| Ariadna Gil | Carmen |
| Ivana Baquero | Ofelia |
| Sergi López | Vidal |
| Maribel Verdú | Mercedes |
| Doug Jones | Pan / Pale Man |
| Alex Angulo | Doctor |
| Manolo Solo | Garces |
| Cesar Vea | Serrano |
| Roger Casamajor | Pedro |
| Ivan Massague | El Tarta |
| Gonzalo Martin Uriarte | Frances |
| Eusebio Lazaro | Father |
| Paco Vidal | Priest |
| Juanjo Cucalon | Mayor |
| Lina Mira | Mayor's Wife |
| Mario Zorilla | First-Aid Boss |
| Sebastian Haro | Civil Guard Captain |
| Mila Espiga | Doctor's Wife |
| Pepa Pedroche | Conchita |
| María Jesús Gatoo | Jacinta |
| Ana Saez | Paz |
| Chani Martin | Trigo |
| Milo Taboada | Young Man |
| Fernando Albizu | Engineer |
| Pedro G. Marzo | Manager |
| Jose Luis Torrijos | Sergeant Bayona |
| Inigo Garces | Young Guerrilla 2 |
| Fernando Tielve | Young Guerrilla 2 |
| Federico Luppi | King |
| Chicho Campillo | Old Man |
| Brittney Bush | Insect |
| Elizabeth Irastorza | Fairy/Ballerina |
| Shirley Cheechoo | Stick Insect |
| Chong Che Leung | Stick Insect |
| Mario Klemens | Conductor |
Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
PAN'S LABYRINTH is a mystery cloaked in the garb of a fairy tale for adults. It is an examination of the cruelty of the Civil War in Spain as Franco assumed prominence and the extent to which some people would resist or escape: one of those means of escape just happens to be fantasy. Writer/Director Guillermo del Toro proves his potential as one of the more important experimental filmmakers with this haunting, mesmerizing tale of a young girl's ability to cope with the world into which she is plunged. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is the eleven year old daughter of Carmen (Adriana Gil) whom we first meet as the mother and daughter move to the deserted mill to live with Carmen's sadistic and brutal new husband, Falangist Capitán Vidal (Sergi López). Carmen is pregnant with Vidal's child and upon her arrival she is ordered to bed attended by the housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verdú). Ofelia is frightened by Vidal and his cruel world and by the deteriorating condition of her very pregnant mother and follows a strange insect that leads her to a secret opening into a labyrinth. Her curiosity and desperation to find a better place leads to her discovery of an entirely different world beneath the ground, a world run by the Faun (Doug Jones) who gives Ofelia three tasks that will assist her in making her world above ground a better place. Ofelia must choose between the ever increasing terror surrounding her new home with Vidal and his heinous behavior and overcome the fear of the grotesque but fascinating world of Pan's Labyrinth: the story ends with the manner in which a child must face the realities of the failure of the adult world and find successful solutions - whether those solutions be reality or fantasy. Guillermo del Toro has chosen a superb cast of actors, extraordinary visual effects technicians, cinematographer Guillermo Navarro and music composer Javier Navarrete to create this magical tale. The film becomes one of the finest examples of the use of fantasy in an historical setting. It is bound to become a classic. Grady Harp
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 16, 2013
This is one of my favorite movies, so some of the reviews surprised me. A few people really hated this movie. I suppose they did not like it, because it is a little bit "dark". I considered it beautiful, but sad. Now, it is a bit violent, but it is not as bad as a horror film. I really do not like scary movies! But I could handle this just fine. It does fit the way fairy tales used to be - dark and disturbing. Now, like I said, I do not like scary movies. But I can handle reading things like Edgar Allan Poe. I guess it is a bit like that. Dark, but not like a true horror film. If you like watching movies like "dude wheres my car" or think "honey boo boo" is talented, you likely will not like this movie.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.not for kids, but a great fantasy film
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Great plot. Great performances. Great music. Del Toro's best. This wonderful story has no flaws. A fairytale as they used to be originally: dark and violent. Will make you think and want to see it again and again. Just wonderful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I have few foreign films in my library, but if this film is an indication, I'm definitely losing out on some gems. It's an amazing film on several levels: as a story of childhood, as a surreal and sometimes scary fantasy, as a riveting story of the Spanish Civil War. The imagery is often so gorgeous, the pacing just right to keep you intently watching and all the actors are pitch perfect. This is also one of those films where the commentary and added features really gives value added. I found it fascinating to hear the details of craft and thought that went into this film from the direction to the costume design.
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Posted October 1, 2010
if you like stories of fantasy this is perfect. it is a little dark, but there is a great story.
