Great early movie from del Toro
355652
Before he got really big he was doing great "smaller" flicks like this that show his style and story-telling.  Without giving up the story the movie is about a boy left at an orphanage during the Spanish civil war.  While there he uncovers a mystery that remains unsolved but through his ability to communicate with the deceased victim the truth unfolds.  More of a story-telling than a gotcha or boo thriller type movie.  And, reading an essay on the movie to understand the symbolism regarding del Toro's position on the war and socialism makes it all the more interesting.
3625491
this was the VERY FIRST film to use computer animation, in this

case, a murderous stained glass soldier.

it was up against "cocoon", which won the oscar for visual f/x that year [1985], and the 3rd was "return to oz".

this is a "what if" tale of a young version of both friends.

problem is critics AND viewers thought it resembled "indy jones/temple of doom" too much, especially in the 2nd half.

but the first hour is very entertaining!! one of barry levinson's better movies of his career as director.

"holmes" was released opposite "color purple" around christmas and failed to find an audience. but this film fantasy is great for kids who like adventure. definately one of the better spielberg films in his collection, sadly overlooked.
4078994
Not being a circuit guy myself,  i enjoyed watching and  alternately being excited and horrified by the proceedings.  As  a movie  it is definitely above average -  and especially the character of Hector  is  finely wrought....  well worth the time to see this movie once....
3275179
*no spoilers*

The Oscar buzz is all over the new film "Pan's Labyrinth" and we were there to find out the hype. It is basically a dark fantasy tale--a la "Never Ending Story"--where director Guillermo Del Toro combines two things; a fairy tale daydream of a preteen girl and the crude reality of the world she lived in. "Pan's Labyrinth" is an interesting, creepy and dramatic film that shows us why many children want to escape their sad realities by creating new ones of their own.

Story:

"Pan's Labyrinth" takes place in Northern Spain after the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1944. Things are not going well for the 12-year old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) whose father died. She has to move in along with her ill pregnant mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) to a new home in the countryside--she brings her fairy tales books with her. Carmen is pregnant from her new husband, the brutal Capitan Vidal (Sergi Lpez) who waits for them. He was sent to that remote area to destroy the remaining militia group who hides in the mountains and wants to take control of the village. The Capitan also wants Carmen to give birth where he is. The day of their trip, Ofelia discovers a hidden magical world. She encounters a goat-like faun who tells her that she is a princess, but in order to regain her kingdom, she must complete three tasks. She accepts and the adventure begins.

Review:

"Pan's labyrinth" was written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro ('Blade II', 'Hellboy') who combined civil war, political instability and a fantastic fairy tale world. In her adventure, Ofelia is the princess, the one that matters and savior of her future brother and dying mother from the dangerous "adult world" they're stuck in. Is this a pipe dream? Unfortunately nobody sees this magical world but her. This situation keeps us guessing about what she is really seeing. Back in the real world, Del Toro doesn't waste any time of letting us know who the bad guys are. He show us extreme moments of how Capital Vidal--along with his soldiers--kills the "enemies" of Spain, which is very tough to look at. This creates realism and sensitivity for the audience who see the atrocities committed during the Spanish Civil War.

The fairy tale world she sees is full of strange, creepy and symbolic oddities. We see creatures--some look extremely hideous in a cool way--that she has to face in order to make all her problems go away. We like the way the story jumps from fantasy to reality without compromising the rhythm of the movie. In other words, the editing is excellent and it doesn't drag, all these elements displayed with eye candy cinematography.

The movie is well acted; especially Sergi Lpez who is probably the best actor in this film. He gives us an excellent performance as the ruthless, mean and arrogant Capitan Vidal--we love to hate this character.

The Verdict:

Although the ending is unsatisfying and open to interpretation, "Pan's Labyrinth" is a respectable movie that tells the fantasy of a child who didn't want to grow up and wanted to be a fairy tale princess forever. All mixed with political themes and war. We recommend this film and we won't be surprised if this movie shows up at the Oscars. The movie is in Spanish with English subtitles and not recommended for small children.
2850319
When I first saw this 1960 film it totally floored me. If you haven't seen the old, classic Universal horror flicks from the 1930's and 1940's then the film might not have the same effect. Bava does an amazing job of recreating the old Universal atmosphere and adding some slightly risque touches that probably wouldn't have past muster two decades earlier. Barbara Steele is the prototypical goth horror babe. She could also act and is at once beautiful and mysterious. The opening sequence with the spiked mask is great and the overall pace of the film is about right. I think the fight sequence toward the end could have been a little more eventful, but all of the scenes are shot in an artistic manner with a great amount of spooky details. Overall, one of my favorites of the horror genre, right up there with Psycho, The Exorcist, and Universal's triumvirate of Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man.
844964
(I noticed a lot of people have submitted reviews here for the older Horror flick "Wolfhound". I hope people don't skip on this title because they read a review for the wrong movie.)
Wolfhound was a slave as a child, but won his freedom. He is now hired as the personal protector of a princess on a perilous journey. There are some great battles, creepy environments, goofy tribal encounters, and a bit of sexual tension between the two leads. Nothing strikingly original, but a well made and acted movie with beautiful scenery.
I really enjoyed this movie. It's a great addition to anyone's fantasy collection. I wasn't impressed with the English voice over, but it is great watching it it in Russian with subtitles.
2446747
The fact thats its shot mockumentray style shouldn't put you off of what is a nice twist on a old fairy tale staple , I enjoyed Troll Hunter much more then any Del toro movie so far.
1073003
Del Toro is the columbian godfather. Decent movie. It skips alot of character development and Hutcherson isn't the most convincing but overall I enjoyed the story.
1176851
Excellent movie and the early racing footage is very nice.
4498293
I love this movie, even though--as some reviews have pointed out--it is a violent film at times. But, that is life. You want sanitized? Go to Disney. You want honest? This is your movie. No sugar coating here. A rare fantasy film based upon a real-life, historical time period. Yes, it is brutal, but the underlying message, to me, is that good ultimately triumphs over evil. Amidst the horror of war, the little heroine of this film proves that to be so.

