Pan's Labryinth - A-

This film is about a young girl dealing with her difficult circumstances by creating an elaborate fantasyworld. The backdrop for this fantasyworld is rural Spain at the tail end of World War II. Isabel's primary oppressor is her stepfather, a vicious commander of Axis Spanish forces. Guillermo Del Toro's story, direction and creatures come together to create a powerful fable.

The simple score (featured prominently in the preview above) provides a haunting yet hopeful tone for the film, and portends is tragic end. Most of the main characters are well-developed, with the exception of Isabel's mother and stepfather, both of whom are one-dimensional and somewhat cliched. The 'fantasy' angle made me initially reticent to see the movie, but within the context of the film it is very appropriate and is used to maximum effect by the director. Del Toro apparently based much of Isabel's character on his own childhood; he grew up with his extremely religious grandmother and she literally exorcised him 4 times during childhood for drawing creatures and monsters.

(conservative parenting rant) Several portions of the film are exceedingly violent and this is definitely not a film for children. This fact was lost on the 4 or 5 families that lumbered into the theater with children under 5 in tow. Apparently if a movie features any type of make believe character it is automatically appropriate for a 3 year old, torturing and death scenes be damned.