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Posted October 1, 2010
If you are an imaginative, dreamy person like me who looks every day for a way to excape the monotonous numbness of reality , Pans Labyrinth is the movie for you. This movie is extrvagantly inspirational and bears magnificent story-telling that pulls you into the story and makes you wonder why it has taken so long for someone to find a way to intertwine a realistic conflict like war with fantasy. This movie is told in the beautiful language of spanish which adds to the mystery and idulgence of uniquness. I've never seen or heard of any story like this and I don't want to tell you anything about it, you'll want to find out every detail for yourself. I hope you can enjoy this exalting poetic story of fantasy, adventure, and bravery.
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Posted October 1, 2010
If a crusty old faun told you that you were the princess of the underworld and you had to complete three grueling tasks in order to go through a portal in a dark, empty labyrinth, would you believe him? I'm guessing, no, you'd run the other way, fast. But to 10-year-old, fantasy-obsessed Ofelia, that's music to her ears.
After the Spanish Civil War, young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother (Aridana Gil) travel to live with her new stepfather in an old mill inhabited by the Spanish Army in the deep woods of fascist Spain. Fighting the rebel forces hidden in the woods, Ofelia's stepfather (Sergi López) is consumed with pride and obedience. He ignores his new wife and Ofelia, and she desperately needs a way to escape. At night, a fairy leads Ofelia to the abandoned labyrinth behind the mill. Now, I really can't imagine why anyone in their right mind would follow a flying creature into a dark, chilling maze in the dead of night, but that's just me. In the center of the gloomy labyrinth is an ancient faun. He explains to Ofelia that she is a long-lost princess, but must first accomplish three daunting tasks to prove her royalty. Alright, this is the part where you run! But brave little Ofelia accepts her challenge and embarks on a journey only created by her imagination. The first task: go inside a dying fig tree, crawl through the mud and insects, find a giant toad, and get a golden key from inside it. She feeds the toad three magical rocks, and suddenly, it turns inside out. Seriously, the orange toad guts look more like a mound of bubbling cheese. Ignoring the disgusting nature of the task, Ofelia grabs the big rusty key, and is ready for her next challenge. The old faun returns and proudly tells her of her new task. That night, Ofelia draws a door on the wall with a piece of magic chalk, and it opens to a deadly world. She walks through a series of corridors and ends up in a hall with a magnificent feast. Sitting dormant at the end of the table is a large, pale beast, with long black fingernails encrusted with blood. On the wall, there are paintings of the creature consuming little children like popcorn. With any sense at all, you realize now is the time you leave! But defiant Ofelia can't be swayed like a mere mortal such as myself. Getting to the point of her mission, Ofelia uses the key to open a compartment containing a shiny silver dagger. Time is running out, and as Ofelia begins to leave, she eyes a bowl of crisp, juicy grapes. Alright, if that had been me, the second I got the dagger, I'd be high-tailing it to the door. But unable to resist temptation, Ofelia eats the grapes. At that moment, the pasty monster awakens and chases after Ofelia. She narrowly escapes using the magical chalk to create a door. In all seriousness now, if a pale, child-eating monster isn't enough of a clue to ditch the faun and his fairy friends, then I don't know what is. Yet, Ofelia still won't give up on the fairytale fantasies. Given one last task, and one final chance to succeed, the faun demands Ofelia bring her infant brother to the labyrinth. Loyally, she obliges and takes him, narrowly escaping the reaches of her ruthless stepfather. Inside the horrific maze, the faun wishes to prick the infant with the dagger, spilling innocent blood and opening the portal to the underworld. Unwilling to allow her brother to be harmed, Ofelia courageously disinclines his order. Instead, her own blood is spilled. This decision and sacrific
Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
this is an interesting and pretty to look at kind of film that might remind you of that other labyrinth film with jennifer connelly and david bowie. anyway, this is the story of a girl named Ofelia who's a princess and must complete 3 tasks to get to her world while living in the real world that has her stepfather looking for rebels in the woods. guillermo del toro is one of my fave directors. first movie i ever saw of his and got a little scared but loved the suspense was the devil's backbone and later blade 2 and hellboy. in pan's labyrinth i loved the creatures especially the faun and praying mantis turned fairy she meets in the beginning. Remember though that this is not for kids and can be bloody.
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Posted October 1, 2010
This is a beautiful modern rendition of Alice in Wonderland! Ophelia uses her imagination to escape reality, and finds her own tragic, and happily ever after.
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Posted October 1, 2010
Honest..is how I would describe this movie. This Fairy Tale was done in the traditional style. A true depiction of the brutality, fantasy, hopefulness, and spiritual beauty that exists in mankind. There is no Disney here...thank goodness "therefore, I would not recomend it to any kids under the age of 15 yrs". The dark and light are equally balanced in this film...you just have to pay attention to the subtleties "it's possible even when reading the subtitles". The complexity of the characters are the connection to the reality of humankind. It may not be everyone's cup of tea to acknowledge this, but I am grateful that there are artists out there who risk this kind of insight for the rest of us to explore ourselves. This is what art is about.
