Review – Pan’s Labyrinth

I’ve seen a lot of movies along these lines. Terry Gilliam (The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Brothers Grimm) and Steven Spielberg (Close Encounters, Hook, and just about everything else he ever made that has a kid in it) in particular have dished out plenty of pictures about magic and imagination in the face of worldly evil. However, this one is head and shoulders better than just about all the rest. The Spanish Civil War provides a particularly chilling setting, particularly as personified by the protagonist’s stepfather, a cruel captain in the Fascist army. But the thing that impressed me the most was the flawless mix of innovation and fairy tale. Case in point: the eyeball monster. The creature, its lair, and the scene that takes place therein are all a terrific blend of special effects (of the non-digital kind no less!), art direction and dark, childhood fantasy. Overall director Guillermo del Toro does a superior job of capturing an often-grim real world through the eyes of a fantasy-obsessed girl. The vision is beautifully child-like without being sappily childish. Worth seeing