The acting is utterly believable and heart-rending. The effects are amazing, and riveting. I have viewed this movie 4 times, and there is always something new to see. This film is soaked in minute details, such is the care that was put into its production.

Well done, Guillermo del Toro! A film worth owning, and worth repeated viewings.
2123377
Probably one of Eddie Murphy's best early films.  The film is very entertaining and fast paced.  It is a treat to watch Murphy negotiate the pricey Beverly Hills society with his street smarts and "Detroit attitude."
4493160
Pacific rim is not a deep movie, don't go looking here for metaphysical revelations or commentary the worlds politics. But why would you!? del Toro set out to make a fun, epic looking blockbuster with no pretensions. He succeeded. Great action, a internally coherent story, exciting fight scenes, beautiful graphics, and frequent pokes at the sources it took inspiration from make this movie on of 2013's best.
3875970
This is one of the better X-Men films.  Basically a prequel that takes place before the events of the very first movie, set in the Kennedy 1960's era around the Cuban Missile Crisis.

 The interesting item about this movie is that it is a story with in a known historical political story, the heroes and villains duel it out alongside the events of the military blockade of Castro's Cuba.

 We see Magneto's deeper origins where Kevin Bacon is a scientist using the Nazi Party in WW2 to conduct evil experiments on mutants. The boy Magneto is held in a concentration camp where his parents are murdered in front of him, and Bacon conducts cruel and vicious unethical medical procedures.  He escapes and acts as a "Simon Weisenthal" actor, hunting down fugitive Nazi thugs around the world seeking to find Kevin Bacon.

  Very well thought out original story where see the origins of a good guy, played by James McAvoy as Dr. X, and the misguided villain in Magneto.

 A- and two thumbs up for "X-Men First Class". I had felt there were many references to the original Sean Connery - James Bond 007 movies through this film that I really appreciated because I clearly remember seeing this awesome movies when I was younger.
120213
I can see why this is referred to as the director's classic.  Fans of Del Torro will see themes and motifs that reoccur in the Hell Boy films and Crimson Peak.  (Hint: Shaving is dangerous and gramophones are important.)
529396
Is it a classic like the 1938 film? No, it has some issues. But it is well worth the purchase of the DVD set. The effects are only so-so considering the level they are at in 2007. More SyFy channel than major motion picture quality, but I don't think that detracts a great deal from the story. They aren't horrible, just could have been better.

But the story itself is very good. It may be a bit contrived to make some of the plot elements work but I'm fine with that. The characters reimagined is what I like. DG (Dorothy) is not a clueless teenager who flounders around in the story seemingly overwhelmed. The tin man used to be lawman (Tin badge, get it?), the lion is actually another species with telepathic powers and the scarecrow was a brilliant adviser to the queen but had half of his brain removed by the evil ruler. Much more believable to me than a group of anthropomorphized beings.

Like I said, I can't see this one becoming an icon of cinematography to last for decades. It drew me into the story enough that I watched all 4 1/2 hours in one sitting just because I couldn't leave it hanging at the end of each episode. And it was worth it to lose a little sleep to see it. I doubt I'll marathon watch it again, but I certainly will watch it again. I have no problem recommending this mini-series to my friends who like the sci-fi/fantasy genre.
1155114
Wanted to see this movie since I seen the trailer on you tube, but it didn't play at a theater near me. Was going to get this at my local walmart when it came out on DVD. Now I'm glad they didn't get it because the toys are great too! If you like horror movies with lots of creatures your gonna love this movie. The toys are great even though propeller head doesn't look like the one in the movie he's still great. And the same size as my schelich and papo figures, wich makes them that much cooler. I couldn't belive how fast this came, 3 days. I have several movies from dark sky films there all good but this is my favorite.
2206113
Although it's only available on DVD this is a great film about his early movies. A great insight to how he got started.

I-Zombie