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Posted October 1, 2010
This was one of the best movies i've seen. It's true that it is extremely violent, so don't make the mistake of taking young children to see it it's not a fairy tale the way cinderella is. For those of you that are too trouble to read text on the screen you are being immature. Having to READ doesn't make a movie bad, and frankly i enjoy subtitled movies better than when they are ridiculously dubbed. The movie isn't supposed to be a fairy tale, it's about how the girl escapes the violence of the real world during a time of war by going into a fairy-tale like world "it's unclear if it's real or imagination". One of the points is the comparison of which is worse. The real world is at times just as bad as some of the monsters or horrors of the fairy tale world. Anyway, if you think LORD OF THE RINGS was good, this tops it by a couple thousand miles. Don't go and see bad movies like eragon, or other nerdish things.
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Posted October 1, 2010
My brother recommended this film, and he didn't tell me much about it. I think that was good, because when I saw it I went with a fee mind and full of expectation. This film has stayed with me months after watching it, and I cried for fifteen minutes at the end of it. I like how the DelToro showed the contrast of incredible beauty and pure horror. Del Toro painted the whole spectrum of emotions and a realistic picture of human beings, even when some of us prefer to avoid that truth. This film is not for children of for people who get triggered by graphic violence. Having said that, the violence is not as bad as Saw or Hostel, but it think in Pan's labyrinth it has a purpose, a reason of being there, to show how our darkest side and to contrast it with our purest, most beautiful of emotions: love, sacrifice motherhood.
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Posted October 1, 2010
Well, there is really only one word to describe this movie: Outstanding! It is a great movie, and I reccommend it to people about 13-14 and up. The only thing I did not like about this movie was the gruesome injuries. It showed many things that were quite unnecessary, but other than that it has an absolutely great plot and great ending. Keeps you guessing through the whole movie, then you finally understand it at the end. Highly Recommended!!
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Posted October 1, 2010
i thought the whole idea with the girl was great it is a really good movie for teens and adults
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Posted October 1, 2010
There is no good anything to this movie. First off most people hate to read and watch a movie, you tend to miss good bits doing that. Not the case in this movie as there are no good bits. Mind you though I don't mind subtitles at all. The story is weak as water, as well as the acting! I have no idea why people are writting good reveiws of this movie, as it is nothing but a waste of time and money. Iv'e had better times waiting in line at the DMV! What little action that the movie had was pretty much shoving a little girl around was very undesirable. If you like movies that are degrading to women and if you like to see little girls get shoved around and if you like crappy wanna be modern fantasy movies then this is for you! *you sick person* For the price this movie is listed for you could get two really good movies. Stay away form this thing.
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 1, 2010
I can't help but feel the people reviewing this movie didn't understand what this movie was going into it. It was rated R for one thing, and marketed as an adult fairy tale. This was NOT a children's story. This is a tragedy, a drama, and those of us that understood the ending understand that it wasn't really in the fantasy genre either. It's a story of a little girl trying to cope with a very difficult circumstance the best she can. Anyone that knows history knows the brutality of what happened during the war this movie is set in. I won't say too much more for those that haven't seen the movie, but it's more real than I think the negative reviewers understand. And, the acting, is wonderful. Ivana Baquero, the girl that plays Ofelia, is a wonderful young actress with a lot of promise. If a person isn't happy with this movie they either don't understand the need for a darker side to the story, or they don't have the ability to understand it's depth.
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Posted October 1, 2010
To start I believe most people went into this movie expecting the "Mother Goose" version of fairy tales. News flash, originally fairy tales were dark and disturbing. Did you even read Hansel and Grettel? Left in the woods by their parents to die during a food shortage? This movie was about how a little girl delt with all the bad surrounding her life by imagining other things. Yes it was a little violent, but you should have known that going in, it's rated R. I personally didn't like the movie but it had nothing to do with infantile things like subtitles or blood, more that it just wasn't my type of movie. Artisticly it was a great movie, well written, execlent plot, and outstanding acting. Quit acting like unintelligent 'groundlings' and appreciate this movie for what it is, a great piece of art!
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Posted October 1, 2010
Really enjoyed this although it was a little lengthy. A great combination of fantasy and gore. I was pleased with realist ending.
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Posted October 1, 2010
I saw this movie for the first time last night, and I thought it was outstanding. This absolutely is not the movie you buy for your 8 year old child, or even for a young to mid-teen, in my opinion. It is very brutal and graphic in parts, but that's what adds the raw, emotional edge to the piece. You get that in a lot of foreign films, but not many American films because Hollywood tends to water down the violence. The ending is both tragic and beautiful, and the acting so well that you fall in love with some characters and detest others. The underlying themes are poignant and perhaps too deep for people who are used to "light" fantasy or know very little about mythology. If you have an interest in history, mythology, and/or are into darker fantasy like some of the original Brothers Grimm stories, definately try this movie out. You don't have to be "sick" to like it, despite what some reviewers have said.
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Overview