|
Featuring
stunning visuals, great performances and a story full of imagination and
sadness, Pan's Labyrinth is another movie that has hit the ball right
out of the park. Guillermo del Toro has created what many are touting
“an adult fairy tale” and they would be right. This is not a kids movie,
no matter how deceptive the trailers may be. There are a few really
graphic scenes of violence that even made me shudder. That's the first
warning. The second is that this movie is completely subtitled, which
can make some movies difficult for some viewers to watch (my wife hates
them). That being said we can move on.
The heart of
this movie is Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero. She is confronted with
the brutal realities of life during a time of war and is also dealing
with fantastical creatures and scary monsters and plays both sides with
the same determination and innocence. Sergi Lopez's Captain Vidal is one
of the most uncaring “villain” that I have seen in a while. He cares
nothing of Ofelia and her mother, all he wants is the son she is
carrying inside her. In one of the sub plots, Mercedes, played with
heart and gusto by Maribel Verdu, is a servant who is also helping the
rebels and she seems to be the conscience of the film. The stand out
performance has got to be Doug Jones as The Pale Man and Pan. He has a
way with body language that is unbelievable. You have to see these two
characters to know what I am talking about. If you have seen Hellboy,
another of del Toro's films, Jones played Abe Sapien with fluid grace.
On a side note, Jones has been tapped to play the Silver Surfer in the
upcoming Fantastic Four sequel
Rise of the
Silver Surfer. So keep your eyes open for that. The last cast member
I want to mention is the voice actor for Pan. I read in an interview
with Jones that his voice was dubbed by someone else and I can't find
any mention or credit anywhere. Whoever he was he did a damn fine job.
Now I have
to mention the effects. The bad thing is that I can't go into too much
detail without giving away some plot point and surprises. Let's just say
that the fantasy elements are realized beautifully, blending in with
reality where needed almost seamlessly. The graphic violence I mentioned
earlier? Just brutal and in your face. Not glorified or over the top,
just shown as straight forward and realistic as possible.
Final
thoughts – Leave the kids at home, grab your Spanish speaking cousin and
head to the theater for an adult fairy tale that will take you down the
rabbit hole, mess with your mind and toss you back up into the brutal
sunshine all before dinner.
Until Doug
Jones and Andy Serkis makes a film together,
keep
reading.
Mitch E.
mitchemerson@hotmail.com
Best Lines:
Ofelia:
My name is Ofelia. Who are you?
Pan:
Me? I've had so many names... Old names that only the wind and the trees
can pronounce. I am the mountain, the forest and the earth. I am... I am
a faun. Your most humble servant, Your Highness.
Captain
Vidal: You could have obeyed me!
Doctor
Ferreiro: [his last words] But captain, obey for obeys sake...
That's something only people like you do.
|
