Ever since I saw the poster for this about seven years ago (maybe longer), two thoughts have crossed my mind: "How in the world can fantasy be for adults?" and "I need to see this eventually."
So glad I did.
Though this is Guillermo Del Toro's most widely-known piece of work, it took an experimentation with Mama to get me to trust his storytelling skills enough to watch this film. Since Mama was interesting enough, Pan's Labyrinth then made its way to my "Need to Watch" list.
This film starts off with a background story of how Princess Moanna, the daughter of the King of the Underworld, became interested with the human world and therefore journeyed to the surface. However, the sun blinded her and erased her memory, and eventually she died. Her father has since believed that her soul would return one day. Enter the young Ofelia in Spain during the year 1944. Ofelia and her pregnant mother are traveling to meet Captain Videl, Ofelia's brand-new, viciously militant stepfather, who is only concerns with eradicating the rebel fighters that are hiding in the woods.
Ofelia becomes aware of the apparent fairy activity near the house, and one leads her to an old stone structure called a labyrinth. Inside, she meets a faun, who insists that she is the returning soul of Princess Moanna and must complete three tasks before the moon is full if she wishes to return to her kingdom.
People, this is fantasy at its best, and holds the same amount of depth as Lord of the Rings. The cinematography is excellent; you can tell that the production designer takes pride in his work. The makeup is also incredibly effective, from the faun to the Pale Man (I am never eating grapes again!)
I understand that the concept of foreign films drives some people away, despite the fact that Hipsters are supposed to be making them more popular. And the fact that this is definitely not a kids film will also help create an extremely narrow field of interest. But seriously, if you are looking for a film that is intensely appealing to the senses, this is one to put on your list. The result of the story playing out on screen is breathtaking, though at times heart-wrenching. Definitely not one to miss.
(As a side note, don't see this if you get nightmares easily.)
Overall rating: 10/10
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