Rating of
4/4
Pan's Labyrinth Goozernation Movie Review
Sykora727 - wrote on 02/25/10
Pan's labyrinth, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, is a Spanish-language fantasy that takes place in historical Spain in 1944. The story tells about a young girl named Ofelia and her desire to escape the hardships that she faces, and live a life free from the civil war-ridden Spain. Being a young adolescent, Ofelia is pressured to give up her childish dreams and book-like fantasies in place of a more realistic dark adult-hood. After meeting a mystical faun, Ofelia must decide whether or not she will give in to these pressures of a dark grown-up reality, or carry out the difficult tasks given to her by the faun in order to capture her dreams.
Guillermo del Toro does an excellent job at portraying the contrast between living in reality and searching for one's dreams. Del Toro invents the perfect balance in describing the desire to escape into a better world without giving up a person's human responsibility. In fact, del Toro does not encourage escapism through Pan's Labyrinth, but through the writing, he encourages the importance of having a pure heart that is willing to give up one's greatest dreams in pursuit of the greater good.
When I was first acquainted with Pan's Labyrinth, my immediate impression was that it was just another children's fantasy story that I would eventually get around to watching. But when I realized that it was actually rated R, I figured that the movie might not end up being some happy kid's movie without a plot. I was right; Pan's Labyrinth is woven in such a creative way that it is able to relate to anyone who has ever had a childlike dream.
The positives are definitely the creativity and use of reality that draws out the finer elements of the story. Additionally, del Toro's dynamic characters enhances the emotional setting of the script that further enhances the viewer's attention. The negatives are likely the lack of involvement with the actual fantasy side of the story. In the end, Pan's Labyrinth leaves you desiring to see more, as del Toro creates a wonderful and dark world, contrasting dreams and reality, fantasy and sacrifice.
Music.............7
Acting.............9
Characters.....9
Plot.................9
Total Rating= 8.5
http://goozernation.com/Gamers/EricIppolito/PansLabryinth.htm
