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Ariadna Gil, Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones ... see more see more... , Álex Angulo , Manolo Solo , César Vea , Roger Casamajor , Ivan Massagué , Gonzalo Martin Uriarte , Eusebio Lazaro , Paco Vidal , Juanjo Cucalon , Lina Mira , Mario Zorilla , Sebastián Haro , Mila Espiga , Pepa Pedroche , María Jesús Gatoo , Ana Saez , Chani Martín , Milo Taboada , Fernando Albizu , Pedro G. Marzo , Jose Luis Torrijos , Inigo Garces , Fernando Tielve , Federico Luppi , Chicho Campillo , Brittney Bush , Elizabeth Irastorza , Shirley Cheechoo , Chong Che Leung

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro returns to the phantasmagorical cinema that defined such early fare as Cronos and The Devil's Backbone with this haunting fantasy-drama set in the aftermath of the... read more read more... Spanish Civil War and detailing the strange journeys of an imaginative young girl who may be the mythical princess of an underground kingdom. Her mother, Carmen (Ariadna Gil), recently remarried to sadistic army captain Vidal (Sergi Lpez) and soon to bear the cruel military man's child, shy young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is forced to entertain herself as her recently-formed family settles into their new home nestled deep in the Spanish countryside. As Ofelia's bed-ridden mother lies immobilized in anticipation of her forthcoming child and her high-ranking stepfather remains determined to fulfill the orders of General Francisco Franco to crush a nearby guerilla uprising, the young girl soon ventures into an elaborate stone labyrinth presided over by the mythical faun Pan (Doug Jones). Convinced by Pan that she is the lost princess of legend and that in order to return to her underground home she must complete a trio of life-threatening tasks, Ofelia sets out to reclaim her kingdom and return to her grieving father as Vidal's housekeeper Mercedes (Maribel Verd) and doctor (Alex Angulo) plot secretly on the surface to keep the revolution alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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R, 1 hr. 55 min.

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Release Date: December 29, 2006

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DVD Release Date: May 18, 2007

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Flixster Reviews (76,716)

  • DreamExtractor
    March 31, 2012
    DreamExtractor
    Pan's Labyrinth is a fantasy film unlike anything you will ever see. We are given fantasy films such as Narnia, Harry Potter, The Wizard Of Oz, Alice in Wonderland where kids are taken to a mystical world, but Pan's Labyrinth is different than all of those combined. Its a bit o... read moref a horror fantasy, a mature work of art for adults who wish to enjoy a fantasy just for them. Although the protagonist is a young girl, this film is anything but a children's film. Guillermo del Toro has created his masterpiece here and not only is it a great fantasy, I predict in many years it will be treasured as one of the greatest achievements in film of the 21st Century. The plot of the film is so imaginative and fearful that it could get the attention of anyone with a sense of imagination and fear, its so dark yet so elegant and I just found myself getting into the characters and the creatures which made this unlike any fantasy film ever made. The cast is incredible, espically Ivana Baquero who plays one of the best roles of a young actress I have seen in a long time. I was captivated by everything in this film, from the Faun, to the Pale Man with hands for eyes, from the evil step-father, everything here is just so dark and masterful that I think its safe to say this is one of the most imaginative and best fantasies of all time. I know that is saying a lot, but with all those films I mentioned at the start of this review, its in the lines of fantasy greatness with the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings films. If wish you see this masterpiece, be sure to not let your kids see it because this movie is a much darker and twisted fantasy than you have ever seen.
  • mumby1988
    March 18, 2012
    mumby1988
    The first time I saw Pan's Labyrinth, I declared that it was on a par with The Lord of the Rings as one of the great works of fantasy filmmaking, not only of the decade but of all time. I wrote these words in expectation of Guillermo del Toro helming The Hobbit, which sadly did n... read moreot come to pass, and subsequently compared the film to Let The Right One In as a demonstration of the worth and power present in seemingly familiar territory.

