Pan’s Labyrinth is set in Spain in 1944. It follows the plight of a young girl who is stuck in the midst of war with a stepfather who happens to be the main cause of the war.

The young girl, Ofelia (Baquero), escapes from her situation into a land of magical creatures. She is told she is the reincarnation of a princess and if she can complete three tasks before the full moon, she will be able to live once again as the princess in her rightful place in her kingdom.

The story focuses on Ofelia’s attempts to complete her given tasks. But it also displays the events surrounding the war where rebel forces attempt to thwart Capita`n Vidal (Lo`pez), Ofelia’s stepfather, from power.

The story is reminiscent of older fantasies such as Willow and Princess Bride and also of more recent fantasy films such as The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter. Yet the presentation is original and brilliant. The fantasy characters are vibrant and stunning. The real world conflict is amazing. The two blend together, well, fantastically, to tell a wonderfully touching story.

The film is in Spanish with English subtitles. But don’t let that deter you. You hardly need the dialogue to follow the story; the visual presentation is quite strong enough to tell the story without the aid of words.

When I saw Pan’s Labyrinth, I hadn’t seen any trailers or read much about it. It was so much fun to go into a film that I knew so little about and come out loving it.

The film is rated R, and with good reason. Despite the main character being a child, there is a significant amount of disturbing images. The violence is not gratuitous, however. It fits well within the story and reflects the personalities of the characters. But it could definitely give younger viewers nightmares – and maybe some older viewers, for that matter!

I really enjoyed some of the special effects. The magical creatures are brought to life mostly, or perhaps entirely with CGI (computer generated images) – I can never tell, unless, of course, they’re done badly. My favorite effects were with the makeup. There are a few injuries that are brought to life so vividly; it is easy to forget they are not real. One scene in particular has a character repair a cut that runs from his mouth to mid cheek. He is shown sewing it together, complete with needle insertion. It is wickedly fun to watch.

It is rare to rind a film that has such great special effects but does not neglect the story. Pan’s Labyrinth is such a film. I recommend it highly.

Grade: A