Pan’s Labyrinth

Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on January 19, 2007

Never trust a faun. They’re always out to trick you. Also, never trust film reviewers when it comes to foreign films that take you to a dreamworld of magic. Pan’s Labyrinth has received a ton of praise, and I hate to be a naysayer, but it is not as good as I was lead to believe. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very enjoyable film, though somewhat predictable and deceivingly light on fantasy.

Yes, there is a giant faun (Pan) and a giant toad and that creepy no eyes thing. But all of the fantasy elements happen very quickly. Not quite a dreamworld of magic, more like a dream neighborhood.

The story follows a young girl, Ofelia, who has lost her father. Her mother is remarrying an army Captain who serves occupied Spain during the second World War. That basically means he’s a Spanish Nazi. The plot is actually quite good. There is the evil Captain. The resistance fighters. The magic. Ofelia must complete a series of tasks to take her place as a Princess in the magical world. The resistance fighters must defeat and obtain supplies from the evil Captain.

The effects are mostly practical, and as such, are very good. The acting is good, the directing good. It’s all good. It’s just not as good as I wanted it to be. I was expecting a fantastic masterpiece. What I got was a great movie with a sad heart. So it depends what you’re going in for. Me, personally, I was hoping for more adventure, more fantasy. So I found a different movie.

That being said, if you go in knowing what you’re going in for, which with the influx of reviews you now can, you’ll probably be much more impressed with it. So by no means avoid this film, in fact, I recommend it. Though I would say see Children of Men instead. But this is a great little film that will touch you, maybe shock you. But it won’t make you happy.

In conclusion, this is a very well made film that deserves being called great. It is not, however, the most fun movie or the best movie of 2006. It’s good though. I expected more, however, hence my slight more negative tone. Ah well. It should probably still win Best Foreign Film, which I think it will, deservedly. It’s odd, it’s a good movie, I just don’t love it right now.

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