"Pan's Labyrinth" may have lost the Oscar for Best Foreign Film a few months back, but that didn't stop the masses from packing into theaters to experience one of the most genius, original creations in recent film history.
"Labyrinth," conjured up in the mind and notebooks of director Guillermo del Toro ("Blade II," "Hellboy"), tells of little Ofelia (the incredible Ivana Baquero), a girl in love with her fairy tale novels and forced to move in with the sinister Captain Vidal (Sergi López) when her pregnant mother marries him. In the backyard of the Captain's headquarters is a winding labyrinth, home to various creatures, most importantly the Faun (Doug Jones), who proclaims that Ofelia is actually a princess from the underworld trapped in the human world.
With cinematographer Guillermo Navarro (who collected one of "Pan's" three Oscars) and composer Javier Navarrete, del Toro builds a hauntingly dark Spanish setting and a vibrantly warm fantasy world which Ofelia travels between, although it's up to the viewer to decide if all the magic is real or not. Regardless, every element in the film reaches its maximum potential in allowing the viewer to become lost in its world.
For fans of "Pan's," the 2-disc edition of the DVD is essential. With nonstop commentary from del Toro and an in-depth look at his creative notebooks − with drawings and ideas dating as far back as 1993 − everything one possibly want to know about the film and del Toro's filmmaking beliefs is on display. More importantly, the special edition features an extra that increases its value by leaps and bounds: an episode from Charlie Rose's program in which del Toro and his friends and fellow directors Alfonso Cuarón ("Children of Men") and Alejandro González Iñárritu ("Babel") sit down to discuss their landmark year. This 50-minute segment contains so much information that I deem it mandatory viewing for anyone interested in film.
"Pan's Labyrinth" is truly del Toro's masterpiece, and I cannot wait to see what he can dream up next.
