Pan's Labyrinth

Via its distinctive treatment, the unique fairy tale theme is offered to a rather older audience, who will not only enjoy the decadent atmosphere but also the many exquisite details that director Del Toro uses to give his fantasy world a soulfulness and an overall feeling of perfect sophistication. The amazing sets, masks, and the contrast of the civil war with the fantasy world are just a sliding surface. The truth lies beneath the surface, where the viewer's imagination and brain must be engaged. Bravo! (24/08/2007)

A truly naturalistic drama from the twilight of the Spanish Civil War, which, through its groundwork of the neighboring worlds of reality and fantasy (surreal), recalls the director's film called Devil. Thanks to the difference between the two worlds, Pan's Labyrinth splits into two different levels – the level of bestial drama and the level of a Goya picturesque fairy-tale horror about the world behind the mirror. What I really miss in this film is the coherence and integrity of both fictional spaces. With the exception of the conclusion, from their union, I had the impression of a kind of discord, uselessness, and that it was forced. Maybe I'm too used to Burton's optics, in which everything has its order. Guillermo Del Toro has order mainly in the visual and technical concept, which is excellent and makes Pan's Labyrinth into a high-quality spectacle in terms of atmosphere, masks, set design and, last but not least, acting. In the end, the culmination of the film brought a clear moment of motivation to the whole scheme and dulled slightly my awkward impression of Del Toro's script. If this special genre mix doesn't appear in Czech movie theatres, the distributors should put their heads in the sand. Despite having a few criticisms, it's a hugely attractive experience and arguably the best endeavor of the Mexican's career... I place it in the poetic neighborhood of Tim Burton and partly Terry Gilliam. (31/03/2007)

During this film, I felt as if Guillermo del Toro had put me on a merry-go-round. At times I found myself in the middle of a military camp suppressing a handful of rebels, and then suddenly witnessing a fairy tale fantasy full of weird creatures. It's certainly an entertaining, exciting and at times thrilling ride, but the effect visibly falters over time and there are some rusty spots, whether it's the incomprehensible brutality that must have shocked the excited younger audience a great deal, or the slight neglect and relegation of Pan and his tasks at the expense of the war, and they grow in number and my impressions were rather mixed when it was over. In any case, just for the premise and the director’s courage, I round up to ****. (23/05/2011)

Earthly life is sad and violent, while the world of supernatural beings is magical and pleasant. In this film, however, things are definitely not like that. Yet in the supernatural world, you can at least eventually find justice. In the earthly world, no. Or yes? Just as Ophelia cannot reconcile herself with the (albeit inconspicuous) injustice done to an innocent creature and, as a result, becomes an innocent victim herself, Spain was forced to become a victim of Franco's fascism for four decades. Ophelia is rewarded for it in the fairy tale world. Spain, in the real world, may not seem like it at first glance, but there is still a chance - if the Spaniards were not willing to sacrifice the innocent for their own happiness, the new generation, even if it emerges from the horror of the previous generation, can experience more just and free times. (28/06/2012)

Love that doesn't touch me, cruelty that becomes routine and a fairytale atmosphere that cannot provide the necessary comfort due to its fragmentation. Del Toro took on too big of a bite, which crumbled into two large crumbs. One slightly smaller, sweet yet bland, the other worn out and almost hard. And not tasty at all. Fragments of a fascinating world, successful atmosphere of fairies, Fauna and creatures from Ofelia's tasks, these are aspects that simply had to captivate me. But there remains the second part with the partisans, eternal failures, and the wild stubbornness of Captain Vidal. When the script tries to torment the viewer with "bad events" too much, it starts to bother me. But when every turn hides obstacles, misfortune, or disaster, sympathy for the main characters disappears completely. Compared to Hellboy packed with ideas to bursting, surprisingly constrained and one-sided detour to nowhere. (04/01/2008)