I saw "Pan's Labyrinth" yesterday.

[terrya]

One of the most ridiculously overhyped films I've seen in a while. A fairy tale...and a whole slew of violence. Meh. The thing will probably win Best Foreign Film this Sunday night. Whatever.

[ghostsofgiants]

1. Well it IS technically a war film...

So you know, violence is kind of expected.

[Graybeard]

2. Are the special effects anything "special"?

...or is that part of the overhype?

[tigereye]

3. oh, I'm surprised you didn't like it

I thought it was visually and conceptually arresting.....but extremely violent, yes.

But the point of the violence juxtaposed with the fantasy was what made it so arresting, IMO. And the cinematography was stunning.

oh well.

[CBHagman]

4. Thanks for the review.

This seems to be one of those polarizing movies. One of my friends absolutely loved it, and another hated it and specifically cited the violence as so prevalent as to make it a completely different movie from what is implied by the trailer. It wouldn't be the first time.

[wildhorses]

5. i thought to myself--please don't say anything when he walked

away with the baby...she did and she died. brave, scared, gentle little girl with an imagination that wouldn't quit. living her live in another world while trying to cope with the horrors of this one.

i wanted her to live. i cared about her.


i take it you did not?

[auntAgonist]

6. I really liked the film!

It had it's violent moments but also some very touching moments. I don't want to post any spoilers but it did elicit some tears in parts.

aA
:hi:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Yeah, I wasn't impressed.

The whole selling point was this Tim Burtonesque fantasy stuff, but there were only three or four scenes of it in the whole movie, and only one or two of those were any good.

The rest was a fairly boring action/suspense movie riddled with cliches and a villain with all the subtleties of a Die Hard movie terrorist.

del Toro's previous work, about a child seeking refuge in the supernatural during the Spanish Civil War, was better. I hope he's not going the way of Shymalan.