Pan's Labyrinth (www.the-usher.com)

"Stick to the rules"

1944, Ofelia (Baquero) and her mother move to a remote army station in Northern Spain to be with her new stepfather Capitán Vidal (López). With her mother heavily pregnant and experiencing some complications, Ofelia is banished from her side so she finds solace in her books and the forest that surrounds the camp. As she explores Ofelia discovers a labyrinth and as she makes her way to the centre she is greeted by Pan, a faun who sets a three tasks that will make her mother well again.

Director Guillermo del Toro returns to the Spanish Civil War is bring is another fantastical story but can Pan's Labyrinth instil the same about of fear as 'The Devil's Backbone'?

After becoming famed for his comic book adaptations of Blade and Hellboy, writer/director Guillermo del Toro makes a break from Hollywood and returns again to his Spanish heritage to bring us another tale of horror and fantasy. Making his name with 'Cronos' in 1993, it was his return to fantasy horror and his Spanish roots with 'The Devil's Backbone' that drew even more attention to this visually talented director. This was a ghost movie that emulated the success of the Japanese revival of the genre and gave it a European twist.

Five years later he returns to the same time period to bring us a more fantasy based story but the horror elements are still there. Based on the legendary figure of the faun Pan, the movie is seen through the eyes of Ofelia, a young girl who loses herself in her fairytale books to escape what is going on around her. As the fighting between the army and the rebels in Northern Spain escalates, Ofelia has to deal with her mother's difficult pregnancy, moving to a new home and getting to know her new stepfather. But when she realises that she not wanted by him and that her mother is too ill to care for her, she takes solace in the forest that surrounds her new home and the ruins of a Labyrinth that draws her in. Here she meets a mysterious faun who informs her that she is the reincarnation of a legendary Princess and if she completes three task she will be granted immortality and return to her throne.

The writer/director takes this premise and injects a horror element but it is not just the fantasy world that is frightening, it is the real world that Ofelia comes from that is filled with more evil and death. Capitán Vidal, played with great skill and menace by Sergi López, is the most evil character in the movie as he mercilessly kills anyone that crosses him or gets in his way. He makes the creatures of the magical realm pale into insignificance compared to the evil he imparts onto the rebels, his staff and his own family. It is this that makes the storyline very thought provoking, as the evils of man become more prominent that anything that can be imagined.

The film is visually stunning, as you'd expect from a Guillermo del Toro film. As well as creating an authentic look for the 1940s Spanish Civil War setting, he creates a fantasy world for Ofelia to visit. The creatures that inhabit this world are produced by the best combination of computer images, makeup and animatronic effects that the movie industry has to offer. Pan himself is stunning and the creature without any eyes at the banquet table is terrifying as well as a visual treat. Again del Toro raises the bar for visual effects on smaller budget movies.

'Pan's Labyrinth' is not the family oriented fantasy tale that some fans may have been expecting. This is very much a film for older views as it reflects more the evils of man than the goodness of fantasy creature. This is a dark fairytale that shows again that Guillermo del Toro is one of the most visual filmmakers working today and one who is at the forefront of fantasy cinema.

PICTURE & SOUND

The Blu-Ray is presented in 1.85:1 Widescreen High Definition 1080p with Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 surround sound, the movie looks stunning. The DVD is presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary with Director Guillermo del Toro
The director/screenwriter provides his usual informative and fun commentary for his movies. Anyone who has listened to any of his commentaries before will know they are in for a treat as Guillermo del Toro provides some of the best single person commentaries around. He tells you about everything, every aspect of the film's creation and how it came about. His commentaries are a joy to listen to and this one for 'Pan's Labyrinth' is one of his best.

Video Prologue by Guillermo del Toro (0.35 mins/Standard Definition)
The director introduces the bonus features on the DVD/Blu-Ray and reveals that this is his most personal movie.

Guardian Interview at the NFT with Guillermo del Toro (29.42 mins/Standard Definition)
The director is interview by British film critic Mark Kermode and reveals insights into the film's development and production. He reveals the connection to 'The Devil's Backbone' and the repercussions of the Spanish Civil War and World War II on the storylines of both movies. We also hear about Guillermo's own childhood monster tales and ghost experiences and how he approached making the movie. This again reveals what a charismatic personality the visionary director actually is.

The Power of Myth (15.09 mins/Standard Definition)
Director Guillermo del Toro talk about the use of myth and fairy tales in the development and production of 'Pan's Labyrinth'. Here he tales about how the story was realised, paralleling classic tales with modern stories and mixing simplicity with brutality. He also reveals how the movie is a rite of passage and what the monsters of the movie represent. The writer/director also discusses how the whole story relates to the classic fairy tale rules and archetypes, even though it is set in near modern times.

El Fauno Y Las Hadas (30.35 mins/Standard Definition)
Director Guillermo del Toro, special effects supervisors David Marti and Montse Ribé, visual effects supervisor Everett Burrell and stars Doug Jones and Ivana Baquero come together to talk about the creation of the creatures and monsters of 'Pan's Labyrinth'. Here we discover how the faun, the pale man, the mandrake root, the toad and the fairies were developed and realised.

The Colour and the Shape (3.49 mins/Standard Definition)
Director Guillermo del Toro talks about the importance of the colour pallet of the film and how it differentiates between the different worlds in the movie.

Storyboard/Thumbnails Compares (11.09 mins/Standard Definition)
Introduced by Guillermo del Toro and entitled 'Ofelia enters the labyrinth', 'Ofelia, the fig tree and giant toad', 'Death of the Doctor' and 'Ofelia's….', this section allows you to view the storyboards, Guillermo's own thumbnail drawings and the completed footage at the same time.

VFX Plate Compare: Guillermo del Toro and the Green Fairy (1.16 mins/Standard Definition)
See the on set performance of the director as he controls one of the fairies.

Director's Notebook (15.42 mins/Standard Definition)
Entitled 'Lost Character: El hombre de Madera', 'Torturing of the Marquis: Prosthetic Make-up', 'Phases of the Moon', 'Iconography: Echo…Echo…', 'The Underground Kingdom: Miniature Construction' and 'The Mill: Set Design', director Guillermo del Toro talks through the production of each section and how he developed theme from his notebook.

The Melody Echoes the Fairy Tale (2.46 mins/Standard Definition)
Director Guillermo del Toro talks through the importance of music and the lullaby in the movie.

Mercedes Lullaby (1.06 mins/Standard Definition)
Listen to the full version of the lullaby accompanied images from the film Poster Gallery View the international and domestic posters for the release of 'Pan's Labyrinth'.

Trailer (1.07 mins/Standard Definition)
View the cinematic trailer for the movie

OVERALL

The Blu-Ray treatment for 'Pan's Labyrinth' is excellent, even though it is the same as the original DVD release. The commentary track is up to Guillermo del Toro's usual exceptional standard and the behind the scenes featurettes cover every aspect of the films production. The only thing missing are interviews with the cast but that takes nothing away from what is an extremely good Blu-Ray package, it is just a shame that no High Definition features were added to the follow up release.

DVD

The Devil's Backbone

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2006