    Having let the dust settle, and in anticipation of Peter Jackson's return to Tolkien, the time feels right to re-examine Pan's Labyrinth in a different context. And if anything, del Toro's masterpiece is even more astounding, astonishing and heart-breaking second time round. It is the pinnacle of del Toro's career to date, the culmination of all the greatness he showcased in Cronos and The Devil's Backbone, and proof that he is, to paraphrase Mark Kermode, the Orson Welles of fantasy filmmaking.

    As well as being a sister film to The Devil's Backbone, Pan's Labyrinth draws on a number of influences from del Toro's formative years as a filmmaker. Its extraordinary special effects, a mixture of CGI, make-up and animatronics, recall his childhood love of John Carpenter's The Thing, while its strong-willed and inquisitive female protagonist hints at his appreciation of Lewis Carroll. It is also part of a rich vein in fantasy and horror filmmaking which explores past or alternative identities bubbling to the service, something David Lynch approached in Mulholland Drive and David Cronenberg depicted in The Fly and A History of Violence.

    The comparison with Alice in Wonderland helps to illuminate the huge strength of Pan's Labyrinth, which lifts it far above the more standardised, condescending fantasy that Hollywood often produces. Terry Gilliam, whose works also blend fantasy and reality, has long argued that through the eyes of a child, fairies and demons seem just as real as anything we adults take for granted. While Gilliam faltered in his own approach to Alice (Tideland is at best an admirable failure), Pan's Labyrinth genuinely makes you see the world through the eyes of a child. It doesn't do this by referencing childlike imagery in a knowing, adult way: it does it by treating the child's viewpoint as the most reliable, if not the only reliable view on offer in a world which everyone is struggling to understand.

    Within the first ten minutes of the film, Ofelia has been established as the only possible point of focus. The brief backstory surrounding Princess Moanna gives no suggestion that she and Ofelia bear any resemblance. After this we are thrust straight into the back-end of the Spanish Civil War, shown a world of brutality and ruthlessness contrasted by our early sightings of the fairies in the woods. Because Ofelia is the only other person who recognises seeing the fairies, and makes no effort to deny it to herself or her mother, we naturally gravitate towards her, taking her view as ours - something that never falters in the whole of the next two hours.

    The world of Pan's Labyrinth is visually extraordinary, with del Toro and long-time cinematographer Guillermo Navarro working in perfect harmony to create a unique cinematic experience. The colour palette is awash with ethereal blue light and faded pastel and watercolour tones; the lavender purple of the soldiers' uniforms looks like colourised black-and-white footage. The make-up and creatures all have an unnervingly grotesque quality, whether it's the giant toad, the Faun, or the mouth of Sergi Lopez after it has been sliced open with a razor.

    Pan's Labyrinth is a film which recognises and celebrates the darkness of fairy tales, emphasising that they are not, as Ofelia's mother believes, childish stories that one eventually grows out of. There are numerous moments in the film which are really scary or deeply uncomfortable, and none more so than Ofelia's encounter with the Pale Man. This terrifying creature with sagging skin, sharp teeth and eyes in the palms of its hands, is as creepy as the witches of Brothers Grimm and as brooding and sinister as Bluebeard. The film earns its 15 certificate for his scene alone, not so much for its graphic content but from the sheer terror generated from both the design and the brilliant performance of Doug Jones.

    Like all the best fairy tales, Pan's Labyrinth has a deep moral backbone buried under its layers of magic and mystery. Del Toro described the film as being about "a princess who forgot who she was", with the lead character needing not only self-belief but self-sacrifice to achieve her goal. Ofelia begins to refer to herself as 'Princess Moanna' very soon after her encounter with the Faun, but she finds herself torn between her need to complete the tasks and the love she shows for her mother and unborn brother. Her capacity for compassion towards the human world is seen by the Faun as a weakness, but ultimately it is this which proves her worth and allows her to re-join her father in the underworld.

