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Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno)

DVD Review by Kam Williams

It is Spain in 1944, a time when Generalissimo Francisco Franco’s forces were crushing any resistance to his rule with an iron fist. A little girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) has landed in the middle of this madness, because after her dad died in battle, her mom, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), remarried sadistic army Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez) not for love, but for survival.

As the story opens, we find mother and daughter making their way across a war-torn landscape to an abandoned mill which will be their new home. The Captain has converted the quaint structure into his military headquarters.

Upon arriving, Ofelia finds herself ignored by both her very pregnant, bed-ridden mom and by her preoccupied stepfather. Surrounded by the constant sight of soldiers and the cruelty of the bloody conflict, the terrified tyke is fortunate to find a sympathetic soul in Mercedes (Maribel Verdu), a housekeeper who shares a secret refuge from all the madness, a neglected garden labyrinth located nearby.

There, Ofelia’s fertile imagination blossoms as she wanders along its maze-like winding paths as a cornucopia of frightening creatures start springing to life. One of Ofelia’s pretend friends, a half-goat/half-man faun, Pan (Doug Jones), informs her that she is the long-lost princess of this peaceable kingdom’s underworld. But in order to descend to her throne where she will be reunited with her real father, the curious lass must first complete a trio of dangerous tasks.

This fantastical premise underpins Pan's Labyrinth, a three-time Academy Award-winner, and an intriguing example of magical realism from Guillermo del Toro. Deftly blending computer-generated and live-action effects, the picture presents a plausible version of how a child’s mind might deal with the horrors of war, namely, by escaping into a parallel universe filled with fanciful characters.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated R for profanity and graphic violence.

In Spanish with subtitles

Running time: 110 minutes

Studio: New Line Home Video

2-Disc DVD Extras: Director’s video storyboard prologue, director’s audio commentary, teasers, galleries, DVD ROM, director’s notebook, director’s interview with Charlie Rose, production sketches, theatrical trailer, TV spots, sneak peeks, storyboard/thumbnail comparisons, plus four featurettes.