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 Pan's Labyrinth 

What grade would you give this film?
A 76%  76%  [ 37 ]
B 22%  22%  [ 11 ]
C 2%  2%  [ 1 ]
D 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
F 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Total votes : 49

 Pan's Labyrinth 
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Extraordinary

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Finally found my signature film of 2006, one that I could truly use the word "masterpiece". Visually it's simply stunning. This has to win at least Best Makeup both here and at Oscar, and I was immersed in the world Del Toro created. In addition, the story is very innovative to me and isn't afraid to produce those cringe-inducing moments.

A

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Sat Feb 03, 2007 6:03 am
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Extraordinary
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WOOT!!! Thread has turned into "It'a a good film, but I was dissapointed" to "It's a Masterpiece"

Such a great film

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Sat Feb 03, 2007 3:42 pm
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I've heard that just watching the trailer for Pan's Labyrinth cures most forms of cancer, and those that watch the whole film in a theatre are transformed into glorious angel-beings...


Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:19 pm
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Extraordinary

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And oh, such a beautiful score. My favorite of the year.

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Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:41 pm
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xiayun wrote:
And oh, such a beautiful score. My favorite of the year.


indeed :smile:

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Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:54 pm
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I set myself up for dissapointment. I've been following the film for months. I've read a lot of reviews. I've talked about it. I was expecting it to be the most amazing film of the decade, to soundly beat Children of Men for my #1 film of the year, to possibly be only the second A+ I've given out in as many years...

And wow. It met all of my expectations. Without a doubt, none, zero, the most amazing film I've seen in years. Best film of the decade? Easily. Best film of a long time? Likely so. There is just no comparison. Del Torro's world was simply amazing, the story, the score, the direction, the makeup, the effects, everything was perfect and I do mean perfect. Wow.

I'm almost speechless.

A+

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Sat Feb 03, 2007 6:05 pm
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xiayun wrote:
And oh, such a beautiful score. My favorite of the year.

I've been playing this over and over since I saw the movie a week ago (it's available to listen to on the official website) and I would say that it is now my favourite score since The Village. It's incredibly rich and layered, with that haunting lullaby acting as the central motif. Gorgeous.


Sat Feb 03, 2007 7:29 pm
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Extraordinary
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Just got back from the theatre. What a great film! No boring spots at all, compelling story, compelling actors... And I always love seeing a good movie where I don't know what will happen next. Visually stunning.

I think from what I am reading here that some people didn't like it because they thought they were going to see a fantasy film -- Jim Henson's Labyrnth instead of Pan's... I am not sure that is a criticism of the film or perhaps some sort of marketing that made them think it was something it is not, but I don't think it's a fair comment. The film should be judged by what it is and not what you want it to be.

Solid A. Best 2006 film I have seen (although admittedly I am behind in my viewing)...

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Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:29 pm
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A+ Brilliant movie :) Went to see it with no expectations/or even that much knowledge of the movie and it was really good. It may be tied with Little Miss Sunshine for my favourite of last year, though these two movies are very different from eachother.


Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:46 am
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Just read the thread and I have some thoughts on if it was real or not.

SPOILERS

Well the story begins by showing Ofelia dying and then it reverses. Just like how everyone says your life flashes before your eyes prior to dying, the story was Ofelia's way of making sense or comforting herself before she died... it's 2am and don't know if this makes sense at all right now, but will try to think more later :P


Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:55 am
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Neostorm wrote:
A+ Brilliant movie :) Went to see it with no expectations/or even that much knowledge of the movie and it was really good. It may be tied with Little Miss Sunshine for my favourite of last year, though these two movies are very different from eachother.


We will have the same top two films then. :)

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Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:57 am
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xiayun wrote:
Neostorm wrote:
A+ Brilliant movie :) Went to see it with no expectations/or even that much knowledge of the movie and it was really good. It may be tied with Little Miss Sunshine for my favourite of last year, though these two movies are very different from eachother.


We will have the same top two films then. :)


Well it is a two-way tie for second place on my list between CoM and LMS...but Pan's Labyrinth is by far #1. ;)

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Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:59 am
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I also thought it was terrific.

My only complaint, and it's sort of a major one, is that the lead actress (the little girl) is weak. Very weak. She was a blank tablet the entire film, and it annoyed me to no end. Whenever she was in "danger", she never felt like she was! And she was just staring blankly for most of the film, maybe once in a while challenging herself to show some real emotion. And when she was shot at the end, I was entirely not convinced. Ultimately, she dragged some scenes down.

But literally EVERYTHING else in the film is about perfect, that I was so engulfed in it all. And I am overjoyed that Guillermo got a directing nod here at KJ. Despite my complaint and rather dislike of the lead actress, I'm giving this an A-.

Oh, and I've found my favourite score of 2006. Wow. I loved it.

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Sun Feb 04, 2007 6:36 am
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What a movie. I'm not sure I can call it a masterpiece, but I can call it pretty damn amazing. Visually amazing, and absolutely compelling storywise and character wise.

As for my theories on what the film was, I like to think of it as a modern day fairy tale. I'd try elaborating, but I'm terrible at that sort of thing.

Magnificent.

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Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:48 pm
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I want to see this again to see if I like it more.


Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:25 pm
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I'm in the Loyal/Moviedude camp. I liked the film, but it's not a masterpiece. Great performances, great visuals, not my favorite story. The war gets in the way just a little too much. I thought the fantasy and war balance could've been handeled better. I also wasn't that big a fan of the ending. That saying, it's a good film.

B

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Tue Feb 13, 2007 11:55 pm
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the visuals are so good, that this is one of the few dramas I have ever recommended my friends to see at the theatres rather than waiting to rent it.


Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:17 pm
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Highly whimsical and imaginative fable, with an intriguing concept and compelling story. Though it's more of a character drama than a pure fantasy, it manages to blend elements of both while still remaining interesting. Even though I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't more fantasy to it (mainly because the parts that were fantastical were so fantastic), I became so involved in the story that it really didn't matter. I found the parallels between the real word and the fantasy world very subtle, but effective nonetheless. And, though I had to read subtitles, I became fully immersed in both stories, and felt like neither lagged or paled in comparison to the other. Just a very well-told fairy tale.

Technically, it's one of the most extraordinary films I've seen. Great cinematography, beautiful music, and terrific makeup effects. The creature designs are so imaginative and carried out so well that they are, by far, the highlight among highlights. I found all the acting pretty good, too, and the little girl didn't annoy me like so many other child actors. I found Mercedes and the Captain to be the stand-outs, though, as they made me feel for or hate their characters. All of this is capped off by a terrific screenplay. So, really, just an outstanding film.

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Thu Feb 22, 2007 2:38 am
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Though I liked it a lot, I don't think I liked Pan's quite as much as I wanted to.

People have said that they wanted more fantasy, or at least that they expected more, and I agree. Those scenes are so compelling and lovely, and I often found myself yearning for Ofelia to return to that world instead of the film reverting to real life. Not that the scenes above ground aren't interesting. They are. But they drag a little.

But really, I otherwise loved it, and I don't really know that my issues there are even as big as I'm making them out to be. I was never bored by it.

The final scene in the fantasy world is beautiful and heartbreaking, by the way. And the ending in general is fantastic.

B+/A-


Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:29 am
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Like some already said, I wished there would have been more fantasy. That bits were really good. But the real world part wasn't that bad either. The only major complaint is the little girl that played Ofelia. She wasn't good at all and cost the movie some major points. Just because of her I wasn't as involved in the movie as I could have been. B


Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:55 am
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A/A-


I expected great things and the movie delivered. It just managed to break into my last year's Top 5 and might remain there as well as I don't have much left to see (except for Iwo Jima, Blood Diamond and Little Children).

I think many people went into the film with wrong expectations. This is not another Narnia or just a simple dark fary tale. It is a great juxtaposition of the brutality of war and fascism with the innocence of a young girl. I thought the actress who played Ofelia wasn't too great, but just fine for the role. Sergi Lopez who played Vidal was excellent and I'd have awarded him a Best Supporting Actor nod (as well as obviously Picure/Director nods for the film itself) at the Oscars.

The fantasy segments weren't mind-blowing, but they were never supposed to be. I loved how the film had several moments of very harsh violence (bottle, knife), but never glorified the violence a little bit. There are some very intense scenes, some of last year's best (Pale Man, the stuttering prisoner to name a couple). The story unfolds well. I am also with xiayun on Pan's Labyrinth having the best score of all film's last year. I can't athom why the Academy awarded Babel for that. Pan's score was perfect. Same goes for make-up. Now it did not deserve that cinematography nod over CoM, but that is not to say that it's cinematography wasn't great by itself. There rarely is a movie that comes along with almost nothing to complain about it, but this is one of them. The ending is heartbreaking, yet somewhat cheerful considering that the movie clearly leans in the "It is all real" direction. If there could be a change that I would have made, it'd be leaving the film more open-ended than it was. But on the whole, it is defintely a grand achievemet.

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Tue Mar 06, 2007 7:12 pm
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It's great to read through all these reviews. The thing that has stuck with me over time more than anything is the score (as Xiayun and Dr Lecter have said), it really is perfect. Can't wait for the DVD release.


Thu Mar 08, 2007 6:09 am
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El Laberinto del Fauno?
Here's what I've come here to say:
I'd rather be watching a porno;
One where the actors are gay.

Pan's Labyrinth is a misnomer;
The title says nothing of Pan.
I'd rather be stuck in a coma,
Or having it off with a man.

The special effects were all cruddy,
The cinema hardly was "packed".
The scenes are relentlessly muddy,
The girl doesn't know how to act.

How come this film is so gloomy?
How come there wasn't a maze?
I just didn't like it. So sue me!
This is a movie for gays.

C.


Thu Mar 08, 2007 3:40 pm
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Dr Jam wrote:
El Laberinto del Fauno?
Here's what I've come here to say:
I'd rather be watching a porno;
One where the actors are gay.

Pan's Labyrinth is a misnomer;
The title says nothing of Pan.
I'd rather be stuck in a coma,
Or having it off with a man.

The special effects were all cruddy,
The cinema hardly was "packed".
The scenes are relentlessly muddy,
The girl doesn't know how to act.

How come this film is so gloomy?
How come there wasn't a maze?
I just didn't like it. So sue me!
This is a movie for gays.

C.


Aw, if only you'd incorporated gay porn somewhere into the third stanza, too... :(


Thu Mar 08, 2007 5:38 pm
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Dkmuto wrote:
Dr Jam wrote:
El Laberinto del Fauno?
Here's what I've come here to say:
I'd rather be watching a porno;
One where the actors are gay.

Pan's Labyrinth is a misnomer;
The title says nothing of Pan.
I'd rather be stuck in a coma,
Or having it off with a man.

The special effects were all cruddy,
The cinema hardly was "packed".
The scenes are relentlessly muddy,
The girl doesn't know how to act.

How come this film is so gloomy?
How come there wasn't a maze?
I just didn't like it. So sue me!
This is a movie for gays.

C.


Aw, if only you'd incorporated gay porn somewhere into the third stanza, too... :(


lol. I was drunk.

(Disclaimer: I hate bigotry in all it's forms, including homophobia.)


Fri Mar 09, 2007 5:30 pm
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