| | |  | | Home » Pan's Labyrinth | | | | | | | Description: | | Following a bloody civil war, young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a tyrannical military officer. Armed with only her imagination, Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother. But soon, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and before Ofelia can turn back, she finds herself at the center of a ferocious battle between good and evil. | | | Features: | |
• Following a bloody civil war, young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a tyrannical military officer. Armed with only her imagination, Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother. But soon, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and before Ofelia can turn
| | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones | | Director:
| Guillermo del Toro | | Format:
| AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC | | Language:
| Spanish | | Subtitle:
| English, Spanish | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Studio:
| New Line Home Video | | Run Time:
| 119 minutes | | DVD Release Date:
| May 15, 2007 | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 736 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Wow.Mar 05, 2010
Stunning visuals like stepping into the 'virtual world' of Hieronymus Bosch! That the tale is told in Spanish only adds to the mystique. Seriously trippy - and violent too. Watch a large preying mantis-like wood bug change into a fairy and lead you into the dark woods and 'the labyrinth'. Yes, it could almost be a fairy tale - in the modern sense of the word - but for the violence, which is quite severe in places. In that regard, it is more like the original faery tales long before they were Disnified, and which could also be somewhat gruesome. Set in Franco's Spain at the end of world war II, the story follows a young girl's entrance into a magical world as a cruel dictator, her would-be step-father, wages war against rebels in the forest outside. Not for the kiddies. There is a heavy kind of menace and violence that helps convince and adds weight to the story in the right places. Bloody yet swift-moving, it is a tale cloaked in layers of art, symbolism, spirituality and * magic *. What a rich tone this movie has - so full of dark and light, a masterpiece of color. The fact that it is in Spanish (English subtitles) really does enhance its mystique and somehow gives greater authenticity to its magic. A very potent movie.
0 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Hideously violent propaganda filmMar 05, 2010
Looking for a nice fantasy film to watch? Look somewhere else.
I am far from squeamish when it comes to movie violence. But this film was so disturbingly violent that I nearly turned it off a couple times. Want some examples?
A man gets his face bashed in with a wine bottle, and the viewer is treated to about twenty nose-crunching blows, blood spouting, the man twitching in agony, his father screaming.
On another occasion, we are shown a scene where the Spanish nationalist captain is nonchalantly shooting wounded enemy combatants in the head. He finds one fellow who is still sitting up, alive and conscious, and aims his gun at his face. The man pushes the gun away. The captain moves it back. He pushes it away again. This happens a couple more times before the captain simply shoots the man in the face through his hand.
And then there are the torture scenes. And the scene where one of the characters gets a knife stuck in his mouth and half of his cheek sliced open.
Nice night at the movies, right?
The trouble with this film is that it is billed as a fantasy, not a horror movie gore-fest.
And of course, there are the political/religious overtones. If you know nothing about the Spanish Civil War, you won't pick them up. Let it suffice to say that the communists are the good guys, and the Catholics and nationalists are hideously brutal thug-like criminals. There is even a scene where a priest encourages the sadistic nationalist commander to basically kill them all and let God sort them out. Nice.
I give this movie two stars because the fantasy element is interesting and well done. It is also slightly horrifying, but whimsically so. The movie has something of a good message at the end, too. The heroine, the little girl Ofelia, sacrifices herself to save an innocent. Unfortunately, the fantasy element only makes up about 25% of the movie and the good message is too easily lost amid the hideously brutal violence that permeates this film.
Not recommended for human consumption.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great Film, Nice extrasFeb 01, 2010
This is a fantastic film! It is a Spanish film and there is no English dub. So if you are put off by reading subtitles then this film may not be for you. But you'll be missing out. The extra features on disc two are mostly in english (but some Spanish with subtitles) and are excellent.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Solid on Blu RayDec 08, 2009
For those wondering about the Blu Ray version of Pan's Labyrinth, you may rest at ease. This is not a quick hack job, the transfer was done properly, and the picture (and sound) are superb, even if the DVD was already good looking upconverted.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
I believed in a lot of things I don't believe anymore.Nov 30, 2009
"Pan's Labyrinth" was written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, and made its debut at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. It has been very highly regarded since its release, and the awards it has won include three Oscars and three BAFTAs
"Pan's Labyrinth" opens in 1944, and is set in Spain. Five years have passed since the Spanish Civil War "officially" finished, although there is still a Resistance fighting against the Franco's Falangists. As part of the state's solution, military outposts have been established to deal with the "problem." The film's main character is Ofelia, a young girl who is devoted to reading. As the film opens, she is travelling with her heavily pregnant mother to at one of these military outposts. Captain Vidal, the outpost's commanding officer, is Ofelia's stepfather and the outpost will become her new home. Vidal is as cruel, vindictive and selfish as you'd expect from a Fascist and Ofelia (unsurprisingly) grows to hate him. With her mother desperate to please him and provide a `safe' home, Ofelia's only real ally is Mercedes, the housekeeper. Mercedes, however, is anything but a collaborator : her brother is in the Maquis, and she helps them in any way she can.
Luckily, there is the chance of an escape. A long time ago in a wonderful underground kingdom, a young princess dreamt of blue skies and bright sunshine. One day, she managed to escape her guardians and found a way to the human world "up above". Unfortunately, the brightness of the sun blinded her and wiped her memory. She suffered pain and sickness and, in time, she died. Her father, however, knew her soul would return at another time and in another place and he would wait for her return. When Ofelia follows a fairy into the labyrinth close to her new home, she meets a faun...who tells her she is the princess returned. Unfortunately, she must first complete three tasks before she's allowed to return to her former home. However, from the film's opening scene, you know things are not going to be easy for Ofelia.
Despite the fairytales and mythical creatures, I wouldn't really say "Pan's Labyrinth" it a movie for children - it is quite dark and a couple of scenes are really very unpleasant. In fact, despite the fantasy element, the film's biggest monster is Vidal : poisonous, nasty, vicious and brutal, he barely tolerates Ofelia and views her mother as little more than a walking womb. Mercedes, on the other hand, is everything Vidal isn't - protective, honourable, loving and kind. However, it is an excellent movie overall and - so long as you don't mind subtitles - is totally recommended.
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