    Del Toro contrasts the dark worlds of Ofelia's monsters and war-torn Spain to make a number of points about fantasy and human nature. Fairy tales, and by extension horror movies, have often been held up by their respective fans as mechanisms to cope with the horrors of the real world: by being exposing to darkness at a young age, within a carefully controlled environment, people are better equipped to deal with real evil whenever and wherever it emerges. Del Toro clearly agrees with this: the longer Ofelia spends carrying out the Faun's tasks, the less intimidated she becomes by Captain Vidal.

    Pan's Labyrinth is structured in such a way as to draw parallels between the monsters in both worlds. This is not as direct or blatant as Peter Pan, where traditionally the same actor plays Mr. Darling and Captain Hook, to make a point about children fearing their parents. The point del Toro is making follows on from the observation about the cathartic effect of fantasy and horror stories. On the one hand, the creatures in Ofelia's 'fairy tales' are not simple, frothy and easy to dismiss: even those who are on her side are genuinely threatening. On the other hand, the real world contains characters every bit as monstrous and sadistic as the Pale Man. They differ in their methods, but share the goal of crushing the human spirit and imagination, whether through physical torture or psychological humiliation.

    The film is a masterpiece of directorial skill which finds del Toro at the top of his game. His choice of shots and camera angles is masterful, maintaining intimacy with the characters even during the moments of great splendour or breathtaking human tragedy. Individual shots, like the blood trickling down Ofelia's fingers or the screaming mandrake root, are shot in intense close-up to emphasis the pathos of the situation. Equally impressive is the seamless editing, which allows fantasy and reality to blend without effort. In one memorable shot, we move from the toad's kingdom in the base of a tree to the soldiers in the forest through a simple pan of the camera.

    Pan's Labyrinth is also a deeply political film. Set at the end of the Spanish Civil War, it shows how fragile and vulnerable fascist rule is in reality. The wellbeing of the base depends greatly on the personal strength and charisma of Vidal: when he begins to be undermined or express doubts, the whole system quickly collapses. As with Ofelia's storyline, it is a case of imagination and ideals triumphing over the cynical, the ruthless and the cold-hearted. The ingenuity of the rebels in the woods seems no match for military might, but it is this ingenuity, self-belief and self-sacrifice which ultimately eliminate Vidal.

    Pan's Labyrinth is a peerless masterpiece among fantasy films, rivalling The Lord of the Rings for the title of greatest fantasy film of our time, if not all time. Del Toro's superb direction and incomparable storytelling are reinforced by amazing performances from Ivana Baquero as Ofelia and Sergi Lopez, following on from his villainous turn in Dirty Pretty Things. Its horrific beauty and overflowing imagination makes for two hours of mesmerising cinema, culminating in a final scene which is both heartbreaking and triumphant. It is one of the great films of the decade, and the jewel in del Toro's golden crown.
  • aquateen2
    February 25, 2012
    aquateen2
    Pan's Labyrinth is imaginative and spellbinding to the extreme. I've rarely seen any films like this with wonderful emotional depth. Guillermo Del Toro does more than help us manage crossing the language barrier but pulls us into a different world that helps us ignore it and fall... read more to our feet with emotion as we express tender care for the little girl and even see the world's from her eyes. I cannot stress how exhilarating and stunning this magic motion picture is. Del Toro creates one of the darkest atmosphere's in the history of film and shapes innocence into it too, despite the fact we are watching an independent main character who is a great role model for children as well as adults. All this and more of its timeless majesty and ultimate entertainment experience help me conclude that Pan's Labyrinth is one of the best Fantasy films ever made.
  • fb1378820053
    February 21, 2012
    fb1378820053
    Set in Spain1944, in the midst of a Civil war a young girl and her pregnant mother are transported to the Spanish countryside to live with her mothers remarried husband the ruthless Captain Vidal. The young girl then visits a mysterious Labyrinth where a a mythical faun informs h... read moreer that she is the lost princess and sends her on 3 tasks that she must complete in order to return to her underground home and escape from the retched clutches of her Evil stepfather.


