Pan's Labyrinth (R, 2006)

This brilliant, artistic film, beautifully illustrates true perseverance, courage in the face of almost-certain death, and the innocence of childhood. Watching this film the first time, you are amazed at how overwhelmingly gorgeous this is. It has perfect cinematography, a haunting, heart-stirring soundtrack, and a wonderfully creative story line. Please keep in mind that "Pan's Labyrinth" did not earn a Restricted rating for nothing. Graphic violence, blood, and the carnage of war is sprinkled throughout. Yet this film also one three Academy Awards, which also tells you, the viewer, something. There is really no age limit for the film, as it does not depend on the age of the viewer so much as it depends on the maturity of the viewer. Being a teenager, I know for a fact that most other viewers at my age would not see it for two primary reasons: the fact that it is fully subtitled (yes, you have to read the movie), but after awhile you, as the viewer, begin to read the subtitles naturally and without annoyance; and the fact that to truly understand the beauty of the film, after it is over, you have to think for a minute or two in order to fully understand the true scope. That being said, one of my friends [who is mature enough to enjoy the film and not be bored because there is no nudity involved (which, other then the two reasons listed above is another large factor for teenage viewing)] greatly enjoys the film and has drawn upon it for its artistic style and theme. I note that some other reviewers are concerned about the language. The so-called 'horrible' language in the film just concerns a couple of 'F' bombs in the subtitles, so you are in fact reading it and not hearing the word. All in all, this was a brilliant film that I would recommend to mature men and women who can appreciate the film for what it is and not demote it for what it is not. Go out and rent or buy the film immediately. You will deeply regret it if you do not see it. I only ask one thing: if you enjoyed the film after viewing it, please tell your friends and relatives about it. The only way an excellent movie can be cherished and recognized is if everyone in the world has a chance to see it.

This was a wonderfully creative and imaginative film. I thought that it was extremely well done. However, the film makers could have toned down the violence quite a bit and still made their point that the stepfather was evil. Parents, if you value your children's innocence and don't want them to have nightmares for weeks, do NOT let them see this movie. And I'm not just talking about little kids, I believe older children and tweens who are not already desensitized could be traumatized by some of the images. The sociopathic stepfather violently kills and tortures others with no remorse and the fantasy monsters are frightening (the "pale man" in particular). For parents who have had been through difficult pregnancies and/or lost a baby, keep in mind that there are scenes where the mother and her unborn baby are in peril (showing blood). My wife had to stop watching about two thirds of the way through. Even through all of that, I still thought it was an overall great story and an extremely well done and engaging film. Unfortunately, it should only be viewed by adults and teenagers who are not bothered by violence and gore. Hence the "R" rating.

This is a brilliant movie. The characters are memorable and well-defined, the story is brilliant, the music is "trance-inducing", as it was described to me, and the color-coding is phenomenal. Parents should know that there are several gross scenes in the fantasy world, as well as several graphic ones in the "real" world(the worst being the first one, in which a teenager is beaten to death with a bottle). Parents can also discuss whether the fantasy world was real or not, and whether the Faun was all good, all bad, or a combination.

A great film full of interesting messages for adults to consider, but don't be fooled into thinking it's a kids' film because of the lead character being 11 years old. Please also don't be put off by the opening violence; it sets a scene from which Ofelia needs to run away and frames the fantasy side perfectly.

A great fairytale for adults.

This movie may look to be a lighthearted fantasy, but it is most certainly not. If you don't mind thinking out of the box a bit, and if you can get past the subtitles and graphic violence, this is the movie for you!

A very, very good movie, one of my favorites. I love the shrouded mystery and suspense that lingers about the essence of the movie. I just can't put the movie into words, it's far too complicated; you'll just have to watch it for yourself. A few scenes concerning violence and gore that parents should be concerned about, though. -Captain Vidal takes a bottle and beats a late teens son (about 16, 17?) and brutally beats his face to a bloody pulp. -'The Pale Man' Graphically tears two faeries heads' off and eats their bodies, blood streaming down his face. -An intense torture scene (torture not shown, but the bloody aftermath is shown) where the aftermath involves a young man with his hand barely attatched to his arm, bruises and wounds all over his body, blood streaming down his face, and a horrible lisp. -A woman stabs a man multiple times, once in the shoulder blade, once near the gut, and another time tearing through his cheek giving him a 'glasgow' smile. -SPOILER: A man shoots a little girl in the gut, causing blood to stream out of the bullet hole, leaving the girl to eventually die. -There is a scene between the middle and end where a man is shot about 5 times in the shoulders, blood spraying as he's shot down. The other men accompanying him are killed also by guns, but not as violently. -A toad ingests 3 stones, and as a result it regurgitates its insides. (Very groseteque, but not neccessarily gory) Captain Vidal IS NOT a good role model at all. A self-centered, cowardly, violent, cruel, unforgiving man. Accompanied by the swears (F*ck, D**m, SH*t, etc.) and gore, he is NOT what you want your child to turn into. Overall, it's an amazing film, just be aware that there is graphic violence, gore, and plenty of swearing in this movie, so be cautious of letting your little ones see it.

This is one of the best movies I've seen all year! It combines fantasy and a war story together to make a great movie. I didn't want to watch this movie but my brother made me and it turned out I loved it! But it is NOT a kids movie. It is violent, intense, depressing, and at one point scary. There is a lot about torture. I'll admit it was a little over my head. 15+