Pan's Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth: Set in Spain in 1944 we follow a young girl – Ofelia, as she begins a new life with her pregnant mother and her mother’s new husband. The country is in a post civil war period and there is not much to be happy about. Ofelia’s step-father is a commanding officer at a nationalist military base. Ofelia sees evil in him and refuses to accept this man as her new father. The only good news for Ofelia is she discovers a labyrinth that leads to an underground fantasy world. This is a dark fantasy world geared more for adults than kids. There she is given three tasks to carry out before she can return to this fantasy world as the princess she once was long ago. Going into the film I was under the impression that the story would mostly take place inside this fantasy world, but that is not the case. The story stays above ground in the post war setting more so than the fantasy world, but both worlds are engaging. As the story plays out, we as viewers have to decide if the fantasy world is real or not. The film is done so beautifully that you are caught wanting to THINK one way, but FEEL another way. The ending is a powerful cry out to the beauty of innocence. The costumes, make-up, cinematography, writing, acting and the vision the film had are all among the year’s best. This is a movie that stands out as a piece of art.
* * * * or Grade A

If this movie had parents they would be: Life is Beautiful and Alice in Wonderland

With a running time of 128 minutes
This film is rated R