    Pan's Labyrinth is a Fantastic dark Spanish fairy tale that combines the horrors of reality and the fantasy world. With an ending that will stay in your mind for a long time, superb acting and brilliant Directing. Pan's Labyrinth is a Beautifully horrific Film.
  • garyX
    December 7, 2011
    garyX
    A little girl and her pregnant mother are relocated to an army camp to be with the unborn baby's father, an officious and sadistic captain in Franco's fascist military. Pan's Labyrinth is a gothic fantasy that sees a young girl escape into a world of fauns, fairys and political a... read morellegory to escape her cold, cruel, clockwatching, jack-booted step-father who is a kindred spirit of Schindler's List's Goethe. Once again Del Toro blends beautiful imagery with an affecting war story and the result is an enchanting experience that mirrors the fight between good and evil in both the real world and a young child's imagination. Young Ivana Baquero puts in a performance that belies her tender years and the stunning visuals create a fantasy world that is beautiful yet conveys a suitably dark and disturbing undercurrent in Guillermo Del Toro's inimitable style. The two stories didn't quite gel together for me, feeling more like two separate stories told in parallel and so I must admit I prefer The Devil's backbone, but fans of Tim Burton and Jeunet will adore it.
  • fb619846742
    November 25, 2011
    fb619846742
    A wonderful, imaginative movie that deserves to be seen. Absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking, and memorable tale of a broken family caught in the middle of war time, and the imaginative underworld that a young girl invents to help block out the horror going on around her. By far ... read moredel Toro's best work, and a film that will not leave one quickly.
  • fb100000257973100
    November 6, 2011
    fb100000257973100
    Okay, I will admit that I am a sucker for Fairy Tales. Always have been, always will be. But, while I love them, the only problem is that they have been so stripped of any true suspense and terror that made the originals wonderful that, now they have gotten kind of pathetic. Well... read more, in 2006, director Guillermo Del Toro released this little gem that is, to be honest, unlike anything I have ever see or will see again.
    The only way for me to describe this film is to think of the darkest, most richest fantasy that could surpass films like The Lord Of The Rings, The Chronicles Of Narnia, and Harry Potter. Being an adult (in terms of tone) version of Alice In Wonderland, this is a beyond complex film. How so? Because while all of the fantasy aspects are going on, there is this complete separate subplot going on about Spain during World War II and that is somehow mixed in with all of the Fantasy parts. Basically, this is a film that could of went disastrously wrong, but thankfully it did not.
    Now, when I re-watched this film for the first time in a year and a half, I noticed something that made me think back to Marlon Brando. You see, with acting there are two eras: Pre Brando and Post Brando. This was because Marlon Brando invented new methods of acting that changed the way actors acted on screen. (For example, what The Godfather) The reason why I brought this up is because I noticed that, for one character, that this film created a new era in terms of enemies: Pre-Vidal and Post-Vidal. In the movie, the character of Vidal is portrayed by Sergi Lopez and he makes this character one of the most sadistic and down right terrifying war captains I have ever seen. This film, in terms of his character, is ahead of it's time only to be proven by the character of Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.
    That is another thing that makes this film so genius: the characters. But the two (I would say three, but I already talked about Vidal) that just steal this film is Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and Pan (Doug Jones). With Ofelia, I am just surprised at how well acted her character was. I know for child actors/ actresses it is difficult, but with the material and the pure imagination of this film, she was fantastic and a bit heartbreaking in one scene. For Pan, Holy ****. I have no idea as to what to say about Doug Jones. But, if I had to say something, I would say that his performance reminded me of that of Tim Curry in Legend: completely breathtaking. But most of that has to go to the make-up effects team for designing this faun and making him look aged, terrifying, yet comforting. And with his acting, for having been through all of that make up, it was outstanding.
    The look of this film is, without a doubt, one of the most important things to notice. Everything was the dark, gritty real world to the fantastic and terrying underworld to even the creatures that Ofelia encounters is, breathtaking. Del Toro has a wonderful eye for capturing the dark beauty of this film, and it just works.
    That is probably all I can say about this film: dark, beautiful, near perfect in almost every category, and just a thrill to watch. But, best keep young kids away. Some of the torture scenes and dark imagery might be a bit too much. But for everyone else, this is a feast for the imagination.
  • fb100002891058690
    October 21, 2011
    fb100002891058690
    del Toro does a masterful job creating this world, while magical it is still believable to the audience. The score, the cinematography, the imagination, the realism, the acting all come together in this film and leave us wanting more. Absoultely wonderful flick, so good that the ... read morewe barely notice the language barrier. A film I will watch countless times.
  • fb1216165431
    September 10, 2011
    fb1216165431
    Pan's Labyrinth is with an underlying social commentary on Fascism. Fantastic beauty and dreadful reality all in one masterful Guillermo del Toro work. Captivating artful visual invention that evokes the rawest of emotions. Exquisite.
  • stevenecarrier
    August 4, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    I do like "Pan's Labyrinth" very much but I feel like it's a bit of a rehash of Guillermo del Toro's previous films. While the story is engaging overall, I just wish the fantasy and reality aspects had a more balanced presentation. For me, there was too much about the war and not... read more enough about the fairy tale. Still these are minor complains because del Toro has a very strong hand over his vision. It's clearly the work it's meant to be. "Pan's Labyrinth" is the film that solidified del Toro as a auteur and finally made critics and audiences a like appreciate him as an artist and not just another genre filmmaker.

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Critic Reviews

Carrie Rickey
August 4, 2007
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Pan's Labyrinth suggests that fairy-tale violence helps the vulnerable process and overcome real-life conflicts and that real-life violence permanently smashes the soul and the heart. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
February 3, 2007
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

So breathtaking in its artistic ambition, so technically accomplished, so morally expansive, so fully realized that it defies the usual critical blather. See it, and celebrate that rare occasion when ... Full Review

Roger Moore
January 19, 2007
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A violent fantasy set during the Spanish Civil War, this magical film from Guillermo del Toro manages that intellectual high-mindedness, even as it resonates on a primal, mythic level. Full Review

Tom Long
January 19, 2007
Tom Long, Detroit News

It explores the connection between fantasy and reality, with eyes wide open to the dangers of giving either too much credence. That it works on both levels is impressive; that it makes them so clearly... Full Review

Terry Lawson
January 19, 2007
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

It is an adult fairy tale that will lead grown-ups to eagerly await the day that their own children will be old enough to understand. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
January 19, 2007
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

This backdrop of intrigue creates violent scenes that may have you turning away from the screen. Beautifully designed and full of its own strange poetry, Pan's Labyrinth is nonetheless not a children'...

Lisa Kennedy
January 19, 2007
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

Ofelia, you break our hearts. But you also restore our confidence in human decency. Full Review

Peter Rainer
January 18, 2007
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Pan's Labyrinth resembles a cross between Alice in Wonderland and H.P. Lovecraft, with some Buñuel thrown in for good measure. It's a tribute to -- as well as a prime example of -- the disturbing powe... Full Review

Bill Muller
January 18, 2007
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

In coming up with one of the finest modern fantasies to date, del Toro seamlessly blends two stories, one set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and the other in a parallel realm of fairies and... Full Review

Bob Longino
January 18, 2007
Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Pan's Labyrinth is del Toro's home run. He's delivered a film full of power, beauty, horror and, ultimately, sadness. Full Review

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    • Pan / Pale Man: The moon will be full in three days. Your spirit shall forever remain among the humans. You shall age like them, you shall die like them, and all memory of you shall fade in time. And we'll vanish along with it. You will never see us again.
    • Pan / Pale Man: I have so many names, names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. I am... [inutterable beastly and woodland sounds]. I am a faun.
    • Mercedes: No... he won't even know your name
    • Ofelia: Hola.
    • Ofelia: He's not my father, the captain is not my father.
    • Ofelia: You'll meet her, she's very pretty, even though sometimes she's sad for many days at a time. You'll see, when she smiles, you'll love her.
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  • How many Oscars did the movie Pan's Labyrinth win at the 2007 Oscars?  Answer »
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  • In Pan's Labyrinth the Faun tells Ofelia of her true identity. Who is she?  Answer »
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