedantic gripe you'll ever hear from me. A stunning piece of work that's both beautifully and horrifically executed. Modern masterpiece is a term that gets brandished around too often these days but this is one that's certainly deserving of such praise. Mark WalkerMark W Super Reviewer
Pan's Labyrinth Quotes
Vidal: | You could have obeyed me! |
Doctor: | But Captain, to obey, just like that, for obedience's sake... without questioning... That's something only people like you do. |
Ofelia: | Many, many years ago in a sad, faraway land, there was an enormous mountain made of rough, black stone. At sunset, on top of that mountain, a magic rose blossomed every night that made whoever plucked it immortal. But no one dared go near it because its thorns were full of poison. Men talked amongst themselves about their fear of death, and pain, but never about the promise of eternal life. And every day, the rose wilted, unable to bequeath its gift to anyone... forgotten and lost at the top of that cold, dark mountain, forever alone, until the end of time. |
Carmen: | You're getting older, and you'll see that life isn't like your fairy tales. The world is a cruel place. And you'll learn that, even if it hurts. |
Pan / Pale Man: | And it is said that the Princess returned to her father's kingdom. That she reigned there with justice and a kind heart for many centuries. That she was loved by her people. And that she left behind small traces of her time on Earth, visible only to those who know where